Evo VS Modo – Car Share Vancouver

It’s becoming increasingly easy to get by in life without the convenience of owning a car, and here’s why:

Beyond the boundaries of regular public transit comes the attractive option of car-share membership in a variety of car-share companies; namely Evo and Modo. All the joys of owning a vehicle without the hassle of maintenance and insurance costs! Both are fantastic alternatives to completing endeavors that could previously only be accomplished if you owned your own vehicle. Having said this, both Evo and Modo are distinct in how they operate, giving them varying pros and cons.

EVO

I personally love Evo! It’s best used for short trips such as picking up a grocery haul, driving a friend home from a fun night out on the town, taking a trip to your local recycling depot, and so much more.

Becoming a Member

Becoming a member is a straightforward process, involving a one-time registration fee of $35.00 which is only charged after your membership has been approved. In order to get an approved membership, you have to provide proof of your identity with a photo of your driver’s license and one additional piece of government-issued ID. If you want to be extra sure that you’re eligible for an Evo account, click here for a detailed list of requirements. You’ll want to scroll about 1/4 of the way down the page and look under General Questions – Registration to find the information you’re looking for.

Pst! Use my code YT1B01WJ to join Evo for free and get $25.00 of free drive time. Download the app or visit evo.ca

Joining as a Foreigner

If you’re visiting BC from afar and would like to enjoy Evo during your visit, here is what you need to know:

The process is the same, but involves a couple extra steps. You’ll need to request your driving history from your respective country, and have the documents translated into English (if applicable) by an ICBC certified translator. These records can then be sent to records@evo.ca . Aside from this, the sign up process is the same as for locals.

Once you’ve got an approved membership it’s easy to navigate your options through the Evo app which is available for IOS and Android. Evo operates with a “home zone” where you can find any and all available Evo cars or bikes (new). Evo vehicles can of course exit the home zone during a booking, however, in order to end your trip you will need to return it back to the home zone. You don’t have to return the vehicle from where you got it; as long as it’s somewhere in the home zone and is in a legal city parking space, you’re good!

In a congested area like downtown Vancouver/Victoria, many parkades will have designated parking stalls for Evo cars; you can locate these via the Evo app on your phone.

Highlights

• Evo is available in Vancouver and Victoria, BC.
• An “N” driving license is acceptable and has no effect on your eligibility for creating a membership.
• Members receive a ‘key card’ that works exactly the same way as a key fob. Without this card, you can still access your booked vehicle through the app.
• Gas is covered in your membership! If you ever need to fill up on gas remember to keep your receipt. It’s all covered by Evo.
• Evo vehicles are all either hybrids or fully electric. You can specify which type of vehicle you’d like when you make a booking.
• Evo vehicles are exempt from metered city parking stalls. (You can still park there, you just don’t have to pay!) .
• Parking: Watch out for loading and residential zones. Also, be sure to park at least 100m away from city fire hydrants (you will be fined if you fail to do this).
• Best for short trips as you get charged per minute.

Evo Rates

Here is a basic breakdown of Evo rates: $0.49/min, $17.99/hr, and $104.99/day. There is also an annual $2.00 fee for being a part of the Evo family, and an all access fee of $1.25 per trip. Considering the prices of gas in BC right now these charges are reasonable and easy to work within. Be careful though, this service is addicting and it’s easy to overspend due to over-use (I know this from experience).

Canceling Your Evo Trip

When you book a trip on the fly, your chosen vehicle is reserved for 30mins before your trip will begin. There is also the option of booking in advance for a future trip; with this option, you can choose your pick-up and drop-off time and your charges will be calculated for you at the time of booking.

If you book a car by accident or if you change your mind about a trip, it’s easy to cancel within mere seconds of booking it! There are no cancelation fees that I’m aware of which is pretty sweet, even if you cancel last minute.

Modo

Modo has been around longer than Evo and is just as awesome of choice when it comes to car share companies. While Evo is the best choice for short in-town trips, Modo is best for longer trips.

Becoming a Member

Becoming a member is a fairly easy process, involving sending in photos of your driving license and one additional piece of government-issued ID. Modo will also need to see your last two years of driving history before finalizing your membership. It takes a few days for your application to be processed, so give yourself some time before planning on your first trip. If you want to be extra sure you’re eligible for a Modo account, click here for a detailed list of requirements.

