Jaunted - Tag: Car Sharing

Miami Beach: Cruise Down Collins with Miami's First 'Hertz On Demand' Car Sharing Program

kjb — 2012-01-24T10:54:45-05:00

There’s no longer the need to walk from Fontainebleau all the way down to Shake Shack—trust us, it’s far—as car sharing is now making its way to South Beach. Sure there are plenty of two-wheeled options available in Miami, but sometimes you just need to put the pedal to the metal. After all, cruising down Collins isn’t quite the same with streamers coming out of the handlebars.

There’s no cutesy name or gimmick associated with the city’s new program, as they’re simply partnering with Hertz to bring the car share scheme to the masses. Thanks to Hertz on Demand, Miami Beach will now be the first city—at least by their math—to offer up a city-sponsored car sharing system in the Sunshine State. Things officially get underway starting today, and there’s even some kind of ribbon cutting ceremony at the Miami Beach City Hall Garage to celebrate.

Paris: Autolib. It's Like Paris' Velib Bike Sharing, Just with Cars.

kjb — 2011-12-12T10:39:46-05:00

Back in October we heard that bike-sharing was turning into car-sharing thanks to the Velib spin-off—Autolib. Initially the rental cars were part of a test run, but the program has been pretty popular and now it’s time to go all-in.

The plan is to eventually add more than 3,000 emission-free cars to the streets of Paris, but for now new cars will be added each and every week. The system works just like the bikes—with a slight increase in cost—and you can pick your car up in one location and drop it off in another. The cars are all battery powered, but the Bluecar electric vehicles should be able to spin around for at least 150 miles before requiring another fill up of electricity.

RelayRides, Like the Airbnb of Cars, Gets a Boost from General Motors

kjb — 2011-10-28T09:29:01-05:00

There’s all kinds of options when it comes to rental cars and car sharing, but one of the most interesting new options has to be borrowing a car from a complete stranger. We’ve mentioned this before, but it looks like the idea is getting a little bit of momentum. It certainly doesn’t hurt that General Motors is now getting in on the fun, so we can all look forward to more broken down rental cars—we’re kidding GM, that’s the PT Cruiser’s job!

Paris: Paris' Velib Bike Sharing Grows Up to Add Autolib Car Sharing

kjb — 2011-10-04T09:26:15-05:00

Late last year we heard that Paris was going to improve on its vehicle-sharing program by adding some electric cars. Well, that time is now, as it looks like Autolib—just like the Velib bikes—is ready to hit the streets.

Earlier this month the city rolled out the first couple of cars to launch the new electric car sharing system. The Bollor� BlueCars are part of a two-month trial program, but if all goes well there will be as many as 3,000 of the cars available for a quick jaunt by 2012. The initial rollout is already underway, with about 66 new cars spread across the city and its 33 rental stations.

San Francisco: Thanks to Hertz, Electric Car Sharing Arrives in San Francisco

kjb — 2011-09-08T09:38:08-05:00

We’ve got a soft spot for rental cars, and we’re especially fond of those that can do their thing without a drop of gas. That’s why we were excited to hear about Hertz and their latest plans to invade San Francisco with green types of rental transportation.

They’re using that new Hertz On Demand thing to offer up electric car rentals through a partnership with the San Francisco Airport Marriott Waterfront. So if you need to take a quick spin to watch some airplanes or head into the city for business, the people at Hertz and Marriott have you covered.

Hertz Reboots Its Car Sharing with 'Hertz on Demand'

kjb — 2011-07-20T09:11:23-05:00

Connect by Hertz has been kicking around for a few years now, as it’s the rental car giant’s answer to the ubiquitous Zipcar. Entering the car sharing business a little behind the curve must have been a little difficult—even for a company like Hertz—so it’s time to reboot things in order to move forward. On the way out is Connect by Hertz, as from now on if you’re thinking car sharing and Hertz you should be thinking about Hertz on Demand.

They mean business now, as the born again service is looking to reduce costs, improve member benefits, and fire up all kinds of technology both in and out of the car. Of course they’re also boosting their amount of vehicles—including plenty of hybrids, electric vehicles, and cuties like the Fiat 500—along with locations, as you really can’t do too well if you don’t have plenty of cars and plenty of spots to grab them.

Rental Car 'Big Brother' is Watching You Down Under

kjb — 2011-02-21T13:01:13-05:00

Renting a car on vacation is awesome. You get to drive it like an idiot, accelerate over speed bumps, and constantly remind yourself that “it’s just a rental” as pieces fly off as you make your way down the highway. Not—these are all examples of how NOT to treat your rental, of course.

The fun might be coming to an end—well at least in Australia—as a new type of in-car GPS does a little bit more than help you locate the nearest Starbucks or McDonald’s. This rental car GPS keeps an eye out on your driving habits as well as your location. That means the rental car company knows when you take its car somewhere it’s not supposed to be, or that the flat tire you claim happened overnight was actually caused by taking the Toyota Camry on an unpaved road.