Local car-share co-op continues to grow

Winnipeg

Elmwood

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This article was published 27/03/2024 (584 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The future of car-sharing remains bright in Winnipeg.

Founded in 2011 as a three-car, 40-member car-sharing network, Peg City Car Co-op has grown its membership to over 4,000, while its fleet has grown to over 140 vehicles. Last year alone, the car-sharing co-op added 45 vehicles to its fleet, introduced new mobile booking software and an app, and also introduced a “free roaming” car option, with 35 ‘Flo’ cars designed for one-way trips that can be picked up and dropped off at any legal parking spot within a central catchment area.

And there’s more coming in 2024.

“The service has been busier than ever,” said Michelle Panting, Peg City marketing and communications specialist. “We exceeded our projections on what we estimated revenue would be on cars through (last) summer. It only took a few months for the Flo service to start making money. When you compare that to similar markets, that’s a really great sign that our members were ready for this kind of service.”

While Panting said Peg City is looking at 2024 as a “back-to-basics” year, that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty for members to be excited about.

“We are still going to add 30 cars this year,” Panting said, noting that approximately 20 of those will be Flo cars, increasing the density of available cars in the core area. “Our members rely on car-sharing. We feel we have a strong network of both cars and members.”

The remaining vehicles will be fixed, round-trip vehicles in new locations, including Elmwood, which, Panting said, “has been on our radar for a long time.” While details are still being ironed out, Panting expects the new vehicles to be in place by June.

The co-op is also looking to continue the slow but steady electrification of its fleet, something that has been highlighted as a priority during annual membership surveys.

“Right now we have hybrid electric cars in the fleet,” Panting said. “The biggest thing is we need infrastructure — we need charging stations to make this practical. But we have purchased three fully electric vehicles that we will be placing. Our goal is to be increasing our electrification year after year. As we replace vehicles, we’ll be replacing with hybrid electrics, while also placing as many fully electric vehicles as we can.”

With its annual general meeting coming up on April 3 in the Sound Bites Room on the lower level of the Centennial Concert Hall (555 Main St.), Panting said this is not only a good time to be looking forward, but also to appreciate how the co-op has grown.

“When we started car-sharing 12 years ago now, there was doubt about whether this would be possible in Winnipeg,” Panting said. “I think, especially in the last couple of years, we’ve proven that car-sharing is a viable business in Winnipeg.”

Visit pegcitycarcoop.ca for more information.