Carsharing as a lovebrand with benefits for society

Just as journalists have the Czech News Agency, people who need information about education follow EDUin, the Czech information center about education. This public benefit organization monitors what is happening in Czech education and informs about the most important topics. Six internal employees along with about fifteen external collaborators track and comment on education policy and together they try to move the entire sector into the 21st century. Thanks to their expertise, they also review and co-create official regulations of the Ministry of Education or organize the Czech version of the international Global Teacher Prize. All this with an annual budget of around ten million CZK.

Why EDUin needs reliable carsharing for corporate transport

Most of EDUin’s travel is done by public transport. For example, journalists can manage to produce quality articles using just their phones and public transport, and if they travel further, they can prepare interviews on the train or work on text and photos on the way back. However, when more than one person travels to a school, the organization reaches for a car.

Conferences and events, where teachers from different education levels meet with employer representatives, are also inseparable from EDUin’s activities. The organization mainly needs a car to efficiently transport all necessary equipment to the venue.

“We also needed variously sized cars, because a proverbial shopping bag isn’t always enough and not everyone wants to park a long station wagon. It was important for us to drive a young fleet and have the certainty that the cars are in excellent technical condition,” lists EDUin’s demands on shared cars, says their executive director Honza Dolínek.

Efficient corporate mobility thanks to carsharing

Honza Dolínek became EDUin’s executive director in January 2019. Since he had long-term personal experience with carsharing, he immediately knew that shared cars are an effective solution for a nonprofit organization.

“Many nonprofits and foundations used to look for funds to buy their own cars so their representatives could travel to monitor the use of provided grants or donations. In the past, there was no option to quickly and easily rent a car. But getting money for a car and its operation was not easy. So today, when I can pay for a car as easily as buying a specific movie on Netflix, it is an amazing solution for my transport needs,”_ Dolínek describes EDUin’s practice.

He chose Autonapul for the organization also because he uses the service privately, knows the benefits well, and did not need to register separately for organizational use. The only requirement was to report specific rides to his employer. The reservation system is prepared for this specific need.

“When we travel for work, we just check that it’s a business trip and the invoice is issued separately to the legal entity. The Autonapul reservation system is really low-threshold, simple, I quickly find the car I need and book it. But honestly, if I or my colleagues don’t want to deal with parking or are going a really short distance in the city, a taxi can be more efficient for us. But even that is a positive, because if we owned the car or used operational leasing, we’d subconsciously feel forced to use it and act inefficiently,” shares EDUin’s director Honza Dolínek.

Overall, EDUin’s director describes the first Czech carsharing Autonapul as a free platform where you don’t have to adapt to rental car, freight, or taxi conditions. Just don’t dirty the car and return it with at least half a tank. The reservation system also shows the delay after each reservation ends. The sharer feels at ease if traffic jams delay them somewhere. The size range of cars, from small city cars to nine-seat minibuses, covers almost every company’s needs.

Benefits of carsharing for companies and nonprofits

Autonapul is not only a practical solution for EDUin but also a community platform:

Choice of various vehicle types from city cars to nine-seat minibuses.
Low-threshold access without unnecessary rental restrictions.
Clear car return conditions (e.g., at least half tank).
Community support and friendly customer service.

A lovebrand that has permeated the whole organization

Today, when EDUin thinks about transporting cargo, they only consider Autonapul and taxis. Autonapul belongs to so-called round-trip carsharing - the parking zone usually covers a certain part of the city where you pick up the car and must return it there. This can be a disadvantage when transporting materials that you unload somewhere, stay there, but return without the cargo.

“In such cases, we would have to pay for extra hours and drive the car back to the zone. This is exactly when a taxi is more advantageous. But I don’t consider switching to another carsharing. First, we still enjoy the community spirit and team of Autonapul, where people always help each other and the helpline is always answered by a pleasant person. And I know it’s not some money laundering machine that distributes hundreds of cars around the city that stand idle most of the time, taking up space,” Dolínek explains.

How carsharing helps with event organizing and reduces the ecological footprint

The organization mainly uses carsharing for event production. Employees with their own cars don’t always want or can’t use them, or don’t have a suitable size. Then a large vehicle is useful to fit everything in without having to make multiple trips with a family station wagon.

Dolínek also sees an administrative relief in not having to deal with expense reports. “The invoice just arrives and it’s clear. I don’t know anyone who enjoys filling out expense reports. It’s not rocket science, but when you save people administration, they’re happier,” smiles EDUin’s director, adding that even the accountant appreciates it. “Everyone adapted incredibly quickly, I’d say in a matter of days,” he adds.

the organization splits its carbon footprint with others when it can’t completely eliminate it,
it does not contribute to street congestion with cars but helps free public space for people,
and for a large event, everyone can be transported in one car.

“Besides, it makes transporting bulky loads easier and we don’t have to use more expensive furniture chain services. We also experience a sense of freedom and belonging using cars from a cooperative that originated from the nonprofit sector. And before COVID-19 interfered, we wanted to use a van as a vehicle for judges who evaluate teachers in the Global Teacher Prize competition. Besides the jury, we could load a photographer, cameraman, basically the production team, and all could discuss and prepare together during the trip. What more could one wish for in terms of efficiency,” Dolínek rhetorically asks.

“No unpleasant surprises, try it out”

EDUin director’s recommendations for those interested in carsharing

According to Dolínek, whether the economic side or the responsible impacts of shared cars are important to a legal entity, Autonapul is an ideal service that enables:

“to expand” the capacity of one’s own fleet when needed,
ease accounting and grant administration,
use modern cars in perfect technical condition,
choose exactly the car size needed,
get rid of the feeling that “I must use the car from operational leasing since I’m paying for it,”
pay only for what is actually driven.

“Definitely try it, registration is non-binding, and even if you need an extra car only once a year, it’s worth it. Moreover, the Autonapul fleet is available in several regional cities. Now it’s just about arranging more support from cities, finding synergies with similar services, and setting up incentive programs for potential users,”_ evaluates EDUin’s Honza Dolínek.