How can car-sharing help to save the planet? (bonus: most popular car sharing apps review)
September 27, 2021
min. read
Climate changes this summer have warned us as never before. Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from transportation account for about 29 percent of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions alone, making it the largest contributor of U.S. GHG emissions. It is not easy to refuse the comfort that car ownership provides. However, nowadays you have the option of sharing cars and only using them when necessary.
At first glance, owning a car looks convenient, and indeed it is in terms of driving. But it also means constant costs and the loss of value of your property - your vehicle. Experts say that a car loses between 15% and 20% of its value each year.
Car owning vs car sharing
What else do car owners pay for? Constant investments have to be made in repairs and maintenance, for example, when washing the car or changing the oil and filling it with gas, or charging in the case of an electric vehicle. In addition, adjustments to the weather conditions are mandatory, for example, changing tires before the winter and summer seasons. The car should have insurance while in traffic and you should also cover parking costs not to mention the fact that you have to have places to park your car that could be easily reached from home, as well as from the office.
You can avoid all those troubles when choosing a ride-sharing option - your car will always be full of gas or charged, clean, and with the equipment that is adjusted to the season. No additional costs - just pay for your ride and leave the car where it is convenient for you. Moreover, if you need a bigger car for the ride with the whole family, you can have it! Just choose a SUV closer to you with the car-sharing option. And pay less for a small car if you are riding alone.
Car sharing is also more convenient than renting a car. Renting invariably means planning, scheduling, and getting to the parking lot for rented cars. Renting sometimes also involves hidden costs. Car-sharing is easier - if the car is not available at the moment at the closest to your location, look around in the app and you will definitely find a spot, where a car is available near you.
Game changer
Nearly 90% of Americans own cars. Unfortunately, this means not only a convenience for car owners but also traffic jams and pollution. And according to The Guardian, this quantity of cars costs the economy $124bn. So car-sharing has been seen as a real game-changer. According to a Berkeley study, one car for sharing can replace 7 to 11 privately owned vehicles. Thus cities can become greener not only in the context of reduced levels of air pollution, but also significantly reduced parking lots. Moreover, this means less wear on roads as fewer cars drives around the streets.
Fine, but what is the real advantage, when there are still a lot of cars on the street? How does this actually help to save the planet? Well, with car-sharing there still will be fewer cars on streets and in traffic. Car-sharing providers are thinking of their business so they will always choose the most fuel-efficient cars. Whenever possible, electric cars are going to be included in their fleet. Electric cars have zero emissions. Also, more small cars are going to be available as people who are driving alone don't need big cars or ones that consume a lot of fuel. This means less air pollution. And the air is also less polluted during the manufacturing process because 1/5 of emissions released in a car’s lifetime come from its production. This amount is even smaller with electric cars as they are smaller themselves so they cause less greenhouse gas emissions in production.
Of course, there are also some downsides to switching to car sharing. For example, manufacturers cannot be happy with smaller demand. A lot of factory workers and their families depend on the demand and income from car production. In addition, fewer public transport users mean less income for public transport companies.
Struggles for car-sharing businesses
There are still quite a lot of struggles for car-sharing business owners. For example, experts emphasize that car sharing is beneficial only in areas with the appropriate population density. In other words, there should be a demand for the service. The biggest challenge of the car-sharing business is to survive in small villages where people usually travel large distances to work and it is more convenient and probably even cheaper for them to have their own cars.
The other issue worth mentioning, which is a challenge faced by big cities is parking lots. There should be enough free spaces in the city to park cars. Especially in high-density areas. If this possibility is not available and users have to travel long distances from the parking lot to the office or house, users will soon lose interest in the service.
What other obstacles should car-sharing business owners consider? Demand for cars via sharing is not constant. There are peak hours that are hard to manage due to the limited amount of vehicles, while users easily get upset if a car is not available when they need it. In addition, people want to use car-sharing across as wide a geographical area as possible. This creates challenges for car-sharing business owners, as there should be enough users all around, who are willing to use the service.
