Car share includes sharing an eco-friendly car with other Chicagoans

June 3, 6:36 PMChicago Home Technology ExaminerMaryan Pelland

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Share a cool car, but not this cool! (Photo by StevoArnold)

How do you share a car with all the other member drivers in Chicago? You become a member of Zipcar or IGo and then reserve a car anytime you like, in advance. With this home technology, the car is yours for the time you reserved - you don't share that particular drive time with anyone. Unlike rental cars, you have a designated pick up and drop off parking space in your extended neighborhood. Minimum car reservation is 30 mins and there is no maxiumum. The companies say short time and distances create the most economical costs and reservations can be made online or by phone.

How car sharing works

Car share companies say their members often use cars for running errands, visiting, or trips outside the city to neighboring communities. Pricing includes gas, premium level insurance, Earth-friendly vehicles (low emissions), reserved parking places and 24/7 help. You can expect price points from about $7 per hour or $65 per day with a 40 cents per mile fee but no monthly service fee to unlimited driving at about $70 per day and no milage fee but a $30 a month service fee. Sound confusing? IGo's fee chart is online and so is Zipcar's. Before signing up, it's advisable to read the entire pricing page.

To join IGo, users must be 21 to 75 years old. You must have a current driver's license and three year minimum driving experience wirh no disqualifying moving violations. To confuse matters again, there's a seeparate program for students 18 to 20 years old. Pets are allowed, in crates, but if you leave pet hair you pay $100 to have it cleaned. It's another $100 out of your wallet if the car smells like smoke when you return it.

Where can Chicago members find a share car?

The territory I see on IGo's car share location map covers roughly north of Evanston to Cermak Road on the South and from Lake Shore Drive on the East to about Milwaukee Avenue as a western boundary. It looks like there are a lot of cars in the system. I'll say this, their phone system is terrible. You don't reach a human until you have listened to long lists of prompts at more than one queue. I gave up on the main line and called their media contact, which was a voice mail. I gave up again.

Zipcar has an annual car share fee of $50, application fee of $25, hourly rates from $9 and daily rates from about $66. Then there's the monthly commitment fee of $50 to $250, depending on your plan and driving habits. They have web discounts and free mile offers and they work about the same way as IGo.

I called Zipcar - another voice system to drive a person crazy. If you aren't a member, they don't want to talk to you. Zipcar's territory in Chicago appears to be smaller than IGo's .