Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/472984
14 bca a .com spring 2015 boone Rodriguez (both pages) "Vancouver is one of the global leaders in car sharing. The concept has seen incredible growth year after year" roadside Evo 16 AVE 41 AVE NANAIMO ST CAMOSUN ST ALMA ST HOME ZONE DROP OFF THERE PICK UP HERE "Vancouver is one of the global leaders in car sharing," explains Shan Parmar, BCAA Director of Car Sharing. "The concept has seen incredible growth year after year since it first gained popularity in Europe in the 1990s." According to University of California Berkeley research, as of 2014 some 1.7 million drivers had embraced the car sharing trend worldwide, more than 224,000 of them in Canada. A number of factors are fuelling the growth, including the rising cost of owning a car and heightened concerns about the environment. (A 2014 Metro Vancouver study reports that a single car share automobile removes up to 12 private vehicles from the road.) Millennials age 18 to 35 are also driving the trend, as many tend to forego or postpone car ownership as part of a generational shift in values. Best in share The demand for car sharing in urban centres is intense and so is the competition, which is why BCAA did extensive research before launching Evo to determine exactly what B.C. drivers want and need. "We saw that two local providers use a roundtrip model in which drivers must return the car to the pick-up point," says Eric Hopkins, BCAA Senior VP and Chief Business Unit Officer, "and the other provider went with a free-floating model that allows users to park the vehicle anywhere in the home territory. After studying car share organizations around the globe and surveying BCAA Members and potential Members, we know that we can deliver tremendous value in the free-floating market." BCAA designed Evo specifically for British Columbians, unlike the other free-floating provider that had Find a car Use your evo app, or visit evo.ca to find an available car parked near you in the Home Zone. You can walk up to an available evo on the street, or book up to 30 minutes ahead online or using the app. HOW IT WORKS Unlock and inspect Use your evo app or tap your evo card on the windshield display to unlock the doors.