You know him as the director who frequently answers calls on the Help Line, smiles at you through emails, and rides his bike to work. Together with the rest of the team, he launched and completed a host of projects that helped shape Autonapůl, the first grassroots carsharing service in the Czech Republic, into what it is today. Starting in early 2025, Michal Šimoník has decided to move forward in his career. “After almost 10 years in a full-time role, I felt it was time for a change,” says Michal. We decided to sit down with him for a little more insight.
How would you describe the current state of Autonapůl?
Autonapůl has been around for over 20 years. It has weathered many market fluctuations, its customer base continues to grow, and the number of vehicles is also on an upward trend. The team remains full of talented people—employees, part-timers, and partners. We have excellent suppliers and, most importantly, our carsharers, without whom none of this would be possible. From the feedback we get, I know they’re demanding, they don’t hesitate to hold a mirror up to us, but working with them is mostly a joy. And I consider it an incredible recognition of our joint efforts that we’re rated as the best carsharing service in the Czech Republic.
Are you leaving Autonapůl entirely?
When I started at Autonapůl, my personal situation was very different from what it is today. For instance, I now have a family with two children - and that’s not a small change! (laughs) We’re still a proudly car-free family and plan to stay that way. So, I’ll definitely remain with Autonapůl as a satisfied carsharer. I’ll also be happy to advise or help my colleagues - I’d miss them too much otherwise. For me, this will feel like a gentle return to an earlier phase of my life, which I fondly call “Autonapůl as a meaningful hobby.”
How far back does your journey with Autonapůl go?
Technically, it goes back to 2008 when, as a student at Masaryk University, I joined an interfaculty project called Ekoinkubátor. Its goal was to teach students how to run environmentally sustainable businesses. In a five-person team, we came up with the idea of carsharing, inspired partly by an educational trip to Germany, where similar projects already existed. We won the competition with our idea, but the first prize - a promised 200,000 CZK, which we needed to start an LLC - was significantly reduced, so we weren’t able to launch our own project.
So, how did you transition from carsharing as a concept to Autonapůl?
It’s closely related. While working on our project, I got to know some amazing people connected with the Autonapůl civic association. One thing led to another, and I joined Autonapůl as the eighth user - or, as we say, "carsharer." I also added my family’s inherited and rarely-used Škoda Octavia to the fleet. I continued to take care of it, but it was also shared by other users. I loved seeing it finally being used efficiently instead of just sitting around waiting for me to need it.
That’s not a typical way to use a personal car in the Czech Republic.
Yes and no. There are definitely people who genuinely need a car every day and can’t meet their transportation needs otherwise. Then there are those who own a car “just in case,” and others who, for various reasons, don’t own a car at all - whether by choice, necessity, or because it doesn’t make economic sense. Between those extremes lies a world of creative ways to meet transportation needs. Personally, I’ve been into sustainable mobility since I was young. From primary school onward, I used to bike or take public transport across Brno. Even after getting my driver’s license and going through the “thrill of owning a car” phase, it was never my sole choice. I’ve always had a transit pass, prefer cycling or walking, and enjoy longer train rides where I can work. I see cars as great servants but poor masters, and that’s still my philosophy today.
Your car was shared by others, but there were only a few of you back then. How did Autonapůl grow into today’s fleet of nearly 100 cars with thousands of users?
That’s a whole other story- one that would involve more people than just me. The truth is, this idea made sense to not just me but to others as well. Naturally, I talked about it with friends, family, and colleagues, and they joined us. You could say that in the early years, it was all about authentic advocacy and volunteer work - even taking care of our own shared cars. A turning point came in 2011 when we established a new entity: Autonapůl, a cooperative. We transitioned all activities into this cooperative and bought our first newly shared car that year. It gave us valuable experience in terms of reliability and costs compared to older vehicles. It became clear that, while new cars were more expensive upfront, their reliability and popularity with users made them worthwhile.
Did your full-time role with Autonapůl start in 2011?
Not quite, but 2011 was a major milestone. Another came in 2014 when we surpassed 100 users. Thanks to the fantastic support of the Austrian company Caruso (later Zemtu, with whom we still collaborate!), we introduced professional technology to our fleet of 15 older cars: a reservation system and smart units in the vehicles. This marked the end of hand-to-hand key exchanges. From then on, cars could be unlocked with a chip card. Back then, apps weren’t widespread, and mobile internet wasn’t standard, but this allowed self-service access at any time. That same year, we entered a competition organized by the Via Foundation to support innovative projects with societal impact. This is when I officially became Autonapůl’s first employee. And from there, it was full speed ahead.
What stands out from your 10 years as an employee?
There’s so much - expanding to new cities, collaborating with businesses, professionalizing the team. One highlight was in 2018 when we acquired our first electric vehicle, a Renault Zoe, as an experiment. This kicked off a fruitful partnership with Renault, which complemented our primarily Škoda-based fleet. By 2020, we had surpassed 1,000 users, and by summer 2024, we were close to 100 shared cars across various categories, including electric vehicles.
Year 2025 marks the start of Autonapůl’s “post-Šimoník” era, although you’ll remain in touch. How will users notice this change?
I think the only difference will be that I’ll no longer appear in emails or on the helpline. Autonapůl will continue to evolve - updating its fleet, tackling new challenges, and pursuing the same goals as before. I have no doubt that clients will remain demanding, Autonapůl will meet their needs, and together with everyone who decides not to buy (another) car, we’ll create more space for people. I firmly believe that the growing community of Autonapůl carsharers and users won’t be disappointed.