Carsharing

Car sharing - this is how sharing a car works

Carsharing is currently very much in vogue. Many people are looking for a way to reduce their environmental impact by sharing a car. Modern mobility brings with it a number of terms that car drivers who love to divide are not familiar with. Expressions like free floating, peer-to-peer and many other word combinations still cause confusion. What is certain is that mobility is very easy with professional service providers or from private sources. Car sharing - this is how sharing a car works in a modern world.

Using mobility services: car sharing - this is how sharing a car works

In Germany there are currently over 2,5 million car sharing customers, and this number is steadily increasing. At the Carsharing More and more people are relying on professionally managed online mobility services. They work every day to cover the most diverse customer requirements and to offer new features. But private lenders are also on the advance and compete with professional business models. Mobility ensures maximum flexibility. The offers, whether private or business, can usually be booked with a click of the mouse using a clearly structured app.

Terms of new mobility: what is car sharing?

Carsharing means the organized and shared use of cars. The vehicles are divided by a previously undetermined number of drivers. There are contractual agreements so that the sharing of a car has a legally regulated framework. These determine the consumption of substances such as petrol and other uses.

At the beginning of the mobility movement, there was only private car sharing. Private individuals shared a vehicle with many users. The mediation took place mostly via online mediation services or a carpool. In addition to the many private individuals who currently offer their vehicles for rental online, there are now some commercial car sharing services. The advantage of this is that the consumption is usually calculated to the minute and the kilometer.
The car sharing companies differ primarily in the way the vehicles are parked. There are the so-called station-based services as well as the free floating companies and cars are also offered online by private individuals:

- Station-based services: With these offers, users can pick up the cars at fixed stations, and the vehicles must be returned there after use. A classic example of this is car rental.
– Free Floating: The translation of Free Floating is given as 'free flying'. This term means nothing other than that the cars are available everywhere and can be located using apps. After use, users can park the vehicle at any nearby location or take it to a specific location on the outskirts.
- Peer-to-peer offers: With so-called peer-to-peer sharing, private individuals lend vehicles for a fee. Users can use various platforms to get an overview of all offers in the immediate vicinity and book the vehicle online.

Car sharing - this is how sharing a car works: How will this trend develop in the future?

Car sharing is one of the most forward-looking models available on the market. Sharing does not necessarily mean giving up. Rather, mobile services offer users a high degree of flexibility. Inquiries will always be provided with exactly the right means of transport. On the one hand, users benefit from low mobility costs, and on the other hand, scarce resources and the environment are protected. Important parking space will also be freed up. The fact is that privately used vehicles occupy unused parking spaces for around 22 hours a day on average. In contrast, car-sharing cars are used for an average of eight hours per day. So it's not just worth it for environmentalists and activists to get to grips with 'car sharing - this is how sharing a car works'.

Advantages and disadvantages of car sharing: Car sharing - this is how sharing a car works

Car sharing has several advantages. You don't have to worry about who pays for maintenance or repairs. There are also no fixed costs such as taxes or insurance.

Advantages of car sharing:

- wide spread: offers for many cities in Germany
- Booking can be conveniently controlled via the app
- spontaneous online booking possible
- Different vehicle types can be selected
- certain cars can be reserved
- Inexpensive costs for kilometers or minutes used
- flexible options for parking
- usually everything included such as parking fees, fuel and insurance
- different payment options
- attractive discount promotions
- Invoicing

Disadvantages:

- no guarantee of availability in the vicinity
- often high deductibles for vehicle damage
- Costs for registration fee or deposit
- Outside of larger cities, the range of available vehicles decreases

Car sharing - this is how sharing a car works: Registration of the user

Private or business online car sharing offers can only be used after registration. Different personal information is requested. You need to upload your driver's license and ID card, contact options via email and telephone are requested and your account details must be entered. You must also agree to the terms and conditions. The data is checked and then you can make your bookings on the platform.

Overview of queried data online:

- Personal Information
- ID card and driver's license (need to be uploaded)
- further contact details
- Payment methods of the provider such as bank details or credit card details

Most companies offer registration and vehicle handover online. Keys are handed over at a specific location or, in the case of newer models, via a code that has to be entered in the app. Some companies, such as stationary car rental companies, require you to present documents such as ID or driver's license in a company office before you can rent the car.

Car sharing - this is how sharing a car works: How is the vehicle filled or charged?

As a rule, carsharing cars have a fuel or charging card. With the card, users can pay at a petrol station or at a charging station for electric cars. As a user, this does not result in any additional costs. In most cases, these are included in the user fees. Some providers have a special business policy in this regard. Users who refuel the car are rewarded with free minutes. This applies in particular if the fuel level before the start of the journey is below a certain level.

New ideas for car sharing: use the multi-mobility app

Every day there are new inventions in the area of ​​car sharing. One of these are multi-mobility apps that enable users to easily plan their trip. This is particularly advantageous for business trips or planning a domestic or international trip. If you don't want to deal with many different apps and payment options, this new idea gives you everything from one provider. For example, business people drive the carsharing provider's electric car to another city for a business appointment.

From there you can rent bicycles or electric scooters to the next appointment. The return trip is started by public transport. The advantage of this is that the booking and invoicing work using a single software. The overview of the trip is provided by the application and can be printed out and carried in hand luggage. The multi-mobility app can do much more. If a hotel is to be booked, this is also done via the application. Thanks to convenient online navigation, the traveler always knows at which stage he is and has access to all bookings and tickets made.

Conclusion: car sharing - this is how sharing a car works - made easy

If you have read the guide 'Car sharing - how sharing a car works', you will have already noticed that it is now easier than ever to share a vehicle. In addition to stationary car rental companies, there are a number of offers where you can use an app to get an overview of cars in the surrounding area. There are also many private car owners who make their cars available. If you want to share a vehicle instead of buying a car yourself, you have a few options.