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Car sharing is a well-known service in selected cities, allowing users to drive certain vehicles when needed. Car sharing is a much better alternative than owning a vehicle for those who do not use them daily. Car sharing is available in many forms, depending on the company available in your city or area.
10 Advantages Of Car Sharing:
- Reduces the need for parking spaces
- Saves money
- Less congestion from traffic
- Fewer restrictions than rentals
- Benefits the Earth! Less water, soil, and land pollution
- Drive when you need to
- Choose from a wide variety of vehicles
- Reduces greenhouse gas emissions – Cleaner air for everyone!
- Going Green – Increased usage of electric cars
- Reduce your carbon footprint
1. Reduces the need for Parking Spaces
If fewer people own cars, it won’t be necessary for so many parking infrastructures. Residential parking infrastructure and parking infrastructure in urban areas take up a lot of space. One of the benefits of car sharing is that it has such a high success rate that it has resulted in 28,000 fewer cars on the roads!
When car sharing catches on in larger and more cities, there will be much more space and possibilities for more urban green spaces. By having more space in urban areas, it could dramatically decrease temperatures and improve air quality.
2. Saves Money
Owning a vehicle could come with lots of additional costs. Unlike houses, cars lose most of their value over time. Additionally, they will also need costly repairs as well as routine maintenance and services.
For some people, the costs exceed their budget, another one of the benefits of car sharing. Car sharing allows the user to drive without stress about additional costs.
Where a monthly car payment could be well over your budget, a car-sharing option at Zipcar, for example, costs as low as 7% per month, with you only paying for the trips you need.
Regarding insurance costs, your driving is typically covered by the car-sharing company’s insurance. When you own or rent a vehicle, car insurance can add up, which makes car sharing even better, as it drives down on both the ownership and rental costs.
If you don’t feel like doing routine maintenance, you are in for a treat! Car sharing services get car washes and oil changes, and you won’t have to worry about any of these.
Gas prices are another thing most car owners complain about. Most car sharing apps, such as Turo, gives the user an electric car option. Some have fuel-efficient options, so you’ll save even more on top of everything else!
3. Less Congestion from traffic
Car sharing will help significantly lower the number of cars on roads, which means that there will be less traffic in high-traffic areas, and in general.
A study has found that one car-sharing vehicle can replace up to eleven owned vehicles! This clearly indicates that car sharing can make a massive impact on traffic.
4. Fewer Restrictions Than Rentals
Rental cars could be a great challenge, as they come with restrictions on whoever is eligible. Sometimes, a rental car can cost you much more, depending on the driver’s rates. They also come with hidden costs you may only discover upon using the services.
Another great thing about car sharing is that most people with a clean driving record will qualify for car sharing services!
5. Benefits the Earth! Less Water, Soil, And Land Pollution
Each car actively driving on roads contribute to water pollution. According to the EPA, cars’ and trucks’ exhaust pipes release sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides into the open air.
Together, these pollutants result in acid rain that is highly dangerous to oceans, rivers, and lakes. Similarly, cars also contribute significantly to soil and land pollution.
Fuel, oil, and other auto fluid leaks from busses, trucks, and cars contaminate soil and land. These fluids contain very toxic chemicals that can harm wildlife and the earth.
Driving less and using car-sharing will help decrease pollution of all sorts, working towards a better and healthier earth. Another one of the benefits of car sharing!
6. Drive When You Need To
Where rental cars come with strict policies for scheduling purposes, and you have to wait in a line of users to use the available car, this is not the case with car sharing. Regarding car-sharing, you can decide when you want to or need to drive.
It’s as easy as booking your desired car, unlocking it, and driving to your destination!
7. Choose from a Wide Variety Of Vehicles
Most car ride companies over America only have one person in the vehicle. And on top of this, over half of the vehicles with private ownership are medium-sized or larger. Car-sharing will typically result in the driver driving a vehicle size according to their needs.
If you drive alone, it will most probably be a smaller car, and if you have your family with you, you will be provided with a larger one.
Additionally, car-sharing fleets also feature newer and more fuel-efficient cars than the average car in the U.S.
8. Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emissions – Cleaner Air for everyone!
Research has shown that car-sharing has resulted in fewer cars on the road, which means there are fewer greenhouse gas emissions.
Decreasing greenhouse gas emissions helps greatly to combat climate change actively. It also makes townships and cities healthier by reducing air pollution!
9. Going Green – Increased Usage Of Electric Cars
Electric cars are fairly new, and many people hesitate to invest in them. Fortunately, car sharing increases the usage of electric vehicles for those who would otherwise not purchase one! For example, about 7% of Turo’s cars are electric vehicles.
On top of this, Turo also has a green vehicle filter that users can use to their advantage in order to find fully electric or hybrid cars in their area.
10. Reduce your Carbon Footprint
Making use of car sharing will actively reduce your carbon footprint. Generally, car-sharing users tend to drive less, which makes them more gentle with the environment. Most car-sharing apps are also fully committed to being carbon neutral.
For instance, Turo offsets 100% of its global carbon emissions thanks to their partnership with Bluescore. As a result, pollution output will dramatically decrease if you use Turo for your car-sharing needs!
