Car sharing is caring

American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan generated controversy when he started recording and performing with electric instruments in 1965, but it’s unlikely Peg City Car Co-op will face any backlash as it goes electric.

In recent years, the car sharing consumer co-operative has been shifting away from internal combustion engines toward electric and hybrid electric vehicles. Winnipeg-based Jubilee Fund announced last week it has partnered with Peg City to help finance that shift.

The $500,000 financing initiative has enabled the co-op to add 13 new hybrid electric vehicles to its fleet, plus two new fully electric vehicles. The co-op now has 43 hybrids and five fully electric vehicles.

“As an environmentally conscious organization and knowing many of our members also care about their footprint, we continue to work toward investing in full electrification of our fleet,” says Philip Mikulec, Peg City chief executive officer.

“We see hybrids as a nice middle ground as the city and the province continue to build its charging network, essentially. As that happens and as that becomes more reliable, we will continue to buy more of those and add them into our fleet as well.”

It’s the latest evolution at a co-op that traces its roots to 2007, when five volunteers started talking about a new approach to transportation in Winnipeg.

Peg City launched in 2011, with three cars and 40 members. Today, it hosts a diverse fleet of 200 vehicles, with round-trip and free-floating options serving around 4,500 members.

“Car sharing means we share the load of vehicle ownership together,” the co-op states on its website. “All that sharing saves our members money, reduces CO2 emissions, decreases traffic and parking congestion and makes Winnipeg a place we’re proud to call home.”

The co-op’s motto is: “A car just when you need one.” Staff emphasize the convenience members enjoy and how affordable membership is compared to owning a personal vehicle.

“Membership allows people to change their behaviour and reduce their carbon emissions and it also helps them save money,” Mikulec says. “All the way back 13 years ago, that was an important thing — and it’s only become more important in the last five years with the cost of living increases we all are familiar with.”

When Juan Diaz was looking for a vehicle three years ago, he found that joining Peg City was the best option.

Originally from Quito, Ecuador, Diaz moved to Winnipeg to study at the University of Manitoba. He needed a car to get to and from a research project in Brandon two times a week.

As a PhD student, Diaz has a fellowship but it’s not enough income to purchase and maintain a car of his own. The downtown resident usually takes the bus and uses Peg City vehicles when he needs to buy groceries, take his dogs to the vet or wants to spend the day at the beach.

“(It) is easier for me because I don’t have to worry about maintenance of the car, payment for the gas, looking for tires, changing oil and I don’t even need to buy parking at my building,” says Diaz, 35. “It makes life easier because a lot of that economic pressure is off for me.”

Sarah Michaelson feels the same way. She and her partner had their own car but joined the co-op around five years ago, when they wanted to access a second vehicle. It ended up being so convenient for the West End couple they got rid of the vehicle they were leasing.

“The idea that I share a car with my neighbour does make me feel better on a larger scale,” says Michaelson, 43. “I really like participating in something that’s not just about reducing emissions but about reducing the amount of space and infrastructure that we need for cars.”

Mikulec points out Peg City hosts two fleets. Its Fix fleet includes 130 roundtrip vehicles — trucks, vans, SUVs and a mix of cars — that are available by reservation. Its Flo fleet, introduced two years ago, consists of 70 hatchbacks and hybrid electric sedans meant for one-way car sharing that can be accessed spontaneously.

The co-op has two membership options that require a $500 refundable share, as well as a casual option for people who don’t want to become members. Rates start at $0.35 a minute, with flexible daily rates as low as $24.

Headquartered on the fourth floor of the former Royal Bank of Canada building at 460 Main St., Peg City employs nine people — a number Mikulec says will increase to 10 before the end of the year.

The organization will gross more than $3 million during its current fiscal year; any profits will be reinvested back into the organization.

“We’re rooted here in Winnipeg and our members are the owners of this service,” Mikulec says. “So our investments stay here and our profits are put back into the infrastructure of our service — it doesn’t go outside of the province or to line someone’s pockets. We’re constantly using that revenue to reinvest in more and better car sharing.”

Peg City’s rising membership numbers has allowed the organization to double its fleet in the last two years.

“We are Winnipeggers, we understand Winnipeggers — many of us were born and raised here,” Mikulec says. “Because we’re very much rooted in our community, that’s a really big part of our success and that’s a really big part of what’s allowed us to become who we are today.”

Michaelson appreciates that local quality.

“This is a real Winnipeg group that cares for Winnipeg,” she says. “If you need to phone after hours to get help, you’re not calling a call centre — you’re calling literally a local person who works at the car co-op who answers your call and helps you walk through an issue.”

As Mikulec looks to the future, he hopes to see Peg City’s fleet of vehicles become more efficient and environmentally friendly. He also hopes to see the number of vehicles increase.

“It took us over a decade to go from three cars to 100 cars and it took us two years to go from 100 to 200,” he says. “I would like to see us do another 100 cars in another two years or maybe add 100 in a year.”

No matter what, Mikulec and his staff are focused on offering members a quality experience.

“There are a lot of ways we know we’re making people’s lives easier and better and more affordable,” he says, “and that’s something that really drives me and, I think, my team every day.”

aaron.epp@freepress.mb.ca