Car sharing allows people to rent cars on a short-term (hourly or daily), as-needed basis, paying only for the time they use the car and the mileage they drive. The operators of the car sharing program provide vehicle maintenance, repair, and insurance.

The term “shared-use vehicle” is a broader concept that encompasses both car sharing and station car programs. Station car programs are designed to facilitate transit access in the cases where the final destination of a person who uses public transportation is located too far away from the endpoint of the transit route; people can drive station cars to complete the final leg of their trip.

Shared-use vehicles allow individuals to gain the benefits of using a private car without the costs and responsibilities of owning a car. Members of a shared-use vehicle or car sharing program pick-up and return vehicles at shared use lots that are scattered throughout a particular region or concentrated at a transit station, activity or employment center. Typically, a member makes a reservation in advance, lets him or herself into the vehicle with a personal card or key, and drives away. When the person is done using the car, she returns the car to its home parking space, locks it, and leaves it for the next car sharer.