Enterprise Rent-A-Car’s Canadian subsidiary is buying AutoShare, a Toronto-based car sharing company that has established itself as a successful competitor to Zipcar.
While terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, it follows last year’s takeover of ZipCar by Avis Budget Group. For now, AutoShare will be managed from Toronto, and operate under the AutoShare brand. According to The Globe and Mail, AutoShare started in 1998, and has now grown to 12,000 members, with its membership focused in Toronto alone.
But with the backing of Enterprise, that could change. With high gas prices, a largely urban population centered in dense downtown areas and a culture more receptive to eco-friendly measures like public transit, Canada is a country that would be willing to embrace car sharing services. Don’t be surprised if AutoShare starts expanding – and a move south of the 49th parallel could be in the cards as well.
“… a largely urban population centered in dense downtown areas and a culture more receptive to eco-friendly measures like public transit, Canada is a country that would be willing to embrace car sharing services.”
Once again, a Torontonian speaking as if Toronto was Canada. Please don’t confuse the two.
Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary…
Do they have little mini electrics to drive thru downtown Calgary’s habitrail?
According to 2011 Statistics Canada data, 81% of us live in urban areas. And the 10 largest cities have more than 50% of the country’s population. I don’t think Derek’s point is off the mark.
Toronto could certainly use it. Nightmare traffic driven with NYC aggression.
I got the notification email from Autoshare two days ago. More than anything it reminded me that I keep meaning to cancel my membership and send back my card because I haven’t used the service in more than eighteen months. I used to rent a car at midnight on a weekend, drive it just under the 150km, and for three hours it would cost less than twenty bucks with the half price overnight rate.
Toronto a traffic nightmare & crackhead mayor. They build some condos now with no parking for carless folks. Toronto Zipstands usually empty, Autoshare seemed more stocked. I think with Zip now they no longer show logo on new vehicles. So Jones don’t know.
No its that you are actually BANNED from owning a car, living at the condo is contingent on this, if they find out, you are out. Regardless if you think you own the condo.
Crazy, yes.
Smart on the developers side, very (cheap to build up expensive to build down) bigger margin. Its stupid though, when you have the technology to build a self parking garage, they can store something like 2/3rds more cars, and in a 1/3 of the cost (no hvac ventilation needed).
“you are actually BANNED from owning a car, living at the condo is contingent on this, if they find out, you are out”
Fantasy. Pure fantasy. My wife is a real estate agent, who focuses on central Toronto. We have never come across a building that purports to have such a rule.
It is true that the City restricts the number of parking spaces in new downtown/midtown buildings, to reduce traffic demand and encourage transit use. So, if you buy a 1-bedroom unit in a new building, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to buy a parking space for it. But no condo bans car ownership altogether – that would be unlawful.
Hey ect, can you send me your wife’s contact info. Not looking to buy now but I would be happy to talk to her when it’s time. editors at ttac dot com
Has anyone ever done a cost analysis?
To me this looks more pricy than a straight rental on a per hour basis but how much does the car sit even if it is a rental?
To this I am tracking my actual driving minutes
(with my owned car) and see where this ends up.
demographic;
-Lives near DT
-drives under 12k yr.
-DT parking spot per month: $350-410
-Bikes or walks most of time
Looking to get rid of my car- with the savings rent a sweet lotus or 911 on my vacation. Or just bank it. funny thing to say on a car blog, I know.
We have used Autoshare as an alternative to owning a second car, and it’s worked well for us. It’s cheaper that Zipcar, and we both come under a single membership. Availability has never been a problem, and there are several cars within a 5-minute walk from our house.
I only hope that Enterprise doesn’t screw it up by trying to make it “fit” their rent-a-car business.