Cost - CarShare Vermont

Cars are convenient little buggers. They sit in the driveway ready to get us where we need to go. And they don't cost that much, right? Well, they kind of do.

The truth is, most Vermonters don't have a sense of how much it really costs to own and drive a car. That's why we've put together this easy calculator to help you be more conscious of your true driving costs. Ready to get started?

Let's go

PAGE 1 of 5

How much do you think it costs to operate your primary vehicle for one year?

Your Guess:

What's your zip code?

About Your Car

PAGE 2 of 5

What kind of car do you drive?

Engine Type

Vehicle Type

Do you own or lease?

Own

Lease

Monthly Expenses

PAGE 3 of 5

If you have one, how much is your monthly car payment?

I don't have one

What is your monthly insurance payment?

Use Vermont average

Do you have AAA or another roadside service?

Yes

No

Do you pay for parking at home or at work?

Yes

No

NOTE: We'll include registration and inspections automatically for you.

Operating Expenses

PAGE 4 of 5

How many miles did you drive last year?

Use Vermont average

What routine maintenance do you perform on your car?

Select all that apply.

Oil change at recommended intervals

Seasonal tire changeover

Car wash

Interior detail

How much did you spend on repairs or replacements last year?

Use Vermont average

Some common expenses include new tires, wiper replacement, a new battery, brake work, and exhaust work.

Driving Habits

PAGE 5 of 5

How many cars does your household own?

Are there days you don't drive at all?

Yes

No

Do you drive to work?

Yes

No

You're about to be more car conscious. The results below highlight not only the out-of- pocket costs to own and operate your vehicle, but also the hidden costs, like the depreciation in your vehicle's value over time.

Beyond that, there are non-monetary costs that are easy to overlook, but underscore the impacts that car ownership has on our environment and our society.

Along with these costs for your consideration, you'll find a number of ways to save - and to begin to shift your driving habits as well.

Cost to you

How much does it cost to own and operate your primary vehicle for one year?

Your guess:

Your out-of-pocket cost per year:

National average cost per year:

Source: AAA

The national average cost to own a car accounts for 16.4% of the average household's budget and 26.9% for the lowest income households.

That's the second-highest expense after housing!

Source: US DOT

2X

Auto loan debt has doubled in the last decade and will exceed student loan debt in 2023.

Source: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

Costs to everyone

Your greenhouse gas
emissions from driving:

of carbon dioxide per year*

*This figure is based on a conventional internal combustion vehicle.
Source: US Environmental Protection Agency

You'd have to plant

of forest each year

to offset that much carbon.

Source: US Environmental Protection Agency

In Vermont, cars and light-duty trucks account for

29% of all greenhouse gas emissions

Source: Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation

As a car user, you take up

3.5x more public space
than a non-car user.

Source: Transport Reviews

Parking in Vermont uses land equivalent to

2+ Burlingtons!

Source: US Geological Survey

Consider this: For every dollar an individual spends on a vehicle, we all spend about a dollar to park it, even people that don't own a car!

Source: Victoria Transport Policy Institute

Driving costs us time:

Americans spend an average of 18,615 minutes per year behind the wheel.

That's nearly 13 days every year!

Source: AAA Newsroom

Ways to save

Walk, bike, bus, and share instead.

Walk

You probably have shoes and a coat. Maybe even an umbrella. So that puts the cost per month of walking at

$0

Want to lighten your load?
The Walk to Shop trolley might do the trick!

Ride your bike

A decent bike can cost about $300 and last 10 years or more. A helmet costs about $40 and should be replaced every three years. Add in $125 worth of recommended gear (lock, lights, tire pump) and assume they'll all last five years. With a tune-up every other year at $90, the cost to own and operate a bike is only

$9.44 /month

Looking for a new or used bike, safety gear, or tune-up?
Old Spokes Home has you covered! Want to borrow an e-bike, find fun new routes, and learn all-season biking tips? Check out Local Motion.

Take the bus

Green Mountain Transit is fare-free until June 2023! Normally, passes cost $40 for a month of unlimited rides or $15 for 10 rides - that's a pretty good deal!

Not sure how to get from here to there?
Check out GMT's bus routes or download their free transit app in the App Store or Google Play Store.

You can save 50% of your travel costs

by carpooling with one other person!

Source: Go! Vermont

Join CarShare Vermont

With CarShare Vermont, members only pay to use a car when they need one. They also tend to develop a good sense of when they actually need to drive (or could just as easily walk, bike, bus, or hitch a ride instead), so they drive much less than the average person.

Here are a few examples of what CarShare Vermont members spend to drive each month.

All of the cost estimates below include CarShare Vermont's Share-a-Lot monthly membership fee and driving rates, which include gas, charging, and insurance, and use our standard mileage rate of 45¢/mile.