Not so long ago when browsing through a glossy Danish magazine (forgot which) I stumbled across an ad for RENT A MINI, a car-rental company based here in Copenhagen.
As the name suggests, the provider rents Minis only and the idea behind the concept is that renting a car should be easy, cool and relatively cheap at the same time. The cars can be booked online through a simple interface. Currently, the service is available in Copenhagen only, but the ambitious goal is to operate in all metropolises within the next five years.
RENT A MINI's website does not tell how closely affiliated they are to BMW, the manufacturer of Mini. They are probably not that close, but in any case, I am intrigued by the idea of a car-company that does not only produce cars but also design service-systems (car sharing/rental) as an alternative to individual ownership.
Original Post: http://www.guerrilla-innovation.com/archives/2007/09/000612.php
It is not in the interest of most car manufacturers (today) to sell car sharing. Car sharing is likely to be perceived as a threat. A "green" car manufacturer could of course take on a new strategy aiming for a "less polluted" world and promote time sharing and possibly gain credibility in the process. Though, a number of obstacles have to be overcome before such a system would be suitable for the Californian market for instance :-)