Cheaper driving despite higher prices

Cheaper driving despite higher prices

The current wave of inflation is also affecting mobility. According to Statistics Austria, the price for purchasing, maintaining and using private new and used vehicles in Austria increased by 17.2% from 2021 to 2022 - with a general inflation rate of 8.6 percent. A closer look shows how these costs are made up, how they burden the household budget and how they can possibly be avoided. According to ÖAMTC, the monthly costs for owning a car range from EUR 503.01 (VW Polo) to EUR 2,612.96 (Audio RSQ8). Above all, ongoing costs such as loss of value, fuel, insurance and maintenance put a strain on the budget. Olivier Reppert, CEO of the car sharing provider Share Now, leads the meeting: "Private cars in Vienna are parked for an average of 23 hours a day and take up public space. A car sharing car is used up to six times more often than a private vehicle." In a city like Vienna, not having your own car would make sense for reasons of sustainability as well as being easy on your wallet.

The full cost check of a mid-range model in comparison with a car sharing car from Share Now shows the following result: A VW Golf Life 1.0 TSI currently costs EUR 26,790.00 to purchase. With an average period of use of six years and a mileage of 20,000 km per year, the costs over the entire retention period amount to EUR 42,429.17. These are annual costs of EUR 7,701.53 and average monthly costs of EUR 589.29. If you live in the city and don't need your car much, you can get away with a slightly smaller vehicle from a car sharing fleet much cheaper. Compared, for example, with a Peugeot 208 from Share Now's fleet, it can drive around 26 hours per month with this mobility budget at a per-minute rate of EUR 0.38 per month. Conclusion: Anyone who drives their car for less than 26 hours a month and can get by with a small car can significantly reduce their mobility costs using car sharing.

The fleet of the Viennese car sharing provider Share Now currently has 700 cars of various sizes. Olivier Reppert: “To put it simply, with a car sharing vehicle you can drive from Vienna to Paris and back again every month until you have reached the budget of an average private car.” Another advantage of the “sharing instead of owning” model: Flexible long-term car sharing tariffs are available for city tours, weekend trips or family vacations. The benefits of long-term rental include free fuel, parking, insurance coverage and the option to book in advance with free delivery to your desired location. Olivier Reppert: “Switching to car sharing not only means financial relief, but also the opportunity to actively promote the transport transition.”