Concept: Car Sharing
The "key" to get into the car
Although there are programs like this in the US, I don't think as many people utilize them as they should!
This program has been around since 1999 and it a group of seven companies throughout Germany that have united marketing and accessibility. It is the largest car sharing organization of its kind- 1,800 cars and 38,000 subscribers.
The program works by having its 800 cars spread out through Germany at fixed locations. When you are a registered member of the program, you are able to drive any of the available cars nearest your location. In Stuttgart alone, there are almost 400 cars to choose from spread between 177 stations. You can search via your computer or an app on your phone which size car you are looking for and it can tell you the closest available car to your location. Then, you simply go to the station the car is fixed at to pick it up! There is no front desk to check in with or paperwork to fill out. Once you are member, you are free to drive any of the cars not currently in use. You simply go to the station and get in the car. You can reserve the car months in advance or very last minute.
Since you can use any of the available cars, you use your membership "ID card" to get into the car. There is a small scanning device on the dashboard of the car near the drivers side door- you scan your ID barcode and it unlocks the car. Inside the car, there is a locked device that holds the key to the car. Then you are charged by how many kilometers you drive and how long you share the car for. This is not only cheaper than owning a vehicle in a city with a very good public transportation infrastructure, it take away some of the environmental burden. The Stadtmobil's vehicles are newer and are more efficient than the average privately owned car. Stadtmobil also pays for the gas, maintenance, cleaning and weather-proofing.
My computer automatically translates German to English, so I can read the real website. I hope yours can too! http://stuttgart.stadtmobil.de/
This program has been around since 1999 and it a group of seven companies throughout Germany that have united marketing and accessibility. It is the largest car sharing organization of its kind- 1,800 cars and 38,000 subscribers.
The program works by having its 800 cars spread out through Germany at fixed locations. When you are a registered member of the program, you are able to drive any of the available cars nearest your location. In Stuttgart alone, there are almost 400 cars to choose from spread between 177 stations. You can search via your computer or an app on your phone which size car you are looking for and it can tell you the closest available car to your location. Then, you simply go to the station the car is fixed at to pick it up! There is no front desk to check in with or paperwork to fill out. Once you are member, you are free to drive any of the cars not currently in use. You simply go to the station and get in the car. You can reserve the car months in advance or very last minute.
Since you can use any of the available cars, you use your membership "ID card" to get into the car. There is a small scanning device on the dashboard of the car near the drivers side door- you scan your ID barcode and it unlocks the car. Inside the car, there is a locked device that holds the key to the car. Then you are charged by how many kilometers you drive and how long you share the car for. This is not only cheaper than owning a vehicle in a city with a very good public transportation infrastructure, it take away some of the environmental burden. The Stadtmobil's vehicles are newer and are more efficient than the average privately owned car. Stadtmobil also pays for the gas, maintenance, cleaning and weather-proofing.
My computer automatically translates German to English, so I can read the real website. I hope yours can too! http://stuttgart.stadtmobil.de/