Find the cheapest gas in Chicago

If you have a minute to spare after booking your I-GO reservation, you should check out this great website, Chicago Gas Prices. Not only can you find the cheapest spots to refuel around the city, but you also have the chance to win prizes (like $250 in prepaid gas!) if you join in the effort by reporting fuel prices you see while out and about in your I-GO vehicle.

The website also provides other handy tools such as: fuel price maps (both local and national), fuel logbooks, fuel tax info, mobile widgets and more.

Who's got the cheapest gas in the Chicagoland area today? As of this blog post, that honor belongs to the Sam's Club in Northlake on 141 W. North Ave & Railroad Ave., offering $2.61 per gallon. As you can see in the local price snapshot below, gas was much more expensive this time last year.

Public getting another kick in the gas

The analysts can't agree on the cause, but here's an ugly fact: Americans are now pumping out a billion bucks a day to refuel their cars according to an article today in the New York Times.

All the more reason to choose car sharing as your go-to transportation option—especially in Illinois, where the price tags at the pump are among the highest in the nation.

Automotively speaking, sometimes all you can do is cry about it—over a slice of the Onion:


Autoworkers Compete to Keep Jobs, Livelihoods on New Reality Show

Higher gas prices = More car sharing customers

We saw it last summer when gas prices soared into the stratosphere, and we may see it again: a huge increase in I-GO applicants attracted by one undeniably attractive benefit: Car sharing members don't pay for gas. Ever.

Good piece in the Chicago Tribune yesterday analyzing the prospects for a repeat of last year's rocketing fuel prices at the pump.

We're not rooting for the oil robber barons of the world, mind you, or the speculators hoping to ride their coattails. But whatever the reasons, fossil fuels are environmentally disastrous no matter how you slice and dice their economic impact.

We say: Shed a car, share one instead.

I-GO and I save!

Ever wonder just how much you're saving by not owning a car? Check out the cost breakdown of one of our members' yearly driving expenses. Car sharing is about more than just "going green"—it can also save you some dough! And in today's economy, that's something we're all trying to do...

Car sharing in Japan grows as vehicle sales continue to fall

According to a recent article in Japan Today, car sharing is catching on in Japan as well as here in the U.S.. The article claims that, "car sharing is shifting into a higher gear in Japan as people try to save on car maintenance costs and be more environmentally friendly at the same time,".

While car sharing is growing, car sales are down. Vehicle sales in Japan hit a 28-year low in 2008, according to the figures released by the Japan Automobile Dealers Association (JADA). Annual sales are expected to fall again in 2009. "We never imagined sales would fall this badly," said JADA Director, Takeshi Fushimi. "This is a bleak situation."

What is a bleak situation for auto dealers is great news for Japanese car sharing organizations. According to a survey done by the Eco-Mo Foundation, there were 19 car sharing organizations in Japan, with a total of 522 cars being shared by 3,875 members, as of August 2008. The numbers of cars and car stations more than doubled and the number of registered car sharing members increased by half since the same survey was done in January of 2007. Below is a photo of a car sharing site at a condominium in Japan.

Will Obama help grow an electric car bumper crop in Hawaii?

Will Barack Obama’s childhood island state become the first in the nation to fully support a transition to electric vehicles? The President-Elect has made it clear he plans to make sustainability and green-collar jobs top priorities during his administration. Now, Hawaii is attempting to lead the country in adopting use of all-electric vehicles. It’s a refreshing change of pace from the greed and lack of vision we’ve been witnessing on Capitol Hill as the Big Three automakers beg for a bail-out.

This past Tuesday, Hawaii announced plans to become the first state in the U.S. to create a statewide electric recharging network for electric cars. The Hawaiian state government has joined forces with Better Place, an ambitious start-up that I posted about earlier this year, in an effort to make all-electric vehicles a reality by building car charging and battery swapping stations around the islands and purchasing renewable energy from Hawaiian Electric Co., the state’s largest utility.

They plan to have the recharging stations up and running by 2011, and to have built 50,000 to 100,000 charging spots across the state by early 2012. Shai Agassi, Better Place’s founder and CEO, claims the electric cars will cost the same as gas powered cars — at first. However, over time, electric cars will be less expensive to make because they use far less parts than cars with internal combustion engines.

