Petrol prices and car ownership hit record highs

With petrol prices on the rise yet again, tipped to hit $1.50 a litre, the cost of running a car in Australia continues to increase. The RACV estimated that to run a small car, like a Toyota Corolla, you were looking at around $8k per year in 2007.

Yet Australians still seem to have a raging love affair with owning these expensive – and polluting - items. As reported in The Age this January, a record 1 million vehicles were sold in 2007 — an average of more than 270 a day and 87,000 more than over 2006.

And Australia’s best-selling passenger car is still the Holden Commodore. Despite soaring fuel prices and an overall shift towards the smaller end of the market, Holden managed to sell close to 60,000 Commodores – 11,500  of these being six-litre V8 variety -a record for the company.

Whilst we were please to read Holden is considering a Hybrid version of it’s Commodore, it still leaves us scratching our heads as to why people find it necessary to drive a car that powerful – and that polluting.

There are times when a car is not just convenient, but necessary. That’s why Flexicar offers people cars by the hour, when they need them. But even if you do need your own car, every day, do you really need a V8? Soon, perhaps, people wont be able to afford it, and maybe that’s where the tide will turn.

January deals from Flexicar

Marketing sometimes gets a bad rap, but there is something to remember about marketers – they’re usually the ones that come up with the great deals for customers. Who else do you think came up with that fabulous word we see so much in January: “SALE”.

So the Flexicar marketing team has come up with a couple of offers for the potential and the new Flexicar member that we think has something for everyone.

For new memberships, we’re waiving the $50 joining fee. So any new membership over this period* won’t be charged the $50. Join online at www.Flexicar.com.au.

For existing members, book any car on any weekday* (excluding Australia Day Holiday 28th Jan) for 24 hours – and only pay for 4 hours! This rate applies to 24 hour, 48 hour and 72 hour bookings only AND PICK UP must be between 7am Monday and 7am Friday.

Please Note: When you make a booking, the pricing won’t change automatically, we will adjust your invoice down at month’s end. Make your booking.

*Both offers run from Wednesday 9th January to Thursday 31st January. 24 for 4 offer applies to weekday rentals only.