-In honor of Earth Day 2013, City CarShare, the largest nonprofit carsharing organisation in North America, released an environmental report detailing the organisation’s positive impact for the San Francisco Bay Area for 2012 and to-date. Results show that on Earth Day alone, 68,000 fewer miles will be driven on Bay Area roads due to City CarShare’s transit-oriented carshare service. The organisation reported that, in 2012, a total of 25 million fewer miles were driven overall due to City CarShare. Its positive impact on the local environment last year included a savings of 85 million fewer pounds of CO2 emissions and 4.3 million fewer gallons of gasoline used.

“While Bay Area residents are some of the most environmentally conscious individuals in the U.S., the fact is that motor vehicles continue to produce the bulk of greenhouse gas emissions”

Carsharing saves the Bay Area millions of pounds of CO2 each year
City CarShare members have saved a total of 423 million pounds of CO2 since the organisation launched in 2001. “While Bay Area residents are some of the most environmentally conscious individuals in the U.S., the fact is that motor vehicles continue to produce the bulk of greenhouse gas emissions,” said Rick Hutchinson, CEO of City CarShare. “City CarShare’s mission is to reduce the negative impact of the automobile by providing convenient and affordable access to low-emission vehicles, which in turn reduces car dependence.”

Car ownership costs in the Bay Area are on the rise
City CarShare has established a goal of saving its members $1 billion over the cost of car ownership, by 2020. In 2012, an estimated $100 Million was saved by City CarShare members. Since 2001, 39 percent of members did not buy a car because of their City CarShare membership and another 25 percent got rid of one or more cars. Owning a car is an expensive investment in the Bay area with the costs of car ownership continually on the rise due to increased registration fees, gas, parking and insurance. The average cost of car ownership in the Bay Area reaches $700 or more, according to TransForm, a Bay Area nonprofit organisation that supports public transportation and walkable communities and AAA. “We ensure equity in transportation, with pricing designed for all income levels,” said Hutchinson. “On average, our members save $8,400 a year over the costs of car ownership and upkeep.”

Largest Carsharing Electric Fleet
City CarShare operates one of the greenest fleets in the carsharing industry. The nonprofit pledged in 2011 to convert half of its fleet by 2015 to hybrids, plug-in hybrids and all-electric vehicles. By the end of 2012, City CarShare has nearly reached that goal already, with 45 percent of the fleet consisting of these lower impact vehicles. City CarShare reported that over 1200 individuals have driven at least one of its 18 plug-in vehicles over the past year. The nonprofit plans to add an additional 18 plug-in vehicles by the end of 2013. Also, 96 percent of its fleet is at the top of their class in fuel and emission efficiency.