Uber’s Car-Sharing To Start In Boston
Uber held their Go-Get Product event in London yesterday, and announced some exciting expansion plans. It is estimated that there are approximately 10,000 drivers in the market, but now we will see more cars with the infamous black and white logo. Uber detailed plans for Boston to be one of their launch markets for their new car-sharing service.
What Is Car Share?
If you are unfamiliar, car-sharing has a prominent place in the greater Boston. Zipcar launched the first concept of community members sharing cars in Cambridge back in 2000. Though now owned by Avis Budget Group, Zipcar still maintains its headquarters in the Boston Seaport.
The process of car-sharing is that it is a member-based model, allowing users to reserve cars (usually via an App) for short periods of time. The car has a home base where it is picked up from and returned to. Cars can be reserved by the hour or by the day.
Major selling points to this method of transportation include the fact that the user is the driver and in control of their trip. Gas is also included in each trip. Typically, you then pay an hourly rate based that is determined by the market you are in and the vehicle you selected to reserve.
How Is Uber’s Car-Share Service Different?
Unlike major players in this space, like Zipcar, the cars under operation will be privately owned (Zipcar/Avis Budget Group own their fleet). With Uber, the car owner is much like the typical car driver. TechCrunch reported that with Uber, “owners will have the power to set the final price as well as availability.”
Uber did not relay when exactly this option will launch in Boston. They set expectations that it can be later this year, with more details to follow. Boston is the sixth largest Uber market, but may see that number increase with car-sharing being an additional option.
These Are The 5 Most Popular Cars In America
There are many factors to consider when deciding to purchase a new car. Insurance rates have fluctuated, and the automobile industry constantly introduces new features, especially in electric vehicles. Forbes recently published a report detailing the five most popular cars in America.
They state that car ownership increased by 3.66% between 2017 – 2021. Furthermore, “Most U.S. households (91.7%) had at least one vehicle in 2021 (the latest data available), and 22.1% of households had three or more vehicles,” the Forbes piece explains.
But what cars are people buying most? Forbes detailed the sales figures for the top 10 purchased cars in 2022. The number one selling vehicle in the country was the Ford F series, with 653,957 units sold.
Two additional pickup trucks claimed the second and third spot as well. There were 513,354 Chevrolet Silverados sold in 2022, and 468,344 Ram Pickups. Then, the list gets more into the small and mid-size space. Toyota had two high sellers with their practical RAV4 and Camry.
A Few Surprises
The compact SUV Tesla, the Model Y claimed the sixth best-selling spot on the most popular cars list. This fully electric vehicle has a starting price of approximately $47,500. The only mid-sized SUV with a larger footprint to make the list was the Jeep Grand Cherokee at number 10.
Plenty of Pickups
GMC and Toyota’s pickup truck offerings joined the list as well. This means five out of the top ten best-selling cars in America are pickup trucks. The GMC Sierra was seventh, and the Toyota Tacoma was 9th.
But What Color?
This fascinating subject has many angles in which you can continue to break down the details. For example, Forbes shows that white is the most popular color of U.S. cars bought. Yellow was the least popular color.
Starting with the Ford F series truck, let’s take a further look at the five most popular cars in America.
Jeff Gorra is a Boston-based writer who has been with Beasley Media Group since the beginning of 2023. He writes about restaurants and food, as well as sports and rock music. His experience also includes show hosting and in-depth creative writing in rock and reggae dub music. Jeff’s an avid surfer, New York Giants, and Pearl Jam fan, however, if you make unforgettable pizza, he is sure to find you.
