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Rules and Fees

To keep our cars clean, our members safe, and all our legal requirements met, there's some rules we ask all members to follow.

Consequences

Violating these rules may result in fees, suspension, or termination of membership.

Rules

  • Return the Car on Time

    • HOURCARs should be returned by your scheduled end time, and Evies should be returned within 72 hours. Failure to return a car may result in a $40 per hour fee, suspension, trip termination, or membership termination.

  • Clean Up After Yourself

    • Take all trash and personal items with you when you leave the vehicle. Excessive mess left in a car may result in a $50 fee plus cleaning costs.

  • No Pet Mess

    • Pets are welcome, but must be unseen visitors. We ask that you put your pet in a carrier and clean up all signs of them from the seats, windows, and floor of the car. Failure to do so can result in a $50 fee plus any additional cleaning costs. Please be mindful that you are sharing the car with other members who may be allergic to your pet.

  • No Smoking or Vaping

    • Smoking or vaping in our vehicles can result in a $200 fee and membership termination.

  • No Gig Work Driving

    • Our vehicles are not insured to the standards necessary for a Transportation Network Company (TNC) which covers ride-hailing, ridesharing, and other “gig economy” services such as food and grocery deliveries (Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, GrubHub, Instacart, etc). Violation of this rule may result in a $250 fee and membership termination.

  • Only HOURCAR Members Can Drive

    • Only approved HOURCAR members can drive a vehicle, and allowing anyone who is not a member in good standing with HOURCAR to drive is a major violation of terms that can result in a $250 fee and membership termination. If you have friends or family with active HOURCAR memberships in good standing that you want to let drive on your trips, let us know so that we can make a note on your account.

  • Follow Local and Evie Parking Rules

    • During your trip, you are responsible for following all active parking rules, including temporary parking and snow emergency rules. You are responsible for paying any parking ticket costs that occurred during your trip. When ending an Evie trip, we ask that you follow some extra parking rules to ensure the car is not ticketed after your trip. If our team has to bill you for a parking ticket cost, you will be responsible for a $15 processing fee plus the cost of the ticket.

  • Drive Safely and Follow Driving Laws

    • As is required by Minnesota law, all drivers must follow the rules of the road, such as speed limits and hands free laws. Repeated unsafe driving may result in account suspension or termination. If there is unsafe driving behavior from you at the time of a crash, you will be assessed a damage fee of up to $250 to cover the cost of repairs.

  • Report Crashes Immediately

    • If you are in a crash, contact us as soon as you've determined everyone involved is physically safe. Our staff will need to give you approval to continue your trip. Read our What to do in a Crash page for more info.

  • No Covering In-Car Camera

    • All cars are equipped with a camera that detects and records crashes, distracted driving, attempted theft and vandalism, and other acts that could cause harm to people or damage to vehicles. Covering the internal or external camera may result in a $250 fee and membership termination. Read more about our in-car cameras from our announcement in May 2023.

  • Plug-in Before the Car is Out of Charge

    • When electric cars run out of charge, a tow truck is required to get the car to a charger. This can leave you stranded and responsible for a $25 fee and costs of the tow. Contact us if you are unable to find a charger, and check out our Road Trip Tips for how to preserve range and plan a trip.

  • Turn Off Headlights and Interior Lights

    • Leaving headlights or interior lights on can drain a car's starter battery, especially in cold weather. Be sure to check that all lights are off at the end of your trip, or you will be responsible for a $40 fee.

  • Cancel Early and Don't Book Back-to-Back

    • We ask that you be considerate with your trip bookings. Our vehicles are for all of our members, so please try to cancel in advance if you know you won't be using a trip. We also ask that you limit yourself to one 72-hour reservation on a car in a row. Repeated violations of these rules could lead to suspension or termination.

  • Stay in the Continental USA

    • For insurance reasons, we do not allow any driving outside the continental USA. Driving outside the country may result in a $250 fee, membership termination, and full payment of any damages if in a crash.

