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Lifestyle

Private car-sharing via Internet platforms

April 23, 2012

Car-sharing is becoming increasingly popular in Germany. More than 100 companies provide cars that can be rented by the hour. Private customers can now also rent vehicles on the Internet.

https://p.dw.com/p/14jmn
Germany's first car-sharing organization was founded in 1988. The idea was for the organization to buy the cars and offer them for rent by the hour. The aim was to reduce traffic, especially in cities. Because of the opportunities offered by the Internet and the spread of smartphones, the number of car-sharing providers has increased dramatically. The German firm Rent'n'Roll has gone a step further. It doesn't have a parking lot with a selection of communal cars. Instead individuals can offer their cars for a fee via its Internet portal when they don't happen to need them themselves. Shift tested the system in Frankfurt.