Car-sharing began in Moscow in 2015. At first, the fleet totaled 350 cars and about 30 thousand people used the service. Since then, both the fleet size and the number of users have grown steadily. In 2020, there were 44 million rides with shared cars, rising to 50 million in 2021.
Since the start of this year, users have already completed 14 million journeys, and over seven years of operation there have been more than 186 million trips in total.
Today the city hosts roughly 30 thousand cars and more than 1 million active users of carsharing, making it one of the largest fleets in the world. Four operators operate in the city, offering options ranging from vans to electric and premium cars.
City Support
Moscow supports short-term rental services. Since 2018, subsidies have helped car-sharing operators cover part of lease payments. Subsidies favor cars produced in Russia. Over four years, subsidies reached 516.3 million rubles, enabling the purchase of about 24 thousand cars. The typical shared car now averages around 2 years in age, and today no vehicle older than 4 years remains in use.
Last September, the mayor approved changes to the rules governing car-sharing. The eco-class requirement was raised to Euro-5 to curb emissions. The entire car-sharing fleet now meets this standard, and new purchases comply with it. The maximum rental period was extended to seven days, allowing trips to the countryside and weekend getaways.
Administrative procedures were simplified, with preferential parking permits issued electronically. Operators no longer need to travel to offices with physical papers.
What Car-Sharing Looks Like in 2022
In 2022, price shifts and limited new-car availability posed challenges for fleet updates. The city council responded with extra support for car-sharing operators, taxis, and rental services. By order of the mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, car-purchase subsidies were doubled, helping companies meet bank obligations and preserve jobs — currently, car-sharing employs over 2,000 people. The validity of preferential parking permits for shared cars was extended from three to four years, enabling fleets to stay on the road and cutting renewal costs for roughly 13 thousand vehicles. The city also continued to offer discounts on parking permits, keeping free city parking options for users. The age threshold for cars eligible for permits grew from one to two years.
Meanwhile, the mandate to integrate payments into the single city app Moscow Transport was delayed until January 2023, giving operators more time to adapt to market conditions and ease the financial and IT burden. Today, about 30 thousand cars remain in the car-sharing fleet, supported by measures that keep the fleet stable.
The Duma is also considering a bill to abolish long-term lease buyouts, allowing companies to acquire more than twelve thousand taxi and car-sharing vehicles without excessive costs.
What Operators Say
Aleksey Sergeev, general manager of Citydrive, notes that the service remains active and continues expanding to make car-sharing more accessible. He stated that since the start of the year, Citydrive has added more than 3,000 new cars, bringing the fleet to over 9,300 units. With ongoing new leases, the fleet is expected to reach 10,000 cars soon, and new models will keep arriving for years to meet demand. The Moscow Ministry of Transport provides ongoing support to the industry, reinforcing these efforts.
Sergeev also highlights that the fleet is diversifying, offering more vehicle choices. In the last month, the service introduced pay-as-you-go by the minute for popular Tesla electric cars in Moscow and extended these electric options to other cities in the network, including St. Petersburg and Sochi. Citydrive added an exclusive Tesla Model Y to its Moscow lineup, a first in the company’s global timeline.
The company has also introduced flexible rental options, such as a new four-week rate for Smart fortwo, designed to give users a longer-convenience option that feels like owning a personal car — but with the freedom of mobility.
Yandex.Drive has signaled plans to grow its subscription-based long-term rental products while keeping prices stable. In March, demand for subscriptions doubled from February, and the focus remains on business solutions in addition to subscription plans.
In recent years, Moscow has become a benchmark for car-sharing, with indicators pointing to continued growth in demand and convenience for users.
Street-level voices reflect the same spirit: Delimobil’s leadership emphasizes affordable, convenient mobility as a daily standard, while acknowledging the city’s support and collaboration that help scale services and expand options for residents.
Car Sharing as a Behavioral Shift
Car-sharing in Moscow has evolved beyond a simple car on demand. It represents a new model of urban interaction, where shared resources replace private ownership without compromising convenience. Time-based payments encourage users to plan trips more efficiently and use mobility resources more rationally.
Compared with the 2000s, roughly half of young adults now hesitate to buy a car right after getting a license, downshifting toward flexible mobility. Car-sharing supports multimodal trip planning, and in 2021 users completed numerous rides that integrated various modes of transport. With rising demand, Moscow’s car-sharing network is expected to grow, offering more features and choices for city residents.
- Behind the wheel can be explored on social platforms within the network.