Carsharing

The challenge

The number of cars in Quebec keeps growing, along with greenhouse gas emissions, congestion, rising transportation costs, and parking headaches.

For a long time, the automobile industry has promoted the idea that cars should be the principal mode of transportation in North America. While that may be the case for people living in rural areas, it’s not for those with access to public transit and active transportation. Reaching adulthood, becoming a parent, or moving to the suburbs doesn’t have to mean buying a car.

It’s important to ask ourselves if we really need to own a car, and to consider the true cost of ownership—financial, environmental, and practical. Car ownership comes with significant responsibilities: road congestion, air pollution, insurance, maintenance, and more.

Carsharing is a great solution: access to a car without the stress and costs of ownership. Combined with the transport mix, you can get around efficiently and affordably, according to your needs and circumstances.

💸 Cars are expensive!

Buying a car in 2025 means being ready to spend an average of $64,445 for a new vehicle and $37,664 for a used one. On top of that, add insurance, gas, maintenance, tires, license plates—the costs add up fast!

Source: Indice des prix T2 2025 par AutoHebdo.net

A car when you need it, without the cost or the hassle of being a car owner

All about carsharing

The best option to get around, depending on your circumstances: simple, smart & affordable

All about the transport mix

What is carsharing?

Carsharing gives you access to a vehicle without having to own one. It’s a sharing-based model: you book a car near your home, workplace, or school, use it for as long as you need, and then return it once your trip is done.

No insurance to pay, no maintenance to deal with, no parking hassles—just a car when you need one.

Carsharing is ideal for:

Doing a big grocery run
Going on a weekend getaway
Getting to an interview or internship
Visiting family

Why it’s a winning option:

🚗 More convenient than owning (or renting!) a car

- No ownership stress: you use it, drop it off, and forget about it.
- You only pay for what you use (by the hour or by kilometre).
- Vehicles are available in many major urban centres.

📈 Cheaper

- Owning a used car, combined with the occasional use of public transit, costs an average of $7,037/year.
- Carsharing, combined with active or public transport, can cost as little as $2,563/year.
- That’s $4,474 in savings every year, or $373 per month!

🌍 Greener

- Fewer cars on the road = fewer GHG emissions.
- Less space wasted on empty or occupied parking lots.
- Less traffic and better quality of life in the city.

🤝 Perfect for young people—and the young at heart!

- Live in the city and always on the move? Carsharing is ideal for occasional needs.
- No need to pay for a car that just sits on the street.

$373 Thanks to the transport mix—including the use of a carsharing service—you can save $373 per month, the equivalent of $4,474 per year.

Source: Comparative table prepared by Équiterre, 2025.

What is the transport mix?

It’s the art of combining different modes of transportation, as you need them:

🚲 Bike or BIXI
🚌 Public transit (train, metro, bus)
🚙 Carsharing (Communauto, LEO, Locomotion, Turo, …)
🚘 Carpooling (AmigoExpress, Liftango…)
🚕 Taxi, Uber…
🚶🏻‍♀️ Walking, scooter, etc.

This hybrid model adapts to your reality and offers flexibility, savings, and speed.

You choose the right mode of transportation at the right time.

Comparison Table (in French)

Sources - Auto-solo :

* Calculateur CAA-Québec, pour une Honda Civic 2018 avec un kilométrage moyen de 17 500 km / an):
- Moyenne de la fourchette 1 586 $-1 903 $ pour la dépréciation.
- Moyenne de la fourchette 679 $-1 347 $ pour l'entretien.
- 1,53 $ (prix moyen de l'essence au litre) x 6,5 L / 100 km (consommation d'essence moyenne) ; Utilisation : 75 % en ville et 25 % sur les autoroutes.

