car-sharing

Google-backed RelayRides launches in Bay Area

Flush with cash from an Google Ventures investment, RelayRides recently launched a peer-to-peer car-sharing service in the San Francisco Bay Area that can turn every idle car into a rental.

Renting out your car to total strangers may sound like a risky venture, but it's a way to earn money from an otherwise underused car while helping out carless neighbors. Car owners set their own hourly rate and keep 65 percent of the total rental fee.

RelayRide estimates that an economy car available 20 hours per week can earn owners $4,600 per year. But how much you earn … Read more

Flinc will turn your car into a taxi (fare included)

PALM DESERT, Calif.--Flinc is one big idea that could save us all from the horrors of pricey cab rides. Unfortunately, it's years away from showing up in a major U.S. city.

The idea, as pitched in 90 seconds at this year's DemoSpring conference here, is that people who are driving around are often in a position to pick someone else up in return for some cold, hard cash--yet for much less than a taxi.

Sure, it's ride sharing with a receipt, Flinc's organizational system happens entirely in the cloud. The commands get sent … Read more

Intrago to offer on-demand electric bike rentals

Co-eds enrolling at the University of Washington at Seattle this fall should be able to zip to class on electric bikes rented through Intrago Corporation's self-serve system.

The company plans to launch its first stable of 40 rental electric bikes at four stations around the campus around August.

Intrago's goal is to offer rental wheels around the world at transportation hubs like train stations, so people can reach their final destination without having to cab it, hoof it or pedal uphill on a manual bike.

Each user will get a key that works on any Intrago bike. They … Read more