Peer-To-Peer Car Sharing Takes Off

Your car spends a lot of time doing nothing — in parking lots and driveways. Meanwhile, there are people without cars who need them! So why not share?

Three separate San Francisco start-ups are matching car owners with people who want to rent them.

General Motors aligned with RelayRides. Daimler A-G runs Car-2-Go.

The third Bay area company, Getaround, is renting some cars for as little as $3 an hour. These companies hope to chip into Zipcar's business, which charges a $60 annual fee in addition to an hourly rate (which varies depending on the city).

Getaround allows the car owners to pick and choose the renters, based on their age or driving record. Right now, Getaround is only operating in the San Francisco area, but if the business takes off there, it could spread around the country.