Hyperdrive
Fearing Germs on Steering Wheels, Japanese Shun Car-Sharing
- Car-sharing demand plummets during coronavirus pandemic
- Largest car-sharing operator posts its first quarterly loss
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The coronavirus pandemic may have permanently damaged Japanese drivers’ willingness to share a steering wheel.
Short-term car rental businesses across the country are suffering, with consumers appearing reluctant to expose themselves to the risk of being infected by touching surfaces in a shared vehicle. That’s led Park24 Co., operator of the country’s largest car-sharing business Times Car Share, to report its first quarterly operating loss since its 1997 listing, and warn of tough times ahead for the industry.