"Electric Cars for Rent at 90 Won per km"... Sharing Economy Emerges at District Office

Jongno-gu Partners with Socar to Launch Car Sharing Service from 2022

Many local governments lend meeting rooms, auditoriums, power tools, or laboratory equipment, but nowadays, some also lend electric vehicles.

Jongno-gu in Seoul started a shared vehicle service in November 2022, and the response has been positive. The service allows the use of eco-friendly electric vehicles during business hours within Jongno-gu, and rents them out at rates much cheaper than the standard SoCar shared vehicle fees during weekday nights, weekends, and public holidays.

Jongno-gu leases official electric vehicles from SoCar, and among them, five vehicles are made available to residents during times when the district office does not use them. The vehicle model is Kia's compact sport utility vehicle (SUV), the 'Niro.'

The usage fee is 90 KRW per kilometer, with no basic fee. Even driving 100 km costs less than 10,000 KRW in rental fees. A Jongno-gu official explained, "On average, about 20 to 30 rentals occur per month."

Residents of Jongno-gu or employees of businesses within Jongno can use the service. To use it, one must download the SoCar application, sign up as a member, and register user information, then contact the district office website or the Administrative Support Division to get approval. The application procedure is explained at the bottom of the district office website's main page.

The procedure is somewhat cumbersome, but users become accustomed to it after a few times. After approval, vehicles are rented and returned at the district office's ground parking lot.

Meanwhile, Jongno-gu signed a 'Business Agreement for the Introduction of a Mobility Platform' with SoCar in August 2022 to promote the shared mobility economy, expand residents' mobility rights, and cooperate in the distribution of eco-friendly vehicles.