Foo - Chicago's Shared Hybrid Car program

http://www.flexcarnetwork.com/chicago-i-go/pricing.asp

So now we have like 2 hybrid cars or so at Millennium Park. It's something like $6 per hour, plus 50 cents per mile. Insurance and gas is included in the price. Between 11pm and 7am, the car is free. I actually think this is a good deal, but compared to other kinds of cars, is this a deal or a big rip off? I don't drive, so I am not sure how this compares with other rental car agencies. I don't have a lot of experience with driving a lot of cars, but this sounds like a viable opportunity for getting around to do errands and such in the wintertime, like when I want to do a lot of grocery shopping, or when I want to go up north to IKEA.

Does anyone have a lot of experience with this type of program in their city? Does it work?

Koffee

I rented a car a few months back while mine was in the shop. A "three day special" rate was $250 and 150 free miles a day, if I recall additional miles were around 35 - 45 cents per.

11pm to 7am? is it for drunks?

I guess you didn't read the link. They were saying that if you have to walk home late by yourself, why not just use the car and stay safe? It's actually a really good idea. I am just wondering if it's worth it, or if a rental car costs less.

Koffee

I've heard of this working in asia very well. I saw something on TV where in Singapore you can get a pass card and walk down into your building's parking garage and pick up a car - it was mainly aimed at business executive types who didn't want to take a taxi and rode the train into downtown.

I've heard that there were a few US cities trying it out, didn't know Chicago was one of them. The monthly fees and reservations are a bit different than what they were doing in Singapore, though...

Wouldn't it be great to have a 'yellow car' program like the 'yellow bikes' deal? A 'free' car sitting on the side of the road that you could pick up when you need it?

Too bad that most humans would end up just keeping the car... I'd love to see everyone getting around on a bike and only using a car/truck when they had large distances or heavy loads....

It might work well in S'pore, because owning and operating a car is expensive there. Big hassle with the bureaucracy too, from what I've heard.

--J

It might work well in S'pore, because owning and operating a car is expensive there. Big hassle with the bureaucracy too, from what I've heard.

--J

Ok - been awhile since I had a car, but isn't it expensive in the US too?

I don't know how expensive it is in the US. But friends living in Singapore have complained it is both expensive and complicated there compared to Finland. And I do know that here taxes add up to approximately 42% of the price tag of a new car. We also have heavy taxes in gasoline prices. (Just for the record: I don't mind any of that.)

In any case, that's why I would imagine it is more expensive in S'pore than in the US.

--J

Oh gosh, cars in Singapore are incredibly and insanely expensive. I don't see how they can even drive over there, except all I can say is that those folks got some serious bling bling out in Singapore. Half a million dollar homes prices were started in Singapore. :eek:

Koffee

Oh gosh, cars in Singapore are incredibly and insanely expensive. I don't see how they can even drive over there, except all I can say is that those folks got some serious bling bling out in Singapore. Half a million dollar homes prices were started in Singapore. :eek:

Koffee

I think that's why communal cars work out there. Most people can't afford to operate a car there...

Yep, I can totally see why they'd be clamoring for the shared car program.

I actually am thinking about going for it. My drivers license is expired, but I will probably renew it and get the car. I mean, it includes insurance and everything, and it's free after 11pm! I could do late night shopping, park the car outside my building, still get up and do my early morning ride, and then drop the car back before 7am! Plus, I was always thinking I'd like to buy a hybrid car. Now I get to try it out before the Smart Car gets here to the USA.

Koffee

Yep, I can totally see why they'd be clamoring for the shared car program.

I actually am thinking about going for it. My drivers license is expired, but I will probably renew it and get the car. I mean, it includes insurance and everything, and it's free after 11pm! I could do late night shopping, park the car outside my building, still get up and do my early morning ride, and then drop the car back before 7am! Plus, I was always thinking I'd like to buy a hybrid car. Now I get to try it out before the Smart Car gets here to the USA.

Koffee

that's only like 6 hours or less of sleep you'd be gettin. :eek:

I usually don't get more than 5. On my days off, I'll sleep in, but when I'm on, it's 4 or 5 hours at most. So I'm cool with that. Besides, I hate driving in traffic. Traffic makes me jumpy when I'm in a car, so I'd rather ride during off peak hours anyway.

Koffee

Plus, I was always thinking I'd like to buy a hybrid car. Now I get to try it out before the Smart Car gets here to the USA.

Ahh, the smart! It's a funny little car. I have not tried the newer models, but even the original smart fortwo is fun and reasonably nice to drive. And of course absolutely delightful to park :D. But it's not hybrid, all smarts run purely on gasoline.

--J

Oh! I thought the Smart car was a hybrid- what's the good thing about the car then? What's the hype all about being enviornmentally friendly and all?

Koffee

Oh gosh, cars in Singapore are incredibly and insanely expensive. I don't see how they can even drive over there, except all I can say is that those folks got some serious bling bling out in Singapore. Half a million dollar homes prices were started in Singapore. :eek:

Koffee
Wait what, half mill houses arn't that odd. Or do you mean they[sing.] were the first back in the day? you must mean back n the day because I can see a full one mill house from my window here and out the other side I can see a 1/3 mill nextdoor to a 30 year old tin sided trailer and a 100k cinderblock home on the other side. (I live in a bit of an iclectic neighborhood) Don't even get me started on seattle or San fran.

Yeah, I meant "they" as in when I was visiting back in the mid 90s, and a small small smallapartment was going typically for about half a million, also surprising to me because Singapore is surrounded by poorer Asian countries. Not now (end of 2004), when just about any major city in the USA has half million homes.

Koffee

Small apartment is a bit different. The prices I listed for my town are from '94 when I was looking to buy.