Ithaca Carshare

Name

Ithaca Carshare

Legal name

Ithaca Carshare

Website

https://ithacacarshare.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Carsharing Services

NAICS

Passenger Car Rental (532111)

SIC

Services-Auto Rental & Leasing (No Drivers) (7510)

akta.pro primary industry

Round-Trip Carsharing (Station-Based) (TLAFAMAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Corporate/University/Fleet-Based Carsharing (TLAFAMAD)

Keywords

• Nonprofit carsharing services
• Shared mobility solutions
• Community transportation
• Vehicle fleet management
• Electric vehicle sharing

Headquarters

HQ city

Ithaca

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual or monthly membership fees that grant access to the vehicle fleet. Different tiers for community members, students, commuters, businesses, nonprofits, and low-income (Easy Access) members. Fees range from $30/year for Just In Case plan to $355/year for standard community membership.
2. Hourly and Mileage Charges: Usage-based charges for time and distance on each trip. Hourly rates starting at $6/hour plus mileage charges of 42c-52c per mile depending on vehicle type. Full day rates available on some vehicles capping hourly charges at 10 hours per 24-hour period.
3. Vehicle Sponsorship: Local businesses can sponsor Ithaca Carshare vehicles starting at $400/month, receiving logo placement on website, in-app messaging, social media promotion, and media campaign features.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Ithaca Carshare is a nonprofit, membership-based carsharing service providing 24/7 self-serve access to a fleet of fuel-efficient vehicles (including hybrids, EVs, PHEVs, minivans, and a pickup truck) on an hourly and daily basis across eight Ithaca neighborhoods. Members reserve vehicles online or via the Engage Carsharing mobile app, unlock cars with a keycard, and pay per trip with gas/charging, insurance, maintenance, and roadside assistance bundled into the price.

Product overview

Ithaca Carshare is a nonprofit, membership-based carsharing service that provides 24/7 access to a fleet of fuel-efficient vehicles on an hourly and daily basis. The core offering is the carsharing membership service, supplemented by multiple plan tiers (Community, Business/Nonprofits, Students/Commuters, Easy Access for low-income members), a mobile booking app (Engage Carsharing) developed with Modo, and a Member Perks discount program. Members book vehicles via the website or mobile app, unlock with a keycard, and pay per trip with gas, insurance, and maintenance included. The fleet includes hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles (EVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), minivans, and a pickup truck.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Carsharing Membership Service Nonprofit membership-based carsharing service providing 24/7 access to a fleet of fuel-efficient vehicles on an hourly and daily basis; members reserve online or via mobile app, unlock with a keycard, and pay per trip with gas, insurance, and maintenance included.
• Community Membership Plan Standard membership plan for general community members, $75/year or $7.50/month, with two drivers per account and hourly/mileage pricing starting at $6/hour plus 42c-52c per mile depending on vehicle type.
• Business & Nonprofits Plan Membership plan for businesses ($200/year) and nonprofits ($100/year) covering up to 10 drivers on one account with one itemized monthly bill; employees receive a free personal Just In Case membership.
• Students & Commuters Plan Discounted membership plans for Cornell University students/faculty/staff, Ithaca College students, TC3 students, and commuters into Ithaca, with Just In Case plan at $30/year and It's My Car plan at $310/year.
• Easy Access Plan Reduced-cost membership for Tompkins County residents at or below 150% of US Federal Poverty Guideline, $10/month with $20 monthly driving credit, including access to lowest hourly rates on the It's My Car plan.
• Engage Carsharing Mobile App Mobile application for iOS and Android that enables members to make and manage carshare bookings; developed in collaboration with Modo and currently focused on booking functions while full feature parity with the web platform continues to expand.
• Vehicle Fleet Service Fleet of approximately 20-30 fuel-efficient vehicles located across 8 Ithaca neighborhoods, including Chevy Bolt EVs, Chevy Volt PHEVs, Toyota Prius C hybrids, Honda Fits, Toyota Yaris sedans, two Dodge Grand Caravan minivans, and a Toyota Tacoma pickup truck.

