Victoria Car Share Co-op is in the process of merging with a Vancouver-based cooperative car share company.

Formed in 1996, Victoria Car Share has 23 cars in its fleet and 800 members. The depreciation of value of these cars costs the co-op a lot of money, said Tom Berkhout, Victoria Car Share chair.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e not a booming business. The majority of the time weB次元官网网址檝e broken even and some years we donB次元官网网址檛 even do that,B次元官网网址� said Berkhout.

B次元官网网址淭he reason is the depreciation of our cars. You have to replace them every five to seven years, which means the value of the business is dropping because of the depreciation.B次元官网网址�

Berkhout said in order to expand car sharing in Victoria, they have to be able to buy new cars and update the technology in the cars.

B次元官网网址淲hen youB次元官网网址檙e just a break-even business to start with, having to invest dollars with the hopes of getting more revenues is sticking your neck out pretty far,B次元官网网址� said Berkhout.

This sparked the idea of merging with Modo.

B次元官网网址淚t allows us to get to the next level of car sharing,B次元官网网址� said Berkhout, adding that the cars will be newer since Modo replaces its cars every three to five years and the technology in their cars is more advanced.

The name Victoria Car Share Co-op will be no more, with Modo replacing it.

B次元官网网址淎ll the corporate decisions would be coming out of Vancouver, but there would be a very strong Victoria presence for Modo,B次元官网网址� said Berkhout.

Having Modo in Greater Victoria as well as Greater Vancouver will allow members to easily use cars in either place, he said.

B次元官网网址淸Modo is] much bigger than we are, but theyB次元官网网址檙e a cooperative and weB次元官网网址檙e a cooperativeB次元官网网址� said Berkhout B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 not some big private money-making corporation thatB次元官网网址檚 taking us over. ItB次元官网网址檚 a regionally-based cooperative.B次元官网网址�

Nathalie Baudoin, CEO of Modo, said she thinks the transition will be easy, because the two companies are a B次元官网网址渘atural fitB次元官网网址� together.

Started in 1996, the same year as Victoria Car Share, Modo has a fleet of 365 cars and 11,000 members in Greater Vancouver.

B次元官网网址淭he biggest benefit is going to be for the Victoria members to really use out state of the art technology,B次元官网网址� said Baudoin. B次元官网网址淔or me, IB次元官网网址檓 very excited about the merge because itB次元官网网址檚 a bigger territory, and it helps us grow faster. IT helps us grow the movement of car sharing.B次元官网网址�

The merger is expected to take place next spring, but first Victoria Car Share members must vote on it, said Berkhout, adding the company will go to the members in January or February to discuss if they accept the proposal or not.

B次元官网网址淪o far the response weB次元官网网址檝e got has been very positive from our membership,B次元官网网址� said Berkhout.