The continuing evolution of car sharing
A recent start-up in Portland, Oregon is social car sharing. Instead of renting from a carshare company, you rent cars by the hour from people around you. So “waste” unused car hours are reduced and the car owner gets some extra income. (Part of the scheme includes management of risk issues such as insurance.)
It’s a smart combination of the Regenerative Business Principle #2 “There are no wastes” with Principle #7 “Think small, local and smart”. (Not to mention that car sharing is a great example of Principle #1 “Everything is a service”.)
This innovative solution looks beyond the definition of “waste” as materials to the broader Japanese / Lean manufacturing definition of MUDA:
- Transportation
- Inventory
- Motion
- Waiting
- Over-processing
- Over-production
- Defects
Under this definition, a car sitting un-used in a driveway can be seen as either an “inventory” or “waiting” waste. Which ever you decide, it’s a fascinating development.
The company is called Getaround and their website is: http://www.getaround.com/
