Car sharing is a revolution in personal transportation - urban mobility for the 21st century. About 75% of North Americans live in cities. Many of them simply don't drive enough to justify the expense and hassles of owning a car - yet can't give up the freedom of driving a car when they want to. Car Sharing provides flexible wheels for an urban lifestyle. It's instant-access to a network of cars throughout the city, 24 hours-a-day, paying-per-trip, without commitment or inconvenience: as EASY as hailing a cab, the FREEDOM of your own car, as AFFORDABLE as a latte, FASTER than renting, and lets you KICK the CAR HABIT "Get online" with a car sharing network and you'll get convenient access to a fleet of vehicles (cars, vans, trucks) in your neighbourhood and across the city - and pay only when you use them. Reserve the vehicle - by phone or Internet, 24-hours-a-day - that best suits your needs, and use it for a few hours, or a week. Pay per trip, and never have to worry about repairs, insurance or monthly parking again. And when you feel like it, grab a taxi, take the train, walk, ride a bike or take the bus. If you drive less than 12,000 km (7,500 miles) a year and you don't need a car for work every day, car sharing will likely save you thousands of dollars a year, give you greater mobility - and actually reduce pollution. 'If you live in a city, you don't need to own a car.'
William Clay Ford Jr.,
CEO, Ford Motor Company Ltd. Car Sharing, launched in 1987 in Switzerland and later in 1988 in Germany, came to North America via Quebec City in 1993. As of January 1, 2007 - based on data provided by Susan Shaheen, University of California, Berkeley - 18 U.S. carsharing programs claimed 134,094 members sharing 3,637 vehicles, and 13 Canadian carsharing programs claimed 21,817 members sharing 994 vehicles.
You can find out if there's a program in your city at http://www.carsharing.net/where.html.