In the US and Canada and the idea of sharing a car is still considered a little odd to many, but in Europe the concept has been growing in popularity in recent years. It’s a more eco-friendly approach which results in less vehicles on the road creating fewer emissions and one of the largest companies is extending the idea further with the rapid expansion of Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid (PHV) vehicles to their fleet.

Zipcar is the largest such company and they offer annual membership fees which then allow you to use a car in short spells of as little as one hour, the car sharing rates include gas, 180 free miles and insurance, you can ‘share a car’ for only an hour if you wish. It’s an ideal alternative for those who only need cars on occasion but don’t want to pay for a rental/hire car. You can choose different car types for different tasks, if you want to just get from A to B or perhaps need a bigger vehicle to transport friends or family. Analysts think that in a decade car sharing may be used by as much as 10 percent of the world’s driving population, targeted at those who travel less than 5,000 miles per year. The concept is sustainable as fewer cars would need to be produced to provide comparable transportation options for many. Much of the initial growth in Europe was created by companies looking to use vehicles for short spells without the cost of fleet ownership and has now grown within the public sector also.

As you can see below (click on the image for a closer look) you can type in your address and see which vehicles (each one has a personal name) are currently ‘resting’ at each location with a photo and the rates available on the tool bar. From there you can reserve a car and then drop off at any other Zipcar location.

This shows how simple Zipcar make car sharing (click for larger image)

The addition of the PHV Toyota option exhibits the company’s commitment to reducing environmental impact. I can imagine many car owners recoiling at the idea of not owning a car outright, but on the other hand I can imagine those who only need a car on the occasional weekend or for a night out in a densely populated city where they don’t want to pay for taxis could help to see the concept grow. There are many people who only need a car a few times a month and car sharing looks to be an affordable alternative to car rentals. The Prius will initially roll out to select locations in the US by next year and hopefully expand shortly thereafter. Mary Nickerson of Toyota Motor Sales USA explains why Toyota are backing the Zipcar approach:

“The PHV demonstration program is designed to gather real-world driving data and customer feedback on plug-in hybrid technology, and we’re excited to be working with Zipcar to further test how this technology could have even greater environmental impact by fitting into the car sharing model. This program will help us to educate and inform the public on plug-in hybrid technology, evaluate the performance of the vehicle under different driving conditions and better understand the benefits to future customers.”

At present Zipcar has over 530,000 members in the US, Canada and the UK with a current fleet of about 8,000 vehicles. Other car sharing companies are on the rise throughout Europe and I expect that the idea will grow in years to come.

To learn more about Zipcar please visit their corporate website.