An intro to carshares in NYC

Living in New York offers you plenty of transportation options like subways, taxis, and buses. But on the days you want to get around town on your own time, consider carshares in NYC.

Download the carshare’s app, locate a car, hop in and you’re on your way. It’s as simple as that. You can pay by the hour, by day, or even longer.

And best of all, the price they charge includes the cost of gas and insurance.

See which carshare company you like best.

Zipcar

Zipcar is a widely known carshare company in NYC. It’s been around for nearly 20 years and began its humble roots in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

If interested in this carshare in NYC, you can apply online to qualify for a 30-day free trial.

After that, membership pricing is $7/month. Car choices include standard, SUV’s, and luxury. They’re found at designated points around the city, such as garages or parking lots.

How to apply

• When you go online to sign-up, you’ll pay a one-time non-refundable fee of $25
• Also, you’ll need a driver’s license and debit or credit card to apply. And you must be over the age of 21 or at least 18 if you’re a student
• Select either the roundtrip or commuter plan
• After you’ve applied, Zipcar will verify your license and identity
• Once you’ve been approved, you’ll receive a Zipcar card in the mail within three to seven days
• Upon receiving your card, you must activate it before booking your first rental
• The card allows you to unlock your Zipcar, where you’ll find the actual keys inside

No matter what borough you live in, you’ll find a Zipcar there. But, the largest concentration of cars is in Manhattan and Brooklyn, just like apartments by Blueground. With fully-furnished studios, one and two-bedroom apartments, you can live in New York’s most-happening neighborhoods, with carshares right outside your door.

If planning to rent a standard-sized car, prices start at $12/hour.

For an SUV, the cost is $14/hour and for a luxury vehicle, the price is $15/hour. The cost of gas and insurance are included in these rates.

Also, you can drive up to 180 miles in a given 24 hour period.

If you exceed 180 miles the cost is $0.45 to $0.55/mile depending on the car.

Maven

Maven has been in business since 2016 and has the backing of General Motors. This carshare in NYC is like Zipcar, in that their cars are in garages and lots throughout the five boroughs.

Drivers who rent with Maven locate a car near them, drive it, then return it to the same location.

The main difference between Maven and other carshare companies is the fleet of cars they offer. All their cars are newer than 2015, include premium style interiors, and have the latest in-car smart technology. This in-car tech includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Access OnStar Advisors, and 4G LTE Wifi.

As for Maven’s own technology, they offer customers a superior app. You can use the app to rent a vehicle, open the car door, and start the car.

How to apply

• Signing up is easy. Download the Maven app to start
• You must be 18 years or older and have a driver’s license to apply. You’ll also need to enter your debit or credit card information while applying. This will be the card you pay with when renting a vehicle through Maven
• There is no monthly membership fee and no application fee
• Within a few hours, you’ll receive a message regarding your application
• Once approved, you’re ready to get on the road
• All you’ll need to book a car is the Maven app

Maven’s fleet of cars is primarily in Midtown Manhattan, plus the neighborhoods south of there. Car choices include electric models, sedans, crossovers, and SUVs.

Overall, prices start at $13.75/hour for electric cars, $14.75/hour for sedans and crossovers, and $23.75/hour for SUVs.

These prices include the cost of gas, insurance, and 180 miles of driving. Any mile over 180, costs $0.42 each. Gas cards come inside each vehicle in case you need to fill up.

Car2Go

Car2Go hit the scene in New York during 2014, making them another viable carshare in NYC.

Based on members and cars, Car2Go is the largest car-sharing company in the world. They launched in Germany and now have cars in many cities throughout North America, Europe, and Asia.

What makes them different from Zipcar and Maven is their “free-floating” model.

Drivers can rent a car from one location and return it to another, as long as it’s within the “NYC home area.”

How to apply

• Download the Car2Go app on your phone
• Sign up online or from the app. There’s a registration fee of $5, plus tax, but there isn’t a membership fee to join
• You’ll then enter your driver’s license information
• Upon approval, you’ll get a $10 credit of drive time

Most of Car2Go vehicles are smart for two cars. They are compact European cars measuring only eight-foot, eight-inches long.

Recently, Mercedes-Benz GLAs and CLAs got added, but they only represent a small part of the total fleet.

In NYC, you can find a Car2Go car mainly in Brooklyn and Queens. The price to rent a smart car is $15/hour and $89/day, and the Mercedes cost $19/hour and $129/day. These costs include gas, insurance, and 150 miles of driving.

When you’re ready to book a car, locate a car on the app. The Car2Go app allows you to open the car door, then you’ll find the key inside the car.