Comparison of car sharing providers

Carsharing is booming - as a result, new providers with different offers are pushing onto the market. In particular, the high level of flexibility should distinguish car sharing from conventional public transport. In our comparison, we take a close look at the most popular car sharing providers and show you the advantages and disadvantages of the individual competitors.

ShareNow - DriveNow and Car2go merge

The car sharing market leader in Germany has been called ShareNow since this year. ShareNow is an amalgamation of the car sharing offers from BMW (DriveNow) and Daimler (car2go). The offers of both providers have not yet been brought together on one platform, which means that the customer still books through the portals of DriveNow and car2go . But: The vehicles of both providers are displayed in both apps. A joint ShareNow app is planned.

• Registration fees: Those who register directly with ShareNow only pay a one-off fee of 19 euros. Otherwise, 29 euros will be charged at DriveNow and 9 euros at car2go. One can expect a uniform registration fee for the future.
• Monthly basic fee: not applicable.
• Through the merger, customers can choose from a large vehicle fleet:
  DriveNow : BMW 1 Series, BMW X1, BMW X2, BMW i3, 2 Series Active Tourer, MINI Cooper, MINI Clubman, MINI Coupé, MINI Cabrio.
  car2go : Smart fortwo, Mercedes A-Class, Mercedes B-Class, Mercedes CLA, Mercedes GLA
• Rental prices for DriveNow: From 33 cents per minute, 29 euros for 3 hours, 54 euros for 6 hours or 79 euros for 9 hours; Daily rate: 109 euros. In addition, various service packages with which you can book up to 500 minutes per month. Rental prices for car2go: Rental price: From 19 cents per minute, 17.90 euros for two hours or 79 euros per day. Car2go's prices vary slightly depending on the location.
• Additional costs for car2go: From 200 kilometers 29 cents per kilometer driven.
• Minimum age: Under 20 years only with proven driving safety training, from 20 years without restrictions.
• You can also access the "DriveNow" car sharing offer on the go from your Android device and via the iOS app.
  Car2go also has an app for Android and iOS.
• You can also use the app to see more information about the car, such as how full the tank is.
• You can also park your car free of charge in residential areas. The costs for a parking ticket are therefore eliminated.
• Conclusion: DriveNow and car2go have joined forces to dominate the German car sharing market. In terms of availability and fleet size, ShareNow is far ahead of the competition.
  So far, DriveNow has been comparatively expensive - but also offers attractive models with the high-quality and very well-equipped BMW and MINI. Car2go starts lower in price than DriveNow thanks to the smart fortwo, but now also has SUV models such as the GLA. The question remains open as to whether there will be a common, simple and attractive price model for both providers.

Flinkster - car sharing with Deutsche Bahn

The largest provider after ShareNow is Deutsche Bahn with Flinkster . Over 300, 000 customers trust the offer, which was originally called "DB Carsharing".

• Registration fee: not applicable with BahnCard, 10 euros with partner card or 50 euros without BahnCard.
• Monthly basic fee: not applicable.
• Vehicles: Since the "Flinkster" fleet is so huge, we refer you to the overview of the official website.
• Rental price: from 2.30 euros during the day and from 1.50 euros at night per hour or from 39 euros per day.
• Additional costs: 18 cents to 20 cents per kilometer driven.
• Availability: Over 4, 000 cars at 1, 500 stations in more than 350 German cities. In Munich you can use "Flinkster" in addition to the fixed stations in public parking lots.
• Minimum age: 18 years for small cars, from 25 years all cars.
• You can also access the "Flinkster" car sharing offer on the go using the iOS app or Android app.
• Mileage restriction: none.
• Conclusion: Flinkster convinces with a wide availability, numerous cars for all demands and fair prices. The great popularity of the car sharing provider can also be a disadvantage: The desired vehicle is not always available because it has already been rented. Another negative aspect is that Flinkster bookings only work via the web's own, unclear website.

Car sharing with Greenwheels

The first car sharing provider in Germany was Greenwheels from Holland. Good service and uncomplicated offers make Greenwheels one of the most popular car sharing service providers.

• Registration fee: none.
• Monthly basic fee: Three package options: 0 euros in the basic tariff, 10 euros in the comfort tariff and 25 euros in the active tariff for frequent travelers.
• Vehicles: In the inexpensive version you drive Volkswagen up !, in the more expensive version you can choose between a VW Golf Variant or a VW Caddy.
• Rental price: In the basic tariff from 2.50 euros (day) or 0.99 euros (night) per hour and from 39 euros for an entire day. The basic tariff for a small car is 119 euros per week.
• Additional costs: Each kilometer driven (including petrol) costs an additional 30 cents ("Compact") or 35 cents ("Van") in the Basic tariff.
• Availability: 229 fixed locations in Germany. Mainly represented in the Ruhr area and Hamburg, but also for example in Berlin, Dresden and Nuremberg. Large cities like Munich and Frankfurt am Main are unfortunately missing.
• Minimum age: 18 years.
• Conclusion: There is almost nothing wrong with Greenwheels . Only the fleet could be a little more versatile and it is the only provider where you have to pay a monthly fee.