Quantifiable outcome

• Members save $12,000+ annually compared to car ownership ($1,500/year vs $14,000+/year)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• ModocoreTechnology or Integration · 1 March 2024Vancouver-based carsharing co-op that provides booking software platform. Collaborated on development of Ithaca Carshare's mobile booking app ('Engage Carsharing'). Members use Modo username/password for the reservation system.
• Center for Community Transportation (CCT)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerIthaca Carshare is a program of the Center for Community Transportation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. CCT also includes Bike Walk Tompkins and Ithaca Bikeshare. CCT envisions a community where travel by shared and active transportation is healthy, safe, affordable, and convenient for all.
• EnergeticscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClean energy consulting company collaborating with Ithaca Carshare on EV expansion project to expand the market for used EV and facilitate EV usage for low- and moderate-income community.
• Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in EV expansion and usage facilitation project for low- and moderate-income community access to electric mobility.
• Ridge Road ImportsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in used EV market expansion project facilitating EV access for underserved communities.
• Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services (INHS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInstalled EV charger exclusively for Ithaca Carshare use at 201 Hancock Street Apartments and provides electricity for EV charging. Regional affordable housing organization focused on sustainability and green building.
• Diane's Downtown AutomotiveminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSite host for one of the Chevy Bolt EV charging stations. Early supporter of EV charging infrastructure with publicly available EV charging station for 3+ years.
• Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit (TCAT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMain grant holder of NYSERDA Electric Mobility Challenge ($7 million grand prize). Ithaca Carshare is part of winning proposal to enhance EV bus services and expand carsharing/bikesharing in Tompkins County. TCAT bus stops integrated with carshare vehicle locations.
• Mobility Development OperationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLLC partnership with Mobility Development Operations who manages other carshares in New York (Rochester, Albany, Buffalo) and several throughout the country. Formed to make carshares more appealing to insurance companies.
• Carsharing AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIthaca Carshare is a founding member of the Carsharing Association, an international association of carsharing organizations committed to sustainable, transit-oriented urban mobility. Includes organizations in Toronto, Vancouver, Boulder, Burlington, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Montreal, and Ottawa.
• Alternatives Federal Credit UnionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpecial account at AFCU allows members to pay by cash or check directly to Ithaca Carshare account, providing payment access for unbanked members.
• Cornell UniversitycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSubsidizes annual memberships for undergraduate and graduate students, staff, and faculty through Commuter Alternative Program. Helps promote carshare to campus community. Multiple Cornell departments use business accounts.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Turo: Largest peer-to-peer carsharing marketplace in North America. Adjacent value proposition (alternative to car ownership) but operates a marketplace model rather than a managed nonprofit fleet.
• Getaround: Peer-to-peer carsharing platform where private owners rent out their vehicles. Serves a similar 'access over ownership' use case but uses a fundamentally different marketplace model rather than a directly operated fleet.
• BlueLA (Bolloré): Free-floating electric carshare service in Los Angeles serving underserved neighborhoods. Comparable EV-led, equity-focused positioning and government backing, though operates one-way rather than round-trip.

Broad incumbents

• Enterprise CarShare: Commercial carshare service operated by Enterprise Rent-A-Car. Comparable hourly membership-based car rental with university and employer partnership channels, but embedded within a much larger commercial fleet operator.
• Zipcar: Largest commercial round-trip carshare operator in North America, owned by Avis Budget Group. Comparable core product (station-based hourly car rental via membership) but operates at national scale for profit rather than as a nonprofit mission.

Others

• Carsharing Association: International industry association of which Ithaca Carshare is a founding member, including organizations in Toronto, Vancouver, Boulder, Burlington, and Minneapolis/St. Paul. Peer network of mission-aligned carshare operators.
• Mobility Development Operations: Operator of nonprofit carshares in Rochester, Albany, and Buffalo, and LLC partner of Ithaca Carshare. Comparable nonprofit carshare management infrastructure across multiple NYS cities.
• Ithaca Bikeshare: Sister program under the Center for Community Transportation sharing the same nonprofit parent. Comparable small-scale, equity-focused shared mobility service in the same Ithaca geography.

Direct peers

• Modo Cooperative: Vancouver-based carsharing cooperative that powers Ithaca Carshare's booking platform and mobile app. Comparable nonprofit/cooperative station-based carshare model serving a single metro market with subscription and hourly pricing.
• Hourcar: Minneapolis-based nonprofit carshare organization with station-based vehicles, university partnerships, and equity-focused programs. Closest peer in mission and structure, though larger in fleet and member count.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ithacacarshare2
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ithaca-carshare
• Instagraminstagram.com/ithaca_carshare
• Xx.com/ithacacarshare

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ithaca Carshare