Where it used to be Hertz or Avis–or a taxi–the choices now are much more complex.Īccording to Navigant Research, it’s not going to change soon. The choices can be almost overwhelming, so services like Yelp can help you sort out the consumer-facing side of the choices. Alternative Transit Joins the PoolĬompeting with car sharing are alternative transit services (shuttles or microtransit), ride sharing (carpooling or vanpooling), on-demand ride services (ridesourcing, ridesplitting or e-hail services) and courier network services (P2P delivery services and paired on-demand passenger ride and courier services). Autonomous technology can overlay much of this as well. Then there’s scooter sharing and bike sharing (also with subcategories of public, closed campus and peer-to-peer ). Personal Vehicle Sharing (which can include fractional ownership models).For her car sharing had subcategories of: She outlines the variety of choices available in a white paper. “Pushed primarily by demographic shifts, societal attitudes toward ownership, and advances in mobile technology, these modes are growing rapidly and becoming more numerous,” she commented recently. Susan Shaheen of UC Berkeley, says we are in the age of shared mobility where new modes of alternative transportation services are making great changes.

But take a look at the variety of program available. The best program for you is a function of where you live and your mobility requirements. Like they say about real estate, with car sharing it is location, location, location. For some Americans it gives a chance to drive and experience a different car, maybe an electric car they might be thinking of purchasing. Car sharing and ride sharing are blurring togetherĬar sharing allows households to own only one car, instead of two or three, or for some to forgo car ownership completely, using the variations of car sharing and services to pick a vehicle or ride for a given task and location.

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