What is car sharing and how does it work?

Every day, we make the same journeys: to work, university or the gym, or back home. Yet we often make them alone, covering all the travel costs while other drivers are travelling along exactly the same route. 

Car sharing is a simple way to change that. At Waiis we want to show you how it works, what its benefits are, and why more and more people are making it part of their routine to save money, reduce emissions and make better use of every journey.

What is car sharing or carpooling?

Car sharing, also known as carpooling, is a form of sustainable mobility where a driver offers the empty seats on a journey they were already planning to make, and other people join the trip, sharing the costs. 

Unlike a taxi or private-hire vehicle, the aim is not to provide a professional transport service, but to make better use of everyday journeys. It is a way to cut costs, get more value from a vehicle and reduce the number of cars on the road. That is why more and more people are turning to car sharing for their daily journeys, especially commutes to work or university and trips between nearby towns. 

In summary: Car sharing means several people make the same journey in one vehicle and share the costs. It is a way to save money, reduce emissions and make better use of every trip.

Car sharing	Taxi or private hire	Individual vehicle
The journey costs are shared	The passenger pays the full fare	The driver covers all the costs
Makes use of a journey that was already planned	The driver makes an on-demand trip	Only the vehicle owner travels
Reduces the number of cars on the road	Not necessarily	Does not reduce the number of cars on the road
Ideal for regular journeys	Designed for occasional trips	Individual use

How does car sharing work? 

Although shared mobility may seem complicated at first, specialist apps now automate almost the entire process. Each platform has its own features, but the car-sharing process is usually the same: 

1. The driver registers the route they regularly take. 
2. The app finds people with compatible journeys and schedules. 
3. Drivers and passengers confirm the trip on the platform. 
4. They share the journey and its associated costs. 

This turns organising a shared journey from a complicated task into something that becomes part of the daily routine. 

Benefits of car sharing 

Car sharing offers different benefits depending on who uses it, but they all have one thing in common: making better use of every journey. 

For drivers 

• Recover some of the vehicle’s regular costs. 
• Make use of seats that would otherwise be empty. 
• Turn a daily journey into a way to save money. 

For passengers 

• Cut travel costs (by up to 50% compared with public transport). 
• Enjoy a flexible alternative to owning a car or using public transport. 
• Travel more comfortably by sharing a route with others. 

For businesses 

• Promote more sustainable mobility. 
• Reduce the need for parking spaces. 
• Help meet ESG and corporate mobility goals while improving the employee experience. 

Why is car sharing a more sustainable form of mobility? 

When people talk about sustainable mobility they often think of major changes, such as replacing the car with public transport or buying an electric vehicle. However, small everyday choices can also make a difference. Car sharing is one of them. 

By using one vehicle to carry several people, resource consumption is reduced per passenger, and existing infrastructure is used more efficiently. This helps reduce emissions associated with each journey and helps ease road congestion, especially at peak times. 

As well as its environmental impact, car sharing can create measurable value. At Waiis, shared journeys contribute to the energy savings recognised through Energy Savings Certificates (CAE), a scheme that promotes measures to improve energy efficiency. These initiatives also help advance several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially those relating to sustainable cities, climate action and responsible consumption. In other words, an everyday action such as car sharing can have a positive impact both on your wallet and on the way we get around. 

How much can you earn by sharing your car? 

Car sharing is not a professional transport service, so the amount you can receive depends on the distance travelled, the number of passengers and the app’s terms the app you use 

Generally, car sharing pays between €0.05 and €0.20 per passenger per kilometre. This can cover a significant part of a vehicle’s regular costs, such as fuel and everyday wear and tear. With Waiis, drivers can receive up to €0.07/km, one of the highest incentives on the market for this kind of journey.  

How do you choose a good car-sharing app? 

A good car-sharing app should help you find people with compatible routes, make it easier to organise trips, verify users and make the whole experience simple from the outset. It should also be designed for everyday journeys, automate matching and let you manage your trip without having to coordinate every journey manually. 

Why choose Waiis for car sharing? 

At Waiis, technology is designed to make things easier, not more complicated. Our app learns from your regular journeys and uses artificial intelligence to automatically find the best matches for your route and schedule. You keep your routine; the technology finds the best match so you do not have to spend time searching or coordinating every trip. 

we also use user-verification processes and tools designed to build trust between drivers and passengers, because we know that feeling comfortable with the people you travel with is essential when sharing a car. 

Most people do not need to drive more to save money; they just need to make better use of the journeys they already take every day. That is what we champion at Waiis: turning an everyday trip into an opportunity to save, reduce emissions and enjoy mobility that is smarter, more human and more connected.