Uber’s Car-Sharing To Start In Boston

Uber held their Go-Get Product event in London yesterday, and announced some exciting expansion plans. It is estimated that there are approximately 10,000 drivers in the market, but now we will see more cars with the infamous black and white logo. Uber detailed plans for Boston to be one of their launch markets for their new car-sharing service.

If you are unfamiliar, car-sharing has a prominent place in the greater Boston. Zipcar launched the first concept of community members sharing cars in Cambridge back in 2000. Though now owned by Avis Budget Group, Zipcar still maintains its headquarters in the Boston Seaport.

The process of car-sharing is that it is a member-based model, allowing users to reserve cars (usually via an App) for short periods of time. The car has a home base where it is picked up from and returned to. Cars can be reserved by the hour or by the day.

Major selling points to this method of transportation include the fact that the user is the driver and in control of their trip. Gas is also included in each trip. Typically, you then pay an hourly rate based that is determined by the market you are in and the vehicle you selected to reserve.

Unlike major players in this space, like Zipcar, the cars under operation will be privately owned (Zipcar/Avis Budget Group own their fleet). With Uber, the car owner is much like the typical car driver. TechCrunch reported that with Uber, "owners will have the power to set the final price as well as availability."

Uber did not relay when exactly this option will launch in Boston. They set expectations that it can be later this year, with more details to follow. Boston is the sixth largest Uber market, but may see that number increase with car-sharing being an additional option.

There are many factors to consider when deciding to purchase a new car. Insurance rates have fluctuated, and the automobile industry constantly introduces new features, especially in electric vehicles. Forbes recently published a report detailing the five most popular cars in America.

They state that car ownership increased by 3.66% between 2017 - 2021. Furthermore, "Most U.S. households (91.7%) had at least one vehicle in 2021 (the latest data available), and 22.1% of households had three or more vehicles," the Forbes piece explains.

But what cars are people buying most? Forbes detailed the sales figures for the top 10 purchased cars in 2022. The number one selling vehicle in the country was the Ford F series, with 653,957 units sold.

Two additional pickup trucks claimed the second and third spot as well. There were 513,354 Chevrolet Silverados sold in 2022, and  468,344 Ram Pickups. Then, the list gets more into the small and mid-size space. Toyota had two high sellers with their practical RAV4 and Camry.

The compact SUV Tesla, the Model Y claimed the sixth best-selling spot on the most popular cars list. This fully electric vehicle has a starting price of approximately $47,500. The only mid-sized SUV with a larger footprint to make the list was the Jeep Grand Cherokee at number 10.

GMC and Toyota's pickup truck offerings joined the list as well. This means five out of the top ten best-selling cars in America are pickup trucks. The GMC Sierra was seventh, and the Toyota Tacoma was 9th.

This fascinating subject has many angles in which you can continue to break down the details. For example, Forbes shows that white is the most popular color of U.S. cars bought. Yellow was the least popular color.

Starting with the Ford F series truck, let's take a further look at the five most popular cars in America.

The F Series has been manufactured by Ford since 1948. Currently, Ford offers a F150, F250, and F350. The increased number reflects a larger framed pickup truck. The 150 had eight different models available.

The Silverado prides itself on performance and durability. It contains a powerful engine that has a higher level of torque than most comparable Ford models. Another appealing component to this pickup truck is that Chevrolet offers various ways to customize. Starting with nine different exterior colors to pick from, including a harvest bronze and glacier blue metallic.

Although Ram offers six different pickup options, including one with a cab, the 1500 series is most similar to the Ford F150 and Chevy Silverado. The Ram also has a favorable price point, with some 1500s starting as low as $30,000.

The RAV4 is considered to be the first compact crossover SUV. It was introduced in America in 1995 and available in 1996. Currently, there are an array of models including a sport package, premium, and hybrid electric. Furthermore, the city and highway gas miles per gallon numbers are great with a RAV4. They are typically in a 27/35 range.

The price difference between a standard Camry and a hybrid can be as low as $2,500. 2023 marks 40 years of the Camry being a reliable sedan in America. While there have not been many complete makeovers, Toyota consistently improves the technology options in each Camry model. Lastly, the Camry now has four different two-tone color options.