Growing number of car-sharing users don’t rent cars for driving

Car-sharing service operator Orix Auto Corp. couldn't figure out what certain customers were doing with its rental cars. The service, with 230,000 registered users, realized around summer 2018 that some people who rented vehicles never actually drove them. [...]

Times24 Co., the leading automobile-sharing service provider, with more than 1.2 million registered users, discovered that some utilize their cars for surprising purposes. One respondent to the company's survey said they rented vehicles to nap in or use for a workspace. Another person stored bags and other personal belongings in the rental car when nearby coin lockers were full. In the aftermath of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami, rental cars were also used to recharge cellphones.

"I rented a car to eat a boxed meal that I bought at a convenience store because I couldn't find anywhere else to have lunch," said a 31-year-old male company employee who lives in Saitama Prefecture, close to Tokyo.

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Another problem is that some users stay in cars with the engine left running to beat the heat in summer or stay warm during winter, but that could have negative effects on the environment. "Motorists should shut off their engines when they're not driving, and we do not recommend our customers rent vehicles for purposes other than travelling," said an Orix public relations official. "We believe it's best for our cars to be used for driving."

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