Toyota launching condominium-based vehicle car-sharing program with plug-in hybrid Prius and iQ EVs
14 June 2011
Starting in spring 2012, Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC), in collaboration with Nomura Real Estate Development Co. Ltd., Daikyo Incorporated and Toyota Housing Corporation, plans to launch a condominium-based car-sharing program using plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles.
Two condominiums in Tokyo and one condominium in Aichi Prefecture will each receive two of a total of six Prius Plug-in Hybrid and iQ-based electric vehicle units managed by nearby Toyota vehicle rental and lease companies.
TMC, in collaboration with condominium developers and IHI Transport Machinery Co. Ltd., a parking facility manufacturer, will design parking facilities and charging equipment. Further details of the program, such as car-sharing costs to users, have yet to be decided.
Car sharing has become more popular among people in urban areas who do not own cars, and it is also gaining public attention as a countermeasure against global warming and oil dependency. In response to these trends, TMC, aiming to connect people with a new way of using future vehicles, decided to carry out this car-sharing program using next-generation plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles.
A worthwhile alternative to three large gas guzzler per family. Getting rid of fixed weekends could make it more appealing. Work 4 days with 2 off and change/move off days on a rotation basis so that only 1/3 would be off at any one time.
Posted by: HarveyD | 14 June 2011 at 03:33 PM
"Car sharing . . . among people . . . . who do not own cars"
That's the way to save gas - more people driving more cars.
Three large gas guzzler per family?
No problem, if the GGs just sit.
How many drivers per family?
Posted by: ToppaTom | 14 June 2011 at 07:08 PM
Car sharing will probably not be popular in the U.S. unless people have to do it and right now they do not. Even car pooling is shunned by people, there are no databases here to match up people and save fuel. It will not happen until gas in not available whenever you want it, THEN it sinks in.
Posted by: SJC | 14 June 2011 at 08:06 PM
@SJC: Car sharing is booming in some urban areas (Zipcar, etc.). If I lived in a dense metro I'd definitely sign up. I think attitudes about car ownership are changing and will change even faster as it becomes clear that the days of cheap gasoline are gone forever.
Posted by: Nick Lyons | 15 June 2011 at 10:44 AM
But will it make a real difference? Will 100 million drivers decide to car share and effectively take tens of millions of cars off the streets and off oil?...no.
Posted by: SJC | 15 June 2011 at 08:05 PM
What is this trying to prove anyway?
If you have a big enough pool of vehicles, then there would always be an available car - but with fewer cars total, just fewer sitting idle.
Staggered work hours etc would reduce the required car quantity more and there would still be one whenever you wanted one.
So If people would eschew pride of ownership, we would eliminate lots of idle cars.
Problem solved.
But wait, is it true that parked cars use no gas whatsoever?
So this scheme means we could spend less on car payments and drive the same or more.
I guess they figure EVs are so expensive we have to do this. I still like it, but it works only if you live in a hive.
Posted by: ToppaTom | 15 June 2011 at 11:17 PM