In late November, San Francisco and the surrounding Bay Area cities also announced plans to join forces with Better Place to create an electric recharging network by 2012. However, Better Place chose Hawaii as the first statewide rollout for several reasons: the size of the state, the contained environment and consistent climate the island offers, and the abundance of renewable energy resources, such as wind, solar, geothermal and wave power.

Here are two short clips: one of Agassi and Hawaiian Governor Linda Lingle driving one of the Better Place electric vehicles (hopefully, we’ll be seeing more of these cars in the near future), and one of Agassi answering a reporter’s questions about Better Place’s agenda for the Bay Area.

Chicago Tribune weighs in on car sharing

Chicago Tribune reporter (and I-GO member! sweet!) Michael Hawthorne waxes poetic in the Oct. 27 paper on the virtues and growing pains of car sharing in a metro area (Hawthorne's a resident of Oak Park, where I-GO's suburban coverage extends, in addition to Evanston). It's an excellent barometer of where I-GO stands in the public eye at present, and we're pleased to report that, all said, Hawthorne's column amounts to an advocacy piece. The Trib's even posted a online reader poll to discern who among their general readership has used car sharing and who hasn't. As of noon on Monday, the response was about split among approximately 800 respondents. We'll consider that a resounding vote of confidence in the value and future of car sharing.

Help Bring Clean Cars to Illinois

The Illinois Clean Cars Act is an important piece of legislation that will soon be voted on in Springfield. The act would require new cars sold in Illinois to have higher fuel efficiency standards, thus improving air quality and public health, while also reducing global warming pollution. This is Illinois’ opportunity to lead the Midwest in adopting standards that will require auto manufacturers to build cleaner cars. How will this benefit Illinois residents? Check out this interview with Joe Shacter, senior policy advocate at the Environmental Law & Policy Center.

To learn more about or take action on this bill, visit the Environmental Law & Policy Center’s website.

CTA and I-GO to Partner on Combined Chicago Card Plus and I-GO Smartcard

I-GO Car Sharing and the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) announced today the launch of a joint smart card program that will allow individuals to use one card for both riding the CTA and accessing I-GO vehicles. There are currently 10 CTA locations with I-GO vehicles and plans to add 8 more. I-GO has 200 cars in 32 Chicago neighborhoods. The combined smart card program is expected to launch by the end of the year.

Car Sharing Across the Border

Check out this Canadian news report on car sharing in Canada. Car sharing is booming in Canada, just as it is in the U.S. and the rest of the world. In fact, the city of Tel Aviv also recently jumped on board with the car sharing concept.



I-GO is already partners with 2 car sharing organizations in Canada- AutoShare, in Toronto and Co-operative Auto, in Vancouver. This means that as an I-GO Car Sharing member, you can also drive AutoShare and Co-operative Auto's cars when you're in their respective cities- cool, huh?

Bike Sharing in Barcelona

This morning I stumbled upon an interesting, detailed article on Bicing- the thriving bike sharing program in Barcelona. Earlier this month, I talked about the accretion of bike sharing across the globe. The more I learn about these successful bike sharing programs, the more I want this in Chicago! I mean, Mayor Daley did pledge to transform Chicago into the greenest city in the U.S.... What do you think? Would you utilize a bike sharing system if it came to Chicago?

Bicing Station in Barcelona

Power to the People, Right On

This past weekend I finally got around to reading an article in WIRED’s September issue that a colleague had recommended. It was weighty subject matter for a Sunday, but I’m glad I did. The piece, headlined “Driven”, outlines visionary entrepreneur Shai Agassi’s audacious agenda to put electric cars on the road. It lays out a bold, yet totally believable, plan to transform personal transportation and help achieve global energy independence in our lifetime.

Agassi, a prominent Israeli-born software programmer who switched gears a few years ago to devote his energy toward solving the transportation emissions problem, is turning complex theory into exciting and optimistic reality. Agassi’s environmental engine was sparked in 2005 at a Young Global Leaders conference in Switzerland. Just three years later, he’s already got a country, millions of venture-capital dollars, and automakers on his assembly line.

