Entrepreneur foresees car-sharing bonanza in California

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Would you consider getting rid of your car and renting a neighbor's or co-worker's vehicle by the hour for errands or trips?

How about making some money letting people who live or work nearby rent your car when you don't need it?

San Francisco entrepreneur Sunil Paul believes some of us would.

He sees a California where the family vehicle goes communal. He calls it "personal car sharing" and he recently launched a company, Spride Inc., to promote the concept.

At first blush, it sounds pretty radical.

He wants to loosen the intimate bond between us and the faithful companion that waits for us -- and us alone -- in our driveway.

Come on, our cars are like a dog to us, right? Would we dog-share?

Just maybe, Paul says (about the car, not our dog): "If it is going to happen, it is going to happen in California first."

But maybe it's more old-fashioned than radical, like bartering. Some people save by not owning and maintaining a car; others score some spending cash.

Plus, Paul says, it might reduce driving, cutting congestion and pollution.

Sacramento Assemblyman Dave Jones and the San Francisco Bay Area's City CarShare program are helping. Jones has a bill to change insurance law to clear the way for personal car sharing.

Paul hopes to test the program in the Bay Area next year. Sacramento, he says, is a potential market.

How exactly does it work? It's a spinoff of ride-share programs in which cars are owned by companies or groups.

Say you drive to work each day. Instead of leaving your car sitting unused all day while you're in the office, you'd sign with Paul's company to rent it out for you. Users might pay you, say, $7 an hour, with some going to insurance and some to Spride.

So, how do people find the car they're renting? Paul is considering decals and smart phone GPS.

The key would stay in the car. But that won't make it easier to steal, Paul said. The engine could be unlocked only by waving a special electronic key across the windshield.

But what if someone smokes in the car, or leaves McDonald's wrappers on the floor, or doesn't get it back before you need to get home? Or worse: Changes your radio buttons!

There will be rules, Paul said, and possibly taxi backup. "Ultimately, if they're abusive, they get kicked out of the system."

Paul believes certain people will be interested in the idea - those who don't need cars often, who can't afford a car, or who want to defray their car costs. Others may want to help a community, like their church group. Some will be people who just like to be part of cutting-edge lifestyles.

It just may revive that old question:

Brother, can you spare a Daimler Chrysler?

E-mail Tony Bizjak at tbizjak(at)sacbee.com. For other stories, visit www.scrippsnews.com.

(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)

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