Car sharing providers in Berlin, ranked
Car sharing user-numbers have exploded in Germany reaching 2.29 million users in 2019. As the largest city in Germany, Berlin has been blessed with having over 5,800 vehicles from various free-floating car-sharing providers that can be easily rented via mobile apps. The surge in popularity of car-sharing services is attributed to lower costs, greater flexibility, sustainability, and practicality. If you are new to Berlin and would like a convenient alternative to buying or leasing a car you should certainly consider subscribing to one of the available car-sharing services here.
After three years of intensive use of various car-sharing services in Berlin, I have put together a list of the most popular providers to lay out an overview of their offerings. I have ranked them by the Mobility score, which is a metric I came up with based on two categories: the practicality score and the coolness score. The practicality score includes elements such as the price, fleet availability, territory, terms, and app, while the coolness score includes elements such as the fleet brand, fleet condition, fleet diversity, green factor, and promotions. Each category is ranked from 1 to 10, where 10 represents the highest score. The results are presented in the table below:
More information on each service can be found in the following paragraphs.
The Volkswagen brand has launched an extensive all-electric car-sharing service in Berlin under its “WeShare” sub-brand. The first fleet of vehicles has been rolled out in Berlin only and consists of 1,500, 100% electric, e-golfs with the aim of an additional 500 in the next year. Here is a Youtube promotional video of the WeShare service.
WeShare is one of my favorite car-sharing services in Berlin. At 0,19€ per minute, you can drive a 100% electric vehicle with some of the latest features (digital gauge, parking assist, rear camera systems, etc.) is a very good value for money. I can almost always find a car within a 3-7 min walk in my area. Also, the territory covered is similar to most of the car-sharing providers. The terms of use are fair and the signup process is simple and straightforward. The app is intuitive and I have rarely had connectivity problems on iOS. In summary, this adds up to 39 points on the practicality category for WeShare.
The e-Golfs are super fun to drive while they may not look fancy on the outside. Personally, I prefer a subtle design rather than having the WeShare logo all over the car. The fleet condition is high and I rarely came across a dirty car (interior and exterior). Car class diversity is low as they only offer one type of vehicle. However, WeShare has a perfect score on sustainability as all of their fleet is 100% electric. Also, you can use the app to rent a car for a day for €39 and you get free credits if you charge (6€) or unplug the car (3€). This adds up to 39 points on the coolness category, and a total mobility score of 78.
To sign up today, use this link and get 10€ FREE Credits.
Summary:
- Price: 0,19€ per minute + 1€ unlock fee, stopover 0,05€/min
- Vehicles: VW E-Golfs & later VW e-Ups
- Nr. of cars: 1,500+
- Territory: Only in Berlin inside the ring and airports.
- Sign-up --> Link (10€ FREE Credits)
SIXT is probably the biggest rental car company alongside Europcar and Enterprise and, therefore, already a well-known and trusted company. SIXT Share is the company's mobility app that offers various methods of transportations including car sharing, taxi service, and car renting. The company is currently operational in Germany (with nearly 500 branches) with plans to roll out into other European countries. They offer a wide range of vehicles from top manufacturers, including BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Seat, VW, etc, as well as electric models such as Renault Zoe and BMW i3.
As a global car rental giant, SIXT is able to provide the best rates on its car-share service with prices starting as low as 0,09€ per minute. The fleet availability is medium as I have had issues finding a car within my immediate vicinity. This could be in part because the service may be used more frequently than other providers. The free-floating service is available in Berlin, Hamburg, and Munich. The terms are standard, however, they offer additional insurance per rent as a separate fee. The app is great as it offers other mobility services including renting electric kick-scooters and other mobility services. However, sometimes I have issues with locking the car and I had to reach out to their customer support center. In summary, this adds up to a score of 38 points on practicality for SIXT.
