Spride and City CarShare Launch Personal Car Sharing Pilot
The new Spride Share pilot program enables car owners to loan their vehicles to the more than 13,000 screened and qualified members of City CarShare.
Spride, a provider of personal vehicle sharing services, and City CarShare, a Bay Area nonprofit car sharing organization, today announced the availability of the first personal vehicle share program within a car sharing fleet.
The new Spride Share pilot program enables car owners to loan their vehicles to the more than 13,000 screened and qualified members of City CarShare. The program allows owners to offset the costs and environmental impact of private car ownership while providing City CarShare members with access to a greater variety of green vehicles.
The Spride and City CarShare pilot coincides with a new law (Assembly Bill 1871) signed Sept. 29 by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. This new law establishes that personal vehicle sharing does not constitute a commercial use of the automobile, eliminating the primary barrier to broad adoption of personal car sharing opportunities. Prior to the law, car owners ran the risk of losing personal auto insurance if they received compensation for sharing their cars.
"With the enactment of AB1871, California is reinventing automobiles as a shared service," said Sunil Paul, CEO and founder of Spride. "I am thrilled to be part of the first wave of participants by enrolling my own Toyota Highlander Hybrid."
While the average car sits idle for 90 percent of its lifetime, the Spride Share program allows owners to offset rising automobile costs by sharing their vehicles within City CarShare's trusted network. Drivers will simply visit the City CarShare website or use a mobile phone application to reserve an automobile, which is then accessed with a secure, electronic key fob.
Spride's vehicles are equipped with City CarShare's proven access and tracking technology, which makes loaning a vehicle safe and reliable. City CarShare members pay the same hourly and mileage rates for Spride vehicles as with all City CarShare vehicles. With hours and mileage included, the average rate is $6.75 per hour for members.
"By adding Spride vehicles to our fleet, we can extend our service to more people in more locations through better utilization of existing vehicles," said Rick Hutchinson, CEO of City CarShare. "Spride's new model brings us one step closer to achieving our mission by helping our communities become transit-oriented while mitigating carbon emissions."
Spride pilot participant Scott Lebus added: "I love that I can lend my car to neighbors and friends while adding extra cash to my bank account. It feels great to partake in a new, tech-savvy program that is bringing people and resources together to make a difference."
AB 1871 will be enacted on January 1, 2011. Bay Area car owners interested in taking part in the Spride Share pilot can learn more by visiting www.spride.com.
More Rental Operations
The $100,000 Insurance Trap in Exotic Car Rentals
Exotic rental agencies often rely on customers’ personal auto policies to protect six-figure vehicles. But policy language can dramatically change the coverage for vehicles over $100,000 MSRP.
Read More →
The Booking Is Confirmed, But Is Your Customer Ready to Drive?
For international renters, a confirmed reservation doesn’t always mean they’re eligible to drive. Earlier checks can help operators catch documentation and payment issues before the customer reaches the counter.
Read More →
ICRS 2027 Opens Call for Papers
The International Car Rental Show seeks session proposals on the business, operational, and technology issues facing car rental operators. Submissions are due Jan. 15.
Read More →
Turo to Launch Vehicle Delivery Service
Turo Delivered will let travelers search for vehicles that hosts can deliver directly to hotels, homes, airports, train stations, and other locations.
Read More →
Palm Beach Airport Code Change Creates Car Rental Distribution Gap
A test of rental searches under the old PBI and new DJT airport codes returned largely different sets of brands and vehicles, highlighting a potential distribution problem for rental operators.
Read More →
U-Save Continues Dominican Republic Expansion with Launch in Punta Cana
The new franchise location builds on U-Save’s existing Santo Domingo operation and will begin taking reservations for October 2026.
Read More →
When AI Books the Rental Car, Who Controls the Sale?
As AI moves from comparing rental rates to completing transactions, operators need to understand how travelers find, interpret, rank, and ultimately see their offers. (Part 2 of 2.)
Read More →
European Booked Car Rental Rates Fell 5%, Results Varied by Country
Ireland, Cyprus, and the United Kingdom saw steep declines, while booked rates rose in Poland and Hungary.
Read More →
Is It Time to Rethink Rental Categories?
As traditional economy and compact cars disappear from the market, longtime rental operator Mike DeLorenzo asks whether the industry’s familiar vehicle categories still make sense — and what operators need to rethink along with them.
Read More →
Who Owns the Rate? AI Is Creating a New Distribution Problem for Car Rental
Generative Engine Optimization asks whether AI can find a rental company, but operators also need to know whether the agent inspected enough of the market, compared equivalent offers, and presented a rate the traveler can actually book. (Part 1 of 2)
Read More →