Pst! Use my code: REF3ML219CR to get $25.00 of free drive time. Download the app or visit modo.coop

Joining as a Foreigner

The process as a foreigner is exactly the same as for locals! No extra steps unless your documents aren’t already in English, then they’ll need to be translated before sending them in for review.

Highlights

• Modo is available in Vancouver, Victoria, Nanaimo, and Kelowna, BC
• An “N” driving license is acceptable and has no effect on your eligibility for creating a membership.
• Members receive a key fob that allows entry into any vehicle booked. Without this fob, you can’t start your trip.
• Gas is covered in your membership! If you ever need to fill up on gas remember to keep your receipt. It’s all covered by Modo (a surcharge may apply depending on current prices/litre.)
• Modo vehicles are also exempt from metered city parking stalls. (You can still park there, you just don’t have to pay!)
• Parking: Watch out for loading and residential zones. Also, be sure to park at least 100m away from city fire hydrants (you will be fined if you fail to do this).
• Best for long trips.

Something to keep in mind is that Modo has a Ram Promaster in its fleet for anyone needing to transport larger items. This is perfect for moving days in particular! Modos fleet is all-inclusive in that it has a large variety of vehicles that meet the needs of each individual behind the wheel. This is something that Evo arguably lacks simply due to their fleet being limited to smaller car models on average, but this is changing.

Modo Rates

Take some time to think about what kind of trip(s) you’re wanting to accomplish before deciding between which car company to use. Both Modo and Evo can give you a ‘bang for your buck’ if you know how to use them efficiently. Hence this post!

Modo has a few different monthly memberships to choose from and each comes with its own price breakdown. Click here to view them all in detail. For now, I’ll describe the plan that I currently use and enjoy, the monthly membership. With the monthly membership I pay $6.00/hr of driving, with a maximum of $100.00/day. There is also a $6.00 administration fee that I pay each month to keep my membership, however, I can cancel at any time if I need to. Lastly, there is a whopping $1.50 co-op innovation fee with each trip I take.

In terms of kilometers driven, members at Modo get charged 35c/km driven. This is in addition to the hourly cost of driving.

Pro tip: If you’re driving a specialty or oversized vehicle such as the Ram Promaster mentioned earlier, there are add-on fees. It’s an extra $2.00/hr for loadable vehicles like the Promaster, and an extra $5.00/hr for vehicles that are oversized. This is something to keep in mind for sure, but it can definitely still be worth the trip if you compare the pricing to moving company rates.

Canceling Your Modo Trip

Canceling your trip can be stressful, but Modo makes it easy! You can cancel for free if you do it 12hrs or more in advance. If you need to cancel last minute you’ll only be charged 50% of your original time charge. Also, if you happen to finish your trip with some extra time (at least 15min), you can end your trip early and be reimbursed 50% of the remaining time charge. It’s a little different from Evo, but you’ll get used to it!

Let’s sum this up…

Evo	Modo
Founded in 2015	Founded in 1997
Available in Vancouver and Victoria, BC	Available in Vancouver, Victoria, Nanaimo, and Kelowna, BC
Best for short trips, charges/time used	Best for long trips, charges/time used, AND distance driven
Operates within a home zone	Operates within a home zone
End your trip anywhere within the home zone that is considered a legal city parking space, or a reserved Evo parking space.	Must end your trip in the same place as you started your trip.
Any gas purchase is reimbursed to you by Evo, provided you have a picture of your receipt.	Any gas purchase is reimbursed to you by Modo, provided you have a picture of your receipt. (Surcharges may apply)
Gas, Insurance, and Parking are included with your membership	Gas, Insurance, and parking are included with your membership
Has a user-friendly app for Android and IOS	Has a user-friendly app for Android and IOS
Created by BCCA

So what do you think? Which car share company will you put your trust in? As a side note, you don’t need to choose between the two if you don’t want to. I personally have both memberships and feel that it’s well worth the investment.

It’s nice to have a car available to me wherever I happen to go when I’m in town. Whether it’s a big grocery haul, road trip, or an emergency, it gives me peace of mind to know that I have a set of wheels ready for when I really need them.

I hope this post has been helpful to you in learning about two of the leading car-share companies in BC. Feel free to ask any questions through the contact page if there’s something I missed. Drive safe!