SIXT Share offers vehicles from 7 different car manufacturers. On the high end of the spectrum you can rent BMWs and Audis but you can also rent Renaults and Seats. The fleet condition is medium as I sometimes come across dirty interiors. Car class diversity is high as you can rent convertibles, wagons, hatchbacks, SUVs, minivans, and sedans with manual or automatic transmission. The green factor is average as only about 10% of their fleet is green. SIXT offers various promotions including dynamic pricing (discounted nightly fees). Additionally, they offer an 8€ voucher on refueling if the fuel level is below 25%. In summary, this adds up to 37 points on the coolness category and a total mobility score of 76.
To sign up today, use this link and get 60€ FREE Credits on all their services.
Summary:
- Price: 0,09-0,26€ per minute + optional insurance fees
- Vehicles: Audi, VW, BMW, Renault, Seat, Skoda, Mini, Opel
- Nr. of cars: 1000+ (of which ±100 are electric)
- Availability: In Berlin inside the ring and airports plus Hamburg and Munich.
- Sign-up --> Link (60€ FREE Credits)
ShareNow is the result of a merger between DriveNow (BMW) and Car2go (Daimler), which have been competing on the premium mobility sector. After the merger, both services can be booked in one app in over 30 cities internationally. With over 20,000+ vehicles worldwide, this makes it the largest free-floating service at the moment. ShareNow is available in many major German cities including Berlin, München, Düsseldorf, Cologne, and Hamburg. Here is a Youtube promotional video of the ShareNow service.
ShareNow has been the first free-floating service I used in Berlin since they were the first ones to enter the market (back then Car2go & DriveNow). I love driving a BMW convertible or the Mercedes GLA along the streets of Berlin. However, these premium vehicles come at a higher cost than other providers. In fact, the cheapest car is the Smart (two-seater) for 26c/min, which really isn't a bargain deal. The fleet availability is high with over 2500+ vehicles in Berlin. Since the service can be booked in so many cities, it has a high score on the territory covered. The terms are standard and they offer a comprehensive insurance package included in the price (note: SIXT offers additional insurances separately). The app is fine as it has all the features you would expect when using a car-sharing app but nothing more. The Practicality score adds up to 36 points for ShareNow.
The service offers premium vehicles and ranks high on the brand type. The fleet condition is average because, at times, I found some of the Smart vehicles to have a dirty interior. Car class diversity is average ranging from small cars to SUVs. The service offers one single electric vehicle (the i3) and has a medium green score. The promotions offered are limited. They offer discounted pricing for certain vehicles during certain times of the day but the discounted rate is only 19c/min, which is the regular price for a WeShare or SIXT. Also, they do not provide referral discounts. In total, this adds up to 36 points on the coolness category, and a total mobility score of 70 points.
To sign-up for free, you can access this link.
Summary:
- Price: 0,19 - 0,41€
- Vehicles: BMW, MINI, Mercedes, Smart
- Nr. of cars: 2500+ out of which 100+ electric in Berlin
- Availability: In Berlin inside the ring and airports plus other 30 cities worldwide.
- Sign-up --> Link
Miles' mission is to provide free-floating carsharing without any time pressure by providing users with fees based on distance rather than on time. Vehicles are rented through an app, from one kilometer up to one month, and cars can be dropped off anywhere – no stations, no opening hours, and no return to starting point required. MILES offers its services in Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne, and Munich.
Miles distinguishes itself from other market players by its pricing model that is based on the distance instead of time. Although this pricing model sounds good on paper, my experience is that it's quite pricey (for 5km 5,45€). Fleet availability is mediocre (730) and the area of operation is a bit smaller than that of the main competitors. The terms are standard, however, I was charged a "rookie" fee of 9€ when I first used the service. The app is average on the market with no innovative features or design. In summary, the Practicality score adds up to 30 points.