1. Cité dans Vivre en Ville, p.2 : Le financement est proportionnel au coût de dépréciation et établi à environ 12 % de celui-ci, entre le 11 % de Burnham et coll. (2021) et 14 % de Morency et coll. (2022)

2. Compar Assurance : selon les plus récentes statistiques, le coût moyen annuel d’une assurance auto au Québec se situe entre 600 $ et 1 100 $, avec une moyenne provinciale avoisinant 850 $. Cependant, ce montant peut varier considérablement selon plusieurs critères spécifiques à chaque conducteur.

3. SAAQ, 2025 : coûts d'immatriculation de 212,97 $ en 2025.
SAAQ, 2025 : contribution au transport en commun de 30 $ et taxe sur l'immatriculation des véhicules de 150 $.
SAAQ, 2025 : coût du permis de conduire de 26,25 $.

4. Journal de Montréal, 2024 : amende de 65 $ pour un stationnement non réglementaire en 2025.
- Statistique Canada, 2023, cité dans Vivre en Ville, p.2 : montant discrétionnaire pour les stationnements occasionnels de 150 $/an.
- Coût moyen d'un permis de stationnement annuel à l'université de 896 $, en se basant sur celui de l'UdeM (916 $), d'HEC Montréal (1 305 $) et de Polytechnique (468 $).

5. Statista, 2025b, cité dans Vivre en Ville, p.7 : hypothèse de 25 $ par déplacement retenue et multipliée par la fréquence d’utilisation. Le prix de la course reflète la moyenne des déplacements en voiture avec chauffeur.

6. ARTM, 2025 : carte OPUS - forfait étudiant, 10 passages, Tous modes A, de 23 $.

Sources - Cocktail transport :

1. Communauto : estimation des coûts venant du calculateur de trajet de Communauto :
- 1 déplacement de 3h pour une distance totale de 20 km, tarif Économique - en station d'environ 20 $.
- 1 fin de semaine en dehors de Montréal, pour une distance totale de 250 km, tarif Économique - En station de 148,5 $.
- 1 semaine de vacances avec un(e) ami(e) en dehors de Montréal (ex. : Québec), pour une distance totale de 650 km, tarif Économique - en station de 341,5 $.
- Abonnement Économique de 45 $/an.

2. Amigo Express : un déplacement de Montréal à Sherbrooke (ex. : aller voir la famille) de 20 $, des frais de réservation de 5,5 $ et un abonnement annuel de 7,5 $. À noter qu'il existe présentement une offre pour les étudiants d'un abonnement d'essai gratuit d'une durée de 6 mois.

3. ARTM, 2025 :
- Carte OPUS - forfait étudiant, 4 mois, Tous modes A, de 240 $.
- Carte OPUS - forfait étudiant, 10 passages, Tous modes A, de 23 $.

4. Statista, 2025b, cité dans Vivre en Ville, p.7 : hypothèse de 25 $ par déplacement retenue et multipliée par la fréquence d’utilisation. Le prix de la course reflète la moyenne des déplacements en voiture avec chauffeur.

5. BIXI : Abonnement BIXI de 23 $/mois.

Équiterre's work

Équiterre is working to encourage people to reflect on their transportation needs and to discover and appreciate alternatives to solo car travel. Ultimately, we hope that people will choose to avoid or postpone owning a personal vehicle—or even give it up entirely—in order to reduce the amount of people driving solo, especially in urban areas.

We want to encourage people to opt for a transport mix, where the car can be part of the picture but integrated more as access to a service rather than as an individual possession.

Project Objectives

Raise awareness of the advantages and benefits—particularly economic ones—offered by carsharing and the transport mix, and inform people about the different vehicle-sharing options available in Quebec;
Encourage people to try carsharing services;
Mobilize and train certain socio-economic actors (e.g. driving schools, community organizations) to better guide their clientele in their transportation choices.

Our next steps

Équiterre was at several college and university campuses to introduce carsharing to students in a simple, fun, and practical way.

Campagnes en cours

Other ways to get involved

Car as a service, rather than a personal belonging