[Tandy]

Mini just launched a car sharing trial service in Spain last week. At first it will only be available in Madrid and will allow customers to share their cars with family and friends. With a new MINI Sharing app, owners can grant access to their vehicle via a smartphone. The trial is designed for a fleet of up to 500 vehicles, and will be available only on models produced since March 2018.

 

[Greenie]

I think this was already brought up by a German manufacturer, Mercedes or BMW and it wasn't limited to Madrid. Good luck with the p2p car sharing system because most people won't trust others with their cars while they're sitting in the passenger seat, let alone granting access while they're somewhere else.
Also, this is why we have spare keys.

 

[Coops]

As much as I think there is a demand for services like this in metropolitan areas, I cant help but worry about security issues around smartphone vehicle access. It is a great alternative to costly car rentals, however and I'm curious to see how the trial will play out. I don't think its sustainable on a free platform though. Not much incentive to sign up your car.

 

[Greenie]

It's all trust based and I don't even trust my mother not to leave tissues everywhere in my car, let alone her driving it without my supervision to who knows where. Not much incentive to use something like this and I too am interested to read their findings at a later date.

 

[MiniFootPrint]

I love the idea of this. It benefits both car makers and ourselves. Hard for some to justify a vehicle for themselves if the use is very limited. Then there's the other side that can't stomach the cost of owning one but can with micro slots of time.

 

[Tandy]

Anything that reduces the number of vehicles on the road, is beneficial for everyone. I agree that if this program moves past the trial phase that there will have to be some strict security measures put in place. But so long as the owner is able to track the whereabouts of their vehicle, there shouldn't be too much to worry about.

 

[Coops]

Programs like this are very successful in the UK and Asia, where congestion levels are quite high. And automakers are really going to have to start pushing these sort of programs soon, as its believed that over a million electric cars are going to hit the road in the next few years.

 

[MiniFootPrint]

It will increase the amount of cars on the road but the real trick is making the use of cars efficient. Instead of seeing cars just sitting around, they will put to use more often. Once self driving tech comes along and is fully integrated that's when it'll really peak.