Best car-sharing apps according to Google Play and App Store
● Share Now (car2go & DriveNow)
App Store Rating: 4.8/5
Google Play Rating: 4.4/5
There is no monthly or membership fee - users pay while using the service. Rates depend on vehicle and location and gas is included in the price so there is no need to refuel. There is a 24-hour limit on rental time or the option to select the trip package while indicating the length of the trip. No reservations are required - pick up and drop off the vehicle anywhere within the area of operation.
● Zipcar
App Store Rating: 4.5/5
Google Play Rating: 3.8/5
Zipcar charges $7 per month or a $70 per year membership fee. There is also a one-time $25 application fee. Car sharing service costs $10 per hour or $82 a day. It is possible to rent a car for hours or days however there are a few plans available. Prices vary depending on location. Gas, insurance, and 180 miles are included in the price.
● Getaround
App Store Rating: 4.7/5
Google Play Rating: 3.7/5
This app has a $99 hardware fee. After three months, a $20 per month subscription fee kicks in. Daily rental rates can range from $20 to $80 depending on vehicle quality and insurance is included in the price. A variety of privately-owned cars, vans, and trucks are available. It is possible to rent them by day or hours. Drivers pay for gas and replace what they have used.
● Turo
App Store Rating: 4.8/5
Google Play Rating: 4.9/5
Cars are available on the app anywhere from $20 to $100 depending on vehicle quality and only daily rentals are possible. It has classic and specialty vehicles. Drivers pay for gas and must replace what they have used. Cars can also be delivered to a location if required.
You can take part in the car-sharing business as a user, as well as a car-sharing business owner. If you want to create your own platform, this is what you have to consider and keep in mind.
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Blog
Bid your price: ATOM Mobility launches rider-controlled pricing feature
💸 ATOM Mobility launches “Offer your price” - a rider-controlled pricing feature. Riders can suggest higher or lower fares within pre-set limits. Boosts demand & helps stand out in competitive ride-hail markets 🚖🌍
August 4, 2025
min. read
The ride-hailing market is always changing. From Latin America to Eastern Europe, platforms like inDrive have popularized a new norm: letting riders suggest what they want to pay. Now, in response to this growing global trend, ATOM Mobility is proud to introduce: Offer your price – a fully configurable pricing feature built right into your rider app.
💡How It works
Available on all ride-hail projects, this feature lets riders propose a price – higher or lower than the default fare – within operator-set limits. Drivers can then accept or decline based on the offer.
Here’s how it reshapes the experience:
In the Rider app:
- A new "Offer your price" button appears when selecting a vehicle class.
- Riders can slide or tap “+/-” buttons to adjust price:
- e.g. +30% to get a faster ride 🟢
- or -10% to save on a flexible trip 🔵
- For scheduled rides, this feature is disabled to keep things predictable.
Smart logic behind the slider:
Your admin dashboard defines the limits – say, up to +500% from regular price and down to -30% – and the app calculates step sizes automatically:
- +500% limit → 1 step = 5%
- +100% limit → 1 step = 1%
- +200% limit → 1 step = 2%
Slider position adapts dynamically, depending on your defined range. And yes – the button color and style can be customized to match your brand 🎨.
On the operator dashboard:
You’ll find complete control and clarity:
- Enable/disable the feature per vehicle class
- Set custom % limits for price increase/decrease
- Price card, exports and ride activity logs are all updated with the adjusted ride price
- New ride status - Ride requested (adjusted ride price) for transparency in reporting
What drivers see:
In the driver app:
- Price offers are marked clearly (e.g. 🔻 "Discount requested" or 🔺 "Extra fee offered");
- Final earnings are adjusted accordingly and logged in driver stats.
Who's already doing this – and winning?
