Car Pooling or Car Sharing

Average CO2 emissions of cars registered in the first quarter of 2013 in Spain are down 4.5% on the same period of 2012*, but even so, transport continues to be one of the most significant GHG emitters. There are some thousand million vehicles in the world.

Despite increased sales of more efficient vehicles, which seems to be a trend that is here to stay, we must not forget that big cities continue to suffer serious problems from their high pollution levels. Respiratory problems for the population (asthma, emphysema, irritated respiratory tracts, etc.), the greenhouse effect, acid rain and reduction of the ozone layer are just some of the effects of the "smog clouds" over cities.

Buying a more energy efficient car and following recommendations for lower power consumption reduces CO2 emissions, but this is not enough. New transport trends have now become an important ally for reducing emissions – and saving money! We tell you how:

Save money on your journeys, share costs by sharing a car! In this way, the driver's vehicle costs are offset and passengers save a good amount of money spent on transport, as well as respecting the environment. You are sure to know other people who share your concerns. Did you know that 63% of cars on the road carry only the driver? This means more jams and more pollution. Can you think of better way to avoid this than sharing free car seats, and also save money?

Diverse companies use the internet to connect millions of users interested in car pooling. How do these networks work? Very simple: you offer seats in your car or, if you are a passenger, you look for a seat. You connect with other users, drivers and passengers, and you travel in a shared car!

Another option for reducing pollution and saving money is to join a Car Sharing service. This new practice is an alternative to the private car, but also to the traditional car hire service. It means renting a car by hours at a much more economic price, since the price of fuel is included.

The company manages the process activating a card for you. With your mobile phone you find your nearest garage and the cars available, you say how much time you are going to use it for, you open the car with the card and can then use your car for the time you need! When you finish, you return the car to the garage and the time you have used is charged to the card. Can you imagine the savings you can make with this in a year? If you are someone who only uses a car occasionally, for weekend getaways or special occasions, save on a year's car insurance, maintenance, parking, etc. Perfect for your pocket, and perfect for your city.

Enjoy the benefits of Car Sharing. Using this system can save you an average of €4,000 a year, and it reduces the number of cars on the street.  

According to Amovens, car sharing can save drivers who live 20 km from there place of work €1,500 a year. Their website also informs us that in a company of 1,000 employees if just 5% of them were to share a car with two other colleagues who live 20 km from work, they would save €75,000 and 70 tonnes of CO2 emissions each year. On long journeys, sharing a car gives a saving of between 50% and 80%... Worth thinking about, no?