  • No Major Violations of Terms

    • Major violations include leaving the scene of an accident, using the vehicle for off-road driving, fueling the vehicle with improper fuel, and more. See our Member Handbook for our full list of violations of terms. Major violations will result in $250 fee and membership termination.

Fees

Fee Amount
Caused dead battery $25 first instance, $40 thereafter
Displacement fee; other member affected $25 per affected member
Excessive Complaint Fee Up to $50 per incident
Issue Unreported $10-$50
HOURCAR Late Return $40/hour + normal hourly rate for time beyond scheduled end + $25 displacement fee if another member affected
Low Fuel (less than 1/4 of a tank) or Not Charging (not charging at Hub) $25
Low Charge; insufficient charge to make it to nearest charger $25 first instance, $25 + cost of tow thereafter
Major Violation of Terms and/or Technology Tampering Fee $250 + any cleaning and repair cost + possible termination of membership
Pet in Car without Carrier $50 + cost of cleaning
Repeated Issues/Minor Violation $15-$50 per occurrence
Smoking in Car $200 + possible termination of membership
Trip Not Ended/ Unsecured Vehicle $10 first instance; $25 second instance; $50 third instance; $75 thereafter + possible termination of membership
Unavailable Vehicle Fee Day rate of Backup Plan multiplied by the number of days the vehicle is out of service
Unpaid Ticket, Toll, Tow, or Parking Fee $15 processing fee + cost of occurrence
Unsafe Driving Damage Fee Up to $250 for an at-fault crash

All fees are nonrefundable. All charges are subject to taxation of 9.875% tax in Saint Paul (6.875% State, 1% City Sales, 0.5% City, 0.5% Transit, 0.75% Metro Area transportation, 0.25% Metro Area Housing) and 9.025% in Minneapolis (6.875% State, 0.15% Hennepin County, 0.5% City, 0.5% Transit, 0.75% Metro Area Transportation, 0.25% Metro Area Housing). Driving credit cannot be used to pay state and local taxes. Qualified tax-exempt organizations will need to report taxes paid for state and federal reimbursement.

Terminations and Suspensions

We may suspend or terminate the membership of anyone who no longer meets membership eligibility requirements or who violates the terms of use in HOURCAR's Member Agreement, Member Handbook, or vehicle operator's manuals. HOURCAR may end the membership of any one who repeatedly returns cars late, violates policies, leaves cars in substandard condition, repeatedly inconveniences other members, or otherwise at our discretion.

Finally, any major violations of our terms (listed below) will result in a $250 fee and possible loss of membership.

Major Violations

  • Driving recklessly or in a negligent manner
  • Driving with a suspended or revoked driver’s license
  • Using the vehicle for the gig-economy (ie: Uber, Lyft, Doordash, Uber Eats, Grubhub, etc.)
  • Driving under the influence of drugs/alcohol, or possession of alcohol in violation of open container laws
  • Smoking in the vehicle (including cigarettes, vape pens, e-cigs, etc.) by driver or passengers
  • Allowing anyone who is not a member in good standing with HOURCAR to drive
  • Intentionally damaging or tampering with the vehicle or vehicle technology
  • Using the vehicle for any illegal purpose or violating state or federal laws while within the vehicle
  • Using the vehicle to transport people or property for money (i.e., taxi or parcel service)
  • Leaving the scene of an accident
  • Failing to report accidents, traffic violations, or damage to HOURCAR
  • Taking the vehicle outside the continental United States
  • Using the vehicle for off-road driving
  • Obtaining the vehicle from HOURCAR by fraud or misrepresentation
  • Using the vehicle to push or tow anything
  • Using the vehicle in any race, test, or competition
  • Fueling the vehicle with the improper type of fuel (all of our ICE and hybrid vehicles use standard gasoline)
  • Loading the vehicle beyond its rated capacity or with more passengers than available seat belts