Real-world companies are already proving that rider-defined pricing works:
🚘 inDrive (LATAM, Africa, Asia)
Now one of the top global ride-hailing players outside the U.S. (over 200M downloads, active in 700+ cities across 45+ countries), inDrive built its brand around rider-negotiated pricing. It helps them stand out in price-sensitive markets and win over both drivers and passengers with more transparent pricing dynamics.
🚖 Comin (France)
A local success story, Comin has embraced flexible rider pricing to gain traction in several French cities (onboarded 6,000+ drivers). The feature gives them an edge against larger platforms, offering more freedom for users and better utilization for drivers.
These examples show that letting riders bid their price isn’t just a gimmick – it’s a growth strategy.
From our previosu blog “How to Find Your Niche in the Ride-Hail Market”, we saw how localisation and user control drive loyalty and conversion.
This new pricing flexibility supports:
- Emerging markets with income-sensitive riders
- Driver shortages, where riders can tip in real-time
- Brand positioning, letting you stand apart from competition
🚀 Ready to lead the market?
This is just one of the 300+ features available in ATOM’s white-label ride-hailing platform.
Let’s talk about how to launch or upgrade your app with “Offer your price”, advanced pricing logic, and more tools to dominate your niche.
👉 Contact our team and explore how to become the market leader: www.atommobility.com
Blog
Is car sharing profitable in 2025?
🚗💡 Is car sharing still a profitable business in 2025? Short answer – yes, if done right. From rising fleet costs to smarter user behavior and green transport trends, the shared mobility game is changing fast. Learn what makes a car sharing business work today – and why some succeed while others shut down. 👉 Real stories, data-backed tips, and practical advice for operators and mobility founders.
July 23, 2025
min. read
In 2024, the global car-sharing market was valued at approximately €8.9 billion, with Europe accounting for over 50.2% of that total. Analysts forecast it will grow at a CAGR of 11.8% between 2025 and 2033, reaching roughly €24.4 billion by 2033. This blend of urbanization, environmental regulation and a growing preference for flexible mobility continues to create fertile ground for operators - yet not every service finds a clear path to profitability.
Success hinges on your location, business model, fleet, operations and local market dynamics. There are strong success stories, but also many high-profile failures. Here’s a closer look at what really affects profitability in today’s car-sharing market - and what you can learn from real-world cases.
What makes a car-sharing business profitable?
Profitability in car sharing boils down to securing enough paid usage while keeping costs under control. Every unused hour or unnecessary expense erodes margins.
Key factors:
- Fleet utilization – the most important metric. Cars need to be in use several hours each day to cover fixed costs.
- Operational efficiency – cleaning, charging, relocation, maintenance and insurance add up quickly.
- Fleet acquisition – leasing usually optimizes cash flow and scalability, but still carries fixed monthly expenses.
- Pricing and competition – too low cuts margins; too high drives away users. Finding the right balance is essential.
- Tech stack – a robust platform automates operations, improves customer experience and reduces support costs.
The operators who win are those who combine solid daily usage with lean operations.
❌ PANEK S.A. suspends its car-sharing service to focus on rental
29 March 2025 marked the end of Panek’s car-sharing experiment. Despite peaking at 2 700–3 000 vehicles, Panek never turned a profit in over seven years.
About Panek
- Launch: Car sharing added in 2017 by Maciej Panek, entirely internally funded (no VC)
- Fleet mix: City cars, hybrids, EVs, cargo vans and vintage models
- 2023 acquisition: Regional Rent (+ 45% fleet), making Panek Poland’s largest integrated rental/operator
2024 performance
- Revenue split: Car sharing ≈ 20 % of total. Traditional rental 80 %
- Utilization: 0.7–1.0 rides/car/day
- Maintenance & overhead: Up to €690/car-month
- Profitability: Negative since inception
Why it failed
- Under-utilization: < 1 ride/day vs. ~ 2-4 rides/day needed to cover fixed costs
- Price wars: Fierce competition in Warsaw eroded margins and drove up customer-acquisition costs
- High OPEX: Parking, maintenance, insurance and vandalism pushed costs > €690 per car each month
- Tech drag: Two-year outsourced app development cycle meant poor UX and slow feature delivery
- No public support: Missed out on parking incentives or EV subsidies
Faced with persistent losses, Panek’s leadership refocused on profitable core segments: daily/weekly rentals, corporate leasing and Fleet-as-a-Service.
