Car sharing is economical and increasingly popular in Munich.
The idea is brilliant. In fact, it sounds almost too good to be true. The good news, however, is that is does indeed work. After trying it for a year, I can vouch for that. The idea in question? Car-sharing. Before evangelizing further, one thing needs to be said. If you need (I mean, really need) a car every day, car-sharing is not for you. However, if you need one only from time to time — to visit friends who are difficult to reach by public transport, to go away for a weekend now and again, to go shopping etc. — read on. The thinking behind car-sharing is simple. Most cars spend much of their time not being used. This is both uneconomic for the owners and a waste of resources in producing so many automobiles. Car-sharing — where a group of people have access to a pool of cars — can solve both problems. Munich has two car-sharing clubs: the smaller Stadt-Teil-Auto, which has some 400 members and 14 cars in its pool, stationed at six different places around Munich; and the larger StattAuto with 1850 members, and a pool of up to 100 cars at nearly 40 different stations. How does car-sharing work? Although there are differences between the two clubs, the principle is the same. When you join the club, you are given a key (or electronic card) which will open security boxes in the car parks. In the boxes are the keys to the cars. To make a booking, you call a central reservation number, which you can reach round the clock. You say where you would like to pick a car up from, how long you need it for, and what size car you would like. Assuming that a car is available — and both clubs claim that this is so for more than 90 percent of all requests, something my experience backs up — you will be told which one to take. You then go to the car park, open the box and take the appropriate car key. And off you drive. It really is as simple as that. The only bureaucracy is that, when you have finished with the car, you have to fill in a short written report. Both clubs charge a one-time membership fee (between DM 50 and DM 200) and require you to leave a deposit (DM 500–1000), which you get back when you leave the club. You also pay a monthly fee of between DM 6 and DM 12. The cost of using a car consists of two parts: a charge for the time you have it (by the hour, day or week), and a charge per kilometer you travel (from 20 pfennig upwards). Charges vary according to the time of day and type of car. The costs of gas, insurance, maintenance and repairs are paid by the clubs. If you refill the car, you either charge it directly to the club or are reimbursed. Billing for all costs takes places every six weeks or so. Why not just rent a car? But what if you just want to go out for an evening? Or for just a couple of hours to pick someone up from the airport? What if you don’t decide till 22:00 that you want to go out? In situations such as these, inexpensive car-sharing wins out as it is flexible — you can take cars out on an hourly basis, without the bureaucracy. A membership at either car club also allows you to use cars in other German cities, and, in the case of StattAuto, in other countries, (e.g. in Switzerland — where car-sharing is most advanced). For information, contact Stadt-Teil-Auto at (089) 625 77 77 (9:00 to noon) or StattAuto at (089) 201 31 23. <<<