Miles offer good cars that are only a few years old. The fleet condition is fine and the cars are clean in general. Car class diversity is high because you can small vehicles, wagons, and transporters, which are really handy if you need to transport larger items such as furniture. The green factor is low as there are no green vehicles available in the Miles app. There aren't no discounts on the regular price but they do offer discounts of up to 15% on prepaid packages. This adds up to 32 points on the coolness category and a total mobility score of 62.
To sign-up for free, you can access this link.
Summary:
- Price: 0,89 - 1,19€ per km + 1€ unlock fee
- Vehicles: Audi, Toyota, Fiat, VW, Renault
- Nr. of cars: 730
- Availability: In Berlin inside the ring and airports plus 3 other German cities.
- Sign-up --> Link
Getaround is a US online peer-to-peer carsharing service that allows drivers to rent cars for at least one hour. As a car owner, you can install a small box in the car. From now on, other drivers can book, locate, and open your car. So you make money while you don't need your car. The company is available worldwide and, as of 2019, was reported to have five million users and approximately 20,000 connected cars worldwide.
Getaround is not a typical free-floating mobility service as the vehicles you rent belong to private individuals and the minimum booking time is one hour. The price for 60 minutes of rent may be as low as 7 € if you book the car for a day. For only 60 minutes of use, the price is around 25 € depending on the vehicle and day time. Fleet availability is unknown but my own estimates based on the app are that it is around 500 cars. The territory is larger than competitors and it extends to Zone B & C in Berlin. The terms are good standard with second drivers included journey fully insured by Allianz with 24/7 roadside assistance. The app is simple and intuitive with no outstanding features. In total, the Practicality score adds up to 34 points.
The cars on Getaround are typically average class and a few years old such as VW, Skoda's, Opel, etc. The fleet condition is good as the cars are generally clean. Car class diversity is average with mostly small sedans & wagons available. The green factor is average as I could find only a few hybrid cars in the app. The promotions score is average as there is no dynamic pricing but they do offer a 15 EUR referral fee on first use. This adds up to 31 points on the coolness category and a total mobility score of 65.
To sign up today, use this link and get 15€ FREE Credits on their service.
Summary:
- Price: 7€ - 30€ per hour
- Vehicles: Audi, Toyota, Fiat, VW, Skoda, Opel
- Nr. of cars: unreported
- Availability: In Berlin zones B & C as well as other international cities.
- Sign-up --> Link
Robben Wientje's is not a typical free-floating car-sharing service but it is one worth mentioning, nonetheless. They have been renting out vans for 25 years and have now digitalized the process of booking a car. It's a great service if you plan to move furniture or larger items and you need a van. The vans can be picked up and dropped off at clearly defined locations in the capital. The app is average with just the standard features available. In total, the Practicality score adds up to 34 points.
Robben Wientje's rents vans from just € 3.50 / hour and only pay for the hours you actually want to rent the van. They have a "refuel as much as you consumed" policy so be prepared to fill in the tank before you use the van. Fleet availability is rather low, but the targeted market is also smaller. The territory covered is large covering all central districts in Berlin and others such as Adlershof, Lankwitz, Steglitz, Spandau, Lichterfelde, or Wittenau. The terms are standard and you can register on the app or go to one of their locations and present your driver's license (at least 2 years), ID, and deposit of 100€/150€ (depending on the insurance). In total, the Practicality score adds up to 29 points.
The service works exclusively with vans such as Ford Transit, Mercedes Vito, Iveco Cargo, and others. The fleet condition is average for the service class provided. Car class diversity is low as you can only rent vans. The green factor is also low as there are no electric or hybrid vehicles available. The promotions score is low as they only offer a 5 EUR registration bonus on first use. This adds up to 28 points on the Coolness category and a total mobility score of 57.
To sign-up for free, you can access this link.
Summary:
- Price: 3.50€ per hour
- Vehicles: Ford Transit, Renault Master
- Nr. of cars: unreported
- Availability: In Berlin zones A, B & C.
- Sign-up --> Link
Do you agree with the scores? Let me know in the comments section below!
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