AutoShare
Encyclopedia
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The service was launched in October 1998 with 16 initial members and three cars. As of June 2009, AutoShare has over 10,000 members and over 200 cars, available for use 24 hours per day. Members pay according to their usage based on time and distance driven, and have a variety of plans from which to choose.
As part of its commitment to sustainability, AutoShare offers its members cargo minivans, Prius hybrids, and alternative fuel vehicles. It is also to testing a plug-in hybrid and buying electricity from renewable-energy provider Bullfrog Power
Bullfrog Power
Bullfrog Power is a Canadian electricity retailer operating in the provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. Bullfrog offers its customers power from renewable energy sources, such as wind and low-impact water power...
. The Toronto Parking Authority
Toronto Parking Authority
The Toronto Parking Authority is a public corporation owned by the City of Toronto.TPA was established in 1998 with the merger of parking operations in the cities of Toronto, York, Etobicoke, Scarborough, North York and the Borough of York...
is a partner in helping locate cars near transit, in city parking lots.
AutoShare is the only car-sharing company in Toronto to offset all emissions resulted from driving by its organizational members through Zerofootprint.
Car sharing has been recognized in the City of Toronto's official plan as a part of the transportation system, and is being promoted by Toronto's Clean Air Partnership.
Based on member surveys, 15% of AutoShare members sold a car after joining and 25% decided not to purchase a car. About one in four members reports increased transit and bicycle use.
AutoShare was founded by Kevin McLaughlin, who continues the automotive innovation and tradition of Sam McLaughlin and Earle McLaughlin
Earle McLaughlin
William Earle McLaughlin, OC was a Canadian banker.Born in Oshawa, Ontario, Earle McLaughlin graduated with the gold medal in commerce from Queen's University and joined the Royal Bank of Canada in 1936. In 1960, at an age considered very young at the time, 45-year-old McLaughlin was appointed the...
.
Fleet
- Mini Cooper
- Honda FitHonda FitThe Honda Jazz is a five-door hatchback subcompact manufactured by the Honda Motor Company of Japan, first introduced in June 2001 and is now in its second generation. The Jazz shares Honda's Global Small Car Platform with the City/Fit Aria, Airwave/Partner, Mobilio, Mobilio Spike, Freed and Freed...
- Toyota MatrixToyota MatrixThe Toyota Matrix, sometimes officially referred to as the Toyota Corolla Matrix, is a compact hatchback manufactured by the Toyota Motor Corporation in Canada, to be sold in the United States, Canada, and Mexico...
- Toyota YarisToyota YarisThe Toyota Yaris is a subcompact car produced by Toyota since 1999. Between 1999 and 2005, some markets received the same vehicles under the Toyota Echo name...
- Suzuki AerioSuzuki AerioThe Suzuki Aerio is a compact car that was built by Suzuki Motor Corporation. It was introduced in 2001 as a replacement for the Suzuki Esteem/Baleno, with a tall 5-door SX model hatchback and a 4-door sedan body...
- Mazda 3
- Toyota CorollaToyota CorollaThe Toyota Corolla is a line of subcompact and compact cars manufactured by the Japanese automaker Toyota, which has become very popular throughout the world since the nameplate was first introduced in 1966. In 1997, the Corolla became the best selling nameplate in the world, with over 35 million...
- Toyota Echo
- Honda CivicHonda CivicThe Honda Civic is a line of subcompact and subsequently compact cars made and manufactured by Honda. The Civic, along with the Accord and Prelude, comprised Honda's vehicles sold in North America until the 1990s, when the model lineup was expanded...
Hybrid - Toyota PriusToyota PriusThe Toyota Prius is a full hybrid electric mid-size hatchback, formerly a compact sedan developed and manufactured by the Toyota Motor Corporation...
- Dodge Grand Caravan