Source: LOHAS Weekly Newsletter
Published: Saturday, September 01, 2001

“There are not very many environmental choices where you are rewarded for making the right decision,” says David Brook, founder and president
of CarSharing Portland, which currently has 25 cars and more than 500 members.

According to data prepared by Zipcar, a car-sharing service in Boston, most Americans spend an average of $750 a month on car payments, insurance, gas and repairs. Becoming a member of CarSharing Portland requires a $25.00 application fee followed by a one-time refundable $250.00 deposit. After that, costs are only $100 a year in membership fees, $2.00 per hour in rental fees, and $.40 per mile. Costs at Zipcar and at Seattle-based Flexcar are comparable.

Cars are cleaned and maintained by the car-sharing companies, and reservations can be made over the phone or online in a couple of minutes. Members can reserve cars for as little as an hour or for as long as they like. Usage is tracked through a magnetic membership card, and members receive a monthly bill in the mail. Zipcar also offers the option of prepaying for a designated amount of driving time.

Flexcar was founded in 1999 by Neil Peterson and now has 50 cars and 2,000 members. The Seattle company does a limited amount of advertising and sales work—one-third of its customers come through referrals. When asked who the typical customer is, COO David Leonhardt replies, “Everybody—people who have mobility needs.” While Leonhardt recognizes that car sharing is not for everyone, he reasons, “If you have need for a car and a half, take a Flexcar instead.”

Brook describes CarSharing Portland's members as diverse: “60 percent have
no car while 40 percent use CarSharing as a second car, and 70 percent sold or avoided buying a car to join CarSharing,” he says.

CarSharing Portland will be merging with Flexcar this fall. The new company will offer members increased mobility, as they will be able to access cars in both cities. Terms of the merger were not disclosed.

Founded in June 2000 by Robin Chase and Antje Danielson, Zipcar currently has 40 cars and 800 members. “The word of mouth has been terrific,” says CEO Chase. “We find that our existing members are our best ambassadors.” The company's vision is for every urban resident to have a transit pass and a “Zipcard” to access a Zipcar parked on every block. Having recently expanded to Washington, Zipcar is looking to open a facility in New York in the future.

Each car-sharing company has a variety of vehicles to offer, ranging from Volkswagon Beetles and Passat wagons to Dodge Neons, and the fleet at CarSharing Portland includes two gas-electric hybrid cars.

According to Zipcar, more than 150,000 people in 450 European cities are now car sharing. And the concept is spreading in North America. Besides Boston, Seattle and Portland, there are car sharing services in Montreal, San Francisco and Boulder, Colo.

To learn more about car sharing, or to join a car-sharing program, visit www.carsharing-pdx.com, www.flexcar.com, or www.zipcar.com.