SHARE NOW, the company behind car2go, announced on December 18, 2019, that it would end North American operations—including Seattle—on February 29, 2020. At the time, car2go was Seattle’s last remaining free-floating car-share service. That gap did not last: AAA’s GIG launched a free-floating service in the city in July 2020. The announcement is a historical account, not a statement about which services operate in Seattle today.
What SHARE NOW announced
SHARE NOW said it would leave North America effective February 29, 2020. The affected cities were Montreal, New York, Seattle, Washington, D.C., and Vancouver. The company also announced closures in Florence, London, and Brussels, citing low adoption in those European cities. GeekWire reported the announcement on December 18, 2019.
The company attributed the North American exit to a volatile mobility landscape, increasing infrastructure complexity, and the investment it believed would be necessary to make the market successful in both the near and long term. These were SHARE NOW’s stated reasons, not independently established causes. In a customer email reproduced by GeekWire, the company said it was not in a position to commit to the investment it considered necessary to succeed in the market. GeekWire reproduced the closure notice.
Why Seattle faced a free-floating service gap
Car2go was Seattle’s first free-floating car-share service when it launched there in 2012. By December 2019, two other services had already withdrawn: ReachNow shut down in Seattle and Portland in July 2019, and Lime ended its Seattle-only LimePod pilot in September. With car2go’s announced departure, contemporary reporting described it as the last remaining free-floating service in Seattle. GeekWire’s coverage provides that timeline.
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ReachNow’s former CEO Steve Banfield offered a broader industry perspective to GeekWire, saying North America was a difficult mobility market because of its geographic scale, limitations in public transit in many cities, and the prevalence of alternatives such as Uber and Lyft. That was Banfield’s analysis, rather than a proven explanation for SHARE NOW’s decision. GeekWire reported his comments.
How free-floating car share differs from other options
“Car sharing” can describe services with different pickup, return, and parking rules. Seattle’s transportation department distinguishes free-floating services from designated-space car share. In a free-floating model, members can pick up a vehicle and leave it within a defined service area, subject to permitted parking rules. Designated-space services use particular parking spaces. Seattle’s car-share permit information describes the city’s categories.
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In its December 2019 coverage, GeekWire named Zipcar, Getaround, and Turo as alternatives, while noting that they were not direct equivalents to car2go’s free-floating model:
| Option described in 2019 coverage | How pickup and return worked | Service model |
|---|---|---|
| Free-floating car share, such as car2go | Pick up a nearby vehicle and leave it at a destination inside the operating area, subject to service and parking rules | Operator-managed fleet |
| Zipcar | Pick up and return at designated locations | Car share with set locations |
| Getaround and Turo | Rent vehicles listed by individual owners; the 2019 coverage did not describe them as free-floating services | Peer-to-peer vehicle rentals |
These are descriptions from the 2019 article, not confirmation that any named service is currently available in Seattle or that its terms remain the same. GeekWire’s article covered the alternatives and model differences.
Rank #3
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GIG brought free-floating car share back in 2020
AAA’s GIG launched in Seattle in July 2020 with 250 hybrid-electric Toyota Prius vehicles, according to SeattlePI’s launch coverage. At launch, members could reserve and unlock cars with the GIG app, park on streets or in lots within the designated HomeZone, and use a service that included fuel and insurance. These are launch-era details, not current prices, terms, or a confirmation that GIG still operates locally. SeattlePI reported on GIG’s Seattle launch.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the historical account can—and cannot—tell you today
Seattle’s current transportation department materials continue to describe permits for free-floating and designated-space car-share operators. A permit framework establishes how services may be regulated; it does not identify which companies currently serve the city. The current operator roster and current service prices are not established by the sources cited here. Anyone choosing a service should check the operator’s own current Seattle coverage area, parking rules, and fee terms before relying on it.
Quick Recap
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