Car clubs - could they work here?

DeepBlue

There's an interesting article in the Guardian about car clubs in the UK which seem like a good option if you have a car that you rarely use and own mainly for convenience.

While the charges vary slightly, they all work in a broadly similar way. Members who need a car for a few hours (or days) log on to a website or phone the company to book one.

At the end of your rental period, you simply return the car to its designated parking space, lock it and leave it for the next person. Users can book a car for as little as 30 minutes, or for weeks at a time. Petrol, insurance, cleaning, servicing and car tax are all paid by the operating firm. Many parking bays are provided by local councils keen to encourage take-up of a service that has environmental and other benefits.

"The AA says someone who owns a VW Golf and uses it a couple of times a week is paying £2,749 a year. We estimate that someone making the same journeys using Streetcar will get a bill of around £707 - saving more than £2,000 a year.:cool:

I wonder if such a business would work here or if there would be a demand for it?

mickoneill30

DeepBlue wrote:

I wonder if such a business would work here or if there would be a demand for it?

It would be useful but I think the culture here is that everybody wants a car (whether it's needed or not).
I've been doing something similar. My folks have two cars and live nearby. I pay to get insured on one of their cars and fill it with petrol every so often and can borrow it nearly whenever I want. Saves a fortune if you do the maths on how much it costs to own a car yearly. But people don't do the maths. In the estate where I live most houses have at least two (and some have up to 4) parked in or around their driveways.

bbbbb

It's a good idea, I would give it serious thought if it was available.

I can see some problems as well though:
- insurance, could be expensive?
- privacy. I think some people don't use public transport because they value their private space. A shared car is less private.
- abuse. People treating the cars like crap because they don't "own" them. Driving them hard, returning them dirty etc. All it takes is a small minority.
- parking. who pays for this? v.expensive in most city center locations, the people who would benefit most from it.

Not sure that it could be done profitably, maybe something the government/local authorities should pilot?

Capt'n Midnight

In the UK they have car clubs for expensive cars, but there are allegations of scams where they overcharge for damage. Would you get insurance here for such a thing ?

bk

Capt'n Midnight wrote:

In the UK they have car clubs for expensive cars, but there are allegations of scams where they overcharge for damage. Would you get insurance here for such a thing ?

There is actually one setup in Ireland recently, I hink it is called the GT250 club, thery have super cars (Ferrari, Lamborghini, etc.) and American muscle cars.