Compare car share and rental costs.
Car share and rental are priced for different trip lengths. Car share bills by the hour with fuel and insurance included and a daily cap, which makes it unbeatable for a two-hour errand and merely adequate for a full day. Rental bills by the 24-hour day, so a three-hour trip and a twenty-three-hour trip cost the same — but it adds fuel, an excess waiver and often a journey to the depot. The crossover typically falls between four and seven hours. For anything over a day, rental almost always wins because the daily rate is lower than a car share cap.
Car Share vs Rental Cost
Car share = min(hours x hourly rate, daily cap x days); rental = daily rate x days + extras; days = hours / 24, rounded up
Typically under four to six hours. Car share includes fuel and insurance, which is why short trips favour it heavily even at a higher headline hourly rate.
Most schemes include a mileage allowance per day and charge per mile beyond it. On a long day trip that overage can exceed the hourly charge, so check the included distance before comparing.