Early on, the electric car became the focal point of Agassi’s plan. While the idea of electric vehicles is far from new, “Agassi reimagined the entire automotive ecosystem by proposing a new concept he called the Electric Recharge Grid Operator,” writes reporter Daniel Roth. “It was an unorthodox mashup of the automotive and mobile phone industries. Instead of gas stations on every corner, the ERGO would blanket a country with a network of ‘smart’ charge spots. Drivers could plug in anywhere, anytime, and would subscribe to a specific plan—unlimited miles, a maximum number of miles each month, or pay as you go—all for less than the equivalent cost for gas. They’d buy their car from the operator, who would offer steep discounts, perhaps even give the cars away. The profit would come from selling electricity”.

In May 2007, Agassi launched Project Better Place, the world’s first global electric-car grid operation. Since then, Agassi has been spreading his vision of Better Place on an international scale. In January 2008, Israel became the first nation in the world to declare a plan for oil independence by 2020. Partnering with Better Place and Renault-Nissan, Israel has committed to widespread deployment of an electric recharge grid to power electric vehicles by 2011. The renewable energy needed for such an operation will be supplied through Israel’s growing solar power sector.

Denmark also jumped on board, in March 2008, when DONG (Danish Oil & Natural Gas) energy company partnered with Better Place and Renault-Nissan to power electric vehicles with energy generated from wind turbines. Renault-Nissan is already developing the first line of battery-powered electric cars for Better Place.

Through Better Place, Agassi is ushering in a new chapter in sustainable, personal transportation. Better place your bets now.

Car Sharing to Bike Sharing

As I-GO members, you're already familiar with the idea of car sharing. But what about bike sharing? Bike sharing is rapidly spreading in major cities and is also a concept that I-GO has been considering.

Barcelona, Paris, Stockholm, Vienna and Washington DC are the cities currently leading the pack in bike sharing. Paris has the largest bike sharing program of them all, with more than 20,000 bikes in service. Washington DC has the smallest operation, kicking off just last month with 10 stations and 120 bikes. An annual subscription to the SmartBike DC program costs only $40 and this fee includes rental of the bike; as long as the bike is returned within 24 hours of the start of the rental, there are no additional charges for use of the bikes.

Would you utilize a bike sharing service if it was offered in Chicago? Share your thoughts!

Zipcar is Raising Prices

Zipcar is raising prices across the country- Chicago included! I've been working at I-GO since last September, in that time I've realized that there are a fair number of I-GO members who are also Zipcar members. So anybody with such dual membership will want to check out the Zipcar price increases.

Logan Square Named 3rd Most Fuel Efficient Neighborhood

Forbes recently published an article listing the 10 most fuel efficient neighborhoods in the United States. Chicago’s own Logan Square came in 3^rd in the nation! Brooklyn Heights (New York; $643/month) took top honors, followed by Koreatown (Los Angles; $658/month). Logan Square finished 3^rd with the average Logan Square resident spending $742 per month on transportation costs. Sounds high, doesn’t it? It’s a good reminder of just how expensive owning a car really is! Arlington, VA (Washington D.C.) came in just behind Logan Square; in Arlington the average being spent on transportation costs is $747/month.

Car Sharing Spreads to Buffalo, NY

Car sharing continues to grow along with rising gas prices. Buffalo, New York is the newest U.S. city to jump on the car sharing band wagon. Click here to check out an article on car sharing in Buffalo written by Creighton Randall, Board Member of Green Options Buffalo.

I-GO Featured Tonight on Fox News

If you find yourself near a TV tonight at 9pm, be sure to check out the Fox News segment on I-GO Car Sharing.

Membership in I-GO Car Sharing on the Rise

Membership in car sharing programs is on the rise across the country. Membership in I-GO Car Sharing is up 43% since June of last year. Check out the official CBS report below.



Remember- if you refer friends or family to I-GO Car Sharing and they become members, you will get $20 in driving credits. Happy driving!

As Gas Prices Grow, So Does I-GO

As an I-GO Car Sharing member, you probably aren't too worried about how the rising gas costs will alter your budget. However, these rising prices do have many Americans worried. Check out this recent Chicagoist article on how the rising cost of fuel is fueling the growth of car sharing in Chicago.