If you answer “yes” to any of the following questions, then carsharing probably makes sense for you (and your business, too).
Owning a car is expensive. There are car payments, insurance, maintenance, and registration fees just to own it. And when you drive, you also pay for gas, repairs, and other unexpected expenses. Carsharing converts the high fixed costs of owning a car into a service you only pay for when you use it. The less you drive, the more you save!
CarShare Vermont is a membership-based service available to all qualified drivers in our community. Instead of keeping our cars in one central location, we park them in neighborhoods at self-accessible, unattended pods. You can reserve and access a CarShare Vermont vehicle using your own key fob or smart phone 24/7, which makes carsharing a convenient and affordable solution for your everyday car needs. Also, insurance and gas are always included with carsharing versus added costs when renting.
Yes, but it's always best to sign up in advance. You can select one of our monthly membership options when you apply, and we'll set you up to use our mobile app to make reservations and access our vehicles instead of mailing you a physical key fob. Keep in mind that if this is a one-time use, you'll need to let us know when you leave town so that we can close down your account.
Probably not. If you can’t get to work without a car most of the time, then carsharing is not your best choice since you’d be paying for the car while it sits parked at your workplace.
Easy – just fill out our online application. Once you’re approved (usually within 1-2 business days) you’ll get a personal key fob that gives you access to any car in our fleet. From there, you’re free to reserve and drive!
Gas: There’s a gas card in every car, fill up on us.
Insurance: You and your passengers are covered by premium auto insurance.
Parking: You’ll have a dedicated parking spot at the end of every trip.
Roadside assistance: If you break down, our emergency service will help you 24/7.
Lots of availability: There are plenty of vehicles to go around; getting a car when you need one is easy.
Ways to carry your stuff: Many of our cars have bike and ski racks; and when you need more cargo space, borrow our truck or Honda H-RV.
Member perks: Being a CarShare Vermont member comes with a lot of discounts around town.
It depends on how much you plan to drive. The Share-a-Lot plan is our primary plan for most CarShare members – if you’ll use a car at least a few times a month to grocery shop, run errands, or visit friends out of town, then it’s the way to go.
On the other hand, if you’d like to join CarShare Vermont for an occasional back-up car or just need a pickup truck every now and again, then the Share-a-Little plan is a better choice. Learn more about our individual rates here.
Yes, you can switch between plans as long as you notify us before the start of the month.
If you’re 18 years old with at least 2 years driving experience and a clean driving record, chances are you’re all set. Check out our full eligibility requirements to make sure.
If you’re licensed in another country, we’ll need to see your home country’s license and a copy of your home country’s driving record. If your license is not in English, you will also need to have an international driving permit and a translated copy of your driving record. Contact us with questions!
You can save money by sharing a CarShare Vermont account with household members. One membership covers two drivers. After the second driver, there is an additional fee of $25/year per person.
Yes, only members of CarShare Vermont are insured to drive our cars.
We have a variety of practical and environmentally friendly vehicles – check out our fleet!
Our vehicles are in central locations downtown and throughout most neighborhoods in Burlington. Check out our fleet map.
No, all cars need to be returned to their home pod. CarShare Vermont does not offer one-way trips because the logistics are complicated to manage in our small city.
Yes! (With some caveats.) Our software facilitates ridesharing too, but not cost-splitting. Members can opt to make their reservations available for ridesharing with other members, and any arrangements can then be conducted by private email. However, our insurance will not cover members who use our vehicles for any commercial or paid ride-hailing purposes. Additionally, we do not screen our members beyond a motor vehicle record check.
Yes, many of our vehicles are pet-friendly if your pet is in a carrier. Just check on the fleet page to make sure you’re choosing a pet-friendly vehicle. And please note that there are fees for transporting pets in non pet-friendly vehicles and/or not using a carrier.
No. Smoking anything in our cars will result in a hefty fee, along with a cleaning charge. For a full list of our fees and credits, please check out our Member Handbook.
Check out our fleet map. If you live in Burlington, there’s a good chance we’re there or will be there soon! We’re keeping track of where our potential members live so we can prioritize our future pod locations. If you’d like to request a pod in your neighborhood, please contact us.