🚗 WiBLE Spain finds its profitable lane in Madrid
WiBLE (50/50 joint venture between Kia Europe and Repsol) launched in 2018 and has just closed its second consecutive year with positive EBITDA.
- Fleet: 600+ plug-in hybrids (Kia Niro, XCeed, Ceed Tourer)
- 2024 revenue: €6.93 million (+ 5% vs. 2023)
- Usage: ~1 500 trips/day ⇒ 2.5 rides/car/day
- Diversification: Monthly rentals (€599+) now 5% of revenue
- Market share: ~19% of Madrid’s car-sharing market
Key enablers:
- Higher utilization – rides up 15% YoY, driving a 10% lift in core revenue
- Fleet scale efficiencies – added 150 vehicles in 2 years, lowering per-unit costs
- Service diversification – multi-day and monthly rental options opened new revenue streams
After five years of absorbing fixed-cost drag and depreciation, WiBLE now leverages Madrid’s regulatory environment (low-emission zones, parking benefits) and delivers lean, tech-driven operations.
🚗 SOCAR South Korea: scale + longer rentals
SOCAR (backed by SoftBank, SK Inc. and Lotte Group) operates 20 000 vehicles, generates nearly €300 million in annual turnover and has 20% of South Koreans signed up.
- Model: Station-based, pay-per-minute with average rental duration of a whoping 12 hrs
- Segmentation trick: Aging cars shift from on-demand sharing to long-term monthly rentals (10% of revenue), extending resale life with minimal depreciation impact
By pairing massive scale with savvy car lifecycle management, extra-long rental duration, SOCAR converts high utilization into robust profitability.
🚗 Carguru (Latvia)
30 August 2024: Carguru (est. 2017) acquired EV-focused OX Drive (est. 2021), adding 200+ Tesla to the fleet.
- Growth: From just 30 cars and total budget below 500 000 EUR (2017) to over 1 000 cars (mid-2025) via leasing and strategic partnerships
- 2023 turnover: €4 million; 435 000 trips (+35.9 %); 7 million km driven; profit €375 600
Outcome: A combined ICE, hybrid and EV fleet—backed by local expertise and strategic acquisitions - has driven strong growth and high utilization.
🎯 Core suggestions for aspiring operators
- Target 2–4 rides/day per vehicle
- Leverage dynamic/off-peak pricing, B2B partnerships (hotels, offices) and event tie-ins.
- Contain OPEX via automation
- Use predictive maintenance, remote diagnostics and gig-economy cleaning/relocation.
- Secure municipal support early
- Negotiate parking incentives, EV charging access and low-emission zone permits.
- Choose your tech wisely
- Build an in-house development team for full control with higher costs, or adopt a proven white-label platform for speed to market, stability and lower costs.
- Validate unit economics before scaling
- Prove break-even utilization in one zone before expanding to others.
With clear benchmarks and smart execution - drawing on lessons from Panek, WiBLE, SOCAR and Carguru - car sharing can still be a highly profitable component of a modern mobility portfolio.
If you’re planning to start or improve your service, ATOM Mobility is ready to help. We’ve built the platform and supported dozens of teams worldwide - reach out, and we’ll share what we’ve learned.
Image credit: https://kursors.lv/2018/03/13/carguru-palielina-autoparku-un-paplasina-darbibas-zonas-mikrorajonos
Driver App demo credentials - Email: test@atom.com, Password: driver
