FunRide: The Green Way to Drive

Written by Mark Shaffer | 03 September 2009

Car sharing began in Europe in 1987 and has been starting up in larger American cities over the past eight years. FunRide is a new car sharing service in San Luis Obispo, featuring exclusively hybrid and alternative fuel vehicles to rent by the hour. The service allows businesses, individuals and visitors to save money by driving without the high cost of owning a vehicle. Funride has three vehicles available to drive now and two more vehicles will arrive in the next two weeks. FunRide’s alternative fuel vehicles will use natural gas, biodiesel, electricity, and ethanol. This green car sharing service will allow FunRide members an opportunity to try all the new alternative fuel vehicles.

Anyone can join FunRide and have easy access to its’ fleet of green cars and trucks twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. To join FunRide, go to their website: www.myfunride.com and click on the “Join Now” button. Individuals can join for $30 a year with a one-time processing fee of $25. Driving records are checked and upon approval members receive a FunRide “fob” that goes on their key chain. The fob allows easy access to all the FunRide vehicles by swiping it over a sensor on the front windshield of each vehicle. The fob opens the door and activates the ignition. The key to the vehicle is located in the glove box.

Funride members receive a login name and password that allows access to the scheduling program at the website. Simply select the date and times you want to use a FunRide vehicle and the software will show the vehicles that are available for the request and the approximate cost for the time used. The two rates are $6/hour and 40 cents/mile or $5/hour and 30 cents/mile, depending on the plan selected. The rate includes fuel; FunRide provides insurance at no additional cost if you do not have your own insurance. Click “Reserve” and print out the confirmation.

FunRide is designed for the transportation needs for many groups. For businesses and governmental agencies, FunRide provides vehicles to reduce their fleet costs. Commuters are using FunRide to run errands or go out to lunch. Visitors can use the service to rent vehicles for just the hours they need to visit sites in our county. Individuals are giving up their cars and using FunRide for the times they need a vehicle. The truck is popular for moving days or picking up larger items from the store.

Each FunRide vehicle has a designated location or “pod” and the locations are scattered throughout the community. Plans to expand the service to all communities in San Luis Obispo County are underway. Visit the website at www.myfunride.com and support this new company by joining FunRide.  For more information, give call 547-2225.