Campus Celeb: Caroline Irving with WeCar

This weeks Campus Celeb is Caroline Irving. A senior marketing major, Caroline is interning with WeCar this spring. 

WeCar is a member-based service that allows college students to borrow a car for the day. Cool right? 

Check out everything you need to know about WeCar in our interview with Caroline!

1. What is WeCar?
WeCar by Enterprise is a membership-based car sharing program that offers a new alternative transportation choice at UMass. Students can use WeCar to do anything from grocery shopping at Big Y, to driving to a concert in Northampton. The cars are available 24/7 in the Campus Center parking garage, and all students ages 18 and over are welcome to apply for membership.

2. How will WeCar benefit students?
 WeCar benefits students by providing a convenient and affordable alternative to having a car on campus. By joining WeCar, students can have a car to use whenever they want, but they don’t have to deal with all of the hassles and expenses that come with having their own car on campus. For example, parking permits can cost $225-$315, students have to dig their cars out of the snow in the winter, car insurance and gas can cost a fortune, and student parking lots are often located far away. With WeCar on the other hand, there is no parking fee, cars are conveniently located in the Campus Center garage, and there are no additional costs for things such as gas and maintenance.
 

The $35 annual membership fee covers: fuel, maintenance, up to 200 miles per day, and damage/liability protection for users 18 and over. Rental rates start at $8/hour, $65/day, and $35 overnight (6pm-8am). Plus, new members will get $35 in driving credits, so that’s over 4 free rental hours just for signing up. When you compare this to other rental options, or having your own car on campus, it’s definitely a much more affordable choice for students. 

I saw the job posting for a WeCar Intern at UMass last semester and as a Marketing major, it seemed like a really interesting thing to get involved with. I knew it’d be a really fun challenge to help launch something brand new on campus, and so far it’s been a great experience for me.  I also really love the concept of car sharing because I think it’s definitely the wave of the future. It’s way more environmentally friendly than owning a car, and it’s something that just fits perfectly with the student lifestyle. If WeCar had been around when I was living on campus, I most definitely would have joined because I was never able to afford my own car then, and I hated having to always ask my friends for rides. So that’s another reason I got involved with WeCar; it’s something that I think a ton of students like myself could benefit from, and I think it’s important to spread the word on campus.