renting – All about car

General Motors’ new car-sharing service, Maven, will provide customers access to highly personalized, on-demand mobility services. A reported pilot program could extend that service to include vehicles owned by customers. At first it was confusing. Orix Auto Corp, a car-sharing company in Japan with around 230,000 registered users, discovered a portion of its rented vehicles had “traveled no distance,” meaning those who’d paid to use them hadn’t actually driven anywhere. As it happens, Orix wasn’t the only company to have noticed the trend, reports Japanese national newspaper The Asahi Shimbun. A leading provider in the car-sharing space called Times24 Co. (1.2 million users) also noted a lack of miles being added in some instances. So it did a survey of its customers and found some interesting answers to the question ‘What were you doing in that rental car if not driving?’ One person said they’d used the cars to store bags and other items when local coin-operated lockers weren’t available. Another said they’d paid for cars to nap or work in. “Usually the only place I can take a nap while visiting my clients is a cybercafe in front of the station, but renting a car to sleep in is just a few hundred yen (a few dollars), almost the same as staying in the cybercafe,” said one survey respondent. Following the earthquake that devastated parts of Japan in 2011, some cars were used as charging points for cell phones. Another survey responder just wanted a place to eat. ”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 the 31-year-old man who definitely also needs a hug. With car-sharing rental prices starting under $5 for thirty minutes of use, and bookings made instantly through apps, it’s easy to see how we got here. Makes one wonder: is this happening in Canada’s cities, too? If you’ve used car-sharing for something other than driving, we want to hear about it in the
Origin: Why some Japanese people are renting cars — but not driving them

Green Party Leader Elizabeth May takes part in the 121st annual Victoria Day Parade in Victoria, B.C., on Monday, May 20, 2019.Chad Hipolito / Canadian Press Welcome to our weekly round-up of the biggest breaking stories on Driving.ca from this past week. Get caught up and ready to get on with the weekend, because it’s hard keeping pace in a digital traffic jam. Here’s what you missed while you were away. Green Party leader takes a parade lap in Dodge Viper, hears about it from Twitter Dodge Viper RT/10 Concept. Not a green car. FCA Green Party leader Elizabeth May is catching some flack for the car she recently appeared in during the Victoria Day Parade on Vancouver Island. Even though she was just “riding where parade organizers asked (her) to,” she should’ve known going anywhere in a 1994 Dodge Viper could lead to some unfavourable headlines. The first-gen Dodge Viper RT/10 uses an 8.0-litre V10 to make 400 horsepower and (usually) single-digit-MPG fuel economy—not exactly a green vehicle. They did drive with the top down while it was raining, though, so she gets a few cool points for that. Two dead buffalo, a totalled Camaro and no driver Drivers in the Northwest Territories had a weird morning last week when they came upon a car accident involving two dead bison, a crumpled Camaro with New Jersey plates and – here’s the creepy part – no driver in sight. A man driving the red Camaro with tinted windows and black American air force-inspired roundel decals on the side was seen gassing up at a nearby station the night before, and was warned to watch out for buffalo on the road. Police have yet to identify the driver and report that nobody was taken to hospital following the incident. Hertz reports rented vehicles as stolen and gets customers arrested In this May 9, 2011 file photo, customers wait in line at a Hertz rental car counter at San Jose International Airport in San Jose, Calif. Paul Sakuma, File / AP Photo Hertz has apparently been surprising some of its renters by incorrectly marking their vehicles as stolen and sicking the police after them. For some customers it’s just confusing, resulting in a slightly inconvenient and probably comical conversation with police. But for others it’s more than an inconvenience, landing some in the back seat of cop cars or even behind bars while the “glitch” is recognized. And it appears as though this type of thing happens somewhat regularly, with over thirty similar cases in the U.S. having been reported. Battle of the midsize pickup: 2019 Ford Ranger vs. GMC Canyon vs. Toyota Tacoma 2019 Ford Ranger vs. GMC Canyon vs. Toyota Tacoma Derek McNaughton / Driving How much truck is enough truck? For many, a midsize option like the 2019 Ford Ranger, Toyota Tacoma and GMC Canyon will be plenty of pickup. But which of the three stalwart North American trucks is best? The Canyon has the most power, the Ranger the best fuel economy and the Tacoma the best off-road capabilities, for starters, but after all the other pros and cons were weighed, our experts both chose the same winner. Read on to find out which it is. Couples’ ‘baby’ pics with Eaton turbo win the Internet A lot of people will claim their car is their baby, but few will go as far as this Utah couple who orchestrated a full-on “new arrival” photo shoot with their Eaton supercharger to prove it. “We would love to welcome this Supercharger into our household,” the proud father posted to Facebook alongside the gallery of images featuring the parents fawning over the piece of machinery. “It is going to be whining a lot but can’t wait for all of the fun!” The schtick was an elaborate way for the man – a photographer and owner of a 2007 Ford Mustang GT into which the blower will be set – to get back at his mom, who’d been bugging him for grandkids. Wonder if she’ll still want to babysit Man gets rear ended, reacts like a hero A classic Plymouth involved in a rear-end collision in Saskatchewan, caused by the 69-year-old driver’s collapse. Wayne Duquesne / CBC Saskatoon Getting into an accident is rarely a good thing, but for one Saskatchewan driver, rear-ending a couple in his 60’s Plymouth may very well have saved his life. And kudos to the driver of the vehicle that was struck, a former lifeguard named Wayne Duquesne, who noticed the man was slumped over the wheel, likely having suffered a heart attack, and reacted quickly to summon help and perform CPR. Take the poll in the link above and tell us how you’d react in this scenario. Ram recalls 63,000 trucks for tailgates that could fall open in traffic 2017 Ram 1500 FCA Over 63,000 Ram trucks in Canada and 410,000 in the U.S. are being called back by the brand due to a potential fault in the tailgate’s power-locking mechanism that could see tailgates popping open on the road. Only 1500, 2500 and 3500 trim-level trucks fitted with 8-foot cargo beds and the power-locking option are impacted, and of those, only the model
Origin: News Roundup: Green Party leader parades in Viper, Hertz customers get arrested for renting and more