If you’re planning to settle in Vancouver, in addition to public transit and Uber/Lyft, you can consider using a car-sharing service – Evo Car Share. Based in Vancouver, Evo Car Share primarily offers Toyota hybrid vehicles. All cars are equipped with four doors, five seats, spacious cargo capacity, and foldable roof racks. Whether you’re commuting, shopping, visiting friends, or planning a spontaneous weekend getaway, Evo Car Share provides an affordable and convenient transportation solution.
- Convenient Pick-Up and Drop-Off: Evo operates on a flexible parking model with no designated pick-up or drop-off spots. You can park or pick up cars at any legal parking spot within the Home Zone, making it ideal for spontaneous or short-term use without the hassle of finding parking.
- Simple and Transparent Pricing: Evo’s pricing is straightforward: pay per minute, per hour, or for a 24-hour period. Once you return the car, the invoice is generated immediately.
- Dedicated App: The Evo app allows you to locate nearby cars, reserve in real-time, and lock/unlock vehicles effortlessly. The intuitive interface ensures a quick and smooth experience, catering to fast-paced modern lifestyles.
- No Additional Fees: Evo’s price includes fuel, insurance, and parking fees, sparing you from handling extra paperwork or unexpected charges.
- Drive Anywhere in Canada: Evo cars can be driven across all Canadian provinces, excluding the U.S., as long as the vehicle is returned within Vancouver’s designated Home Zone.
With these advantages, I applied for an Evo account as soon as I arrived in Vancouver. I hadn’t yet obtained my BC driver’s license, but they accept some non-BC licenses. I used my Taiwanese driver’s license, and my application was successful! I’ve outlined the steps below to help others who might be in a similar situation.
Important‼️ For details on Evo’s insurance policy, please read the Evo Member Agreement.
Note: The following steps are based on my personal experience. Approval is ultimately subject to Evo’s discretion.
To register for Evo, visit the Evo Car Share or download the Evo Car Share App.
1. Provide Personal Information
On the first page, fill in your contact details, such as name, phone number, and email address. Ensure the information is accurate.
- Car Share: Choose this if you want to rent cars, including E-bikes and E-scooters.
- E-bikes/E-scooters: Select this if you don’t plan to rent cars. This option has simpler ID requirements.
2. Driver’s License Info
If you have a BC driver’s license, simply upload photos of the front and back. If you’re using a non-BC license, then just upload the driver’s license from your country:
3. Identity Verification
Take or upload a selfie for identity verification.
4. Promos & Savings
Evo’s website occasionally offers promotional deals, and you can enter promo codes here. However, if you’re using a friend’s “Refer-a-Friend” code, you’ll need to complete your account registration first before entering the promo code in your account settings. For detailed instructions, see below 7.
If there are no promotions available on the website but you’d still like a discount, you can use my referral code: JL6R1J5U. This will waive the CA$35 registration fee and give you CA$25 in driving credits—enough for over an hour of free driving with Evo.
5. Payment
Here is a breakdown of the costs, which primarily include the registration fee, annual fee, and taxes. If you use a Refer-a-Friend promo code, you’ll only need to pay the annual fee of CA$2 (plus 12% tax).
Enter your credit card information. Evo only charged on driving record approval.
6. Driving Record
If you have a BC driver’s license, you can request a 2 year driving record from ICBC. For non-BC licenses, you have to request the driving record from your country, then send it to records@evo.ca to see if the evo will accept it. Make sure to get the most up-to-date records possible.
7. Input the Refer-a-friend Promo Code
While waiting for your driver’s license verification to be approved, you can enter a Refer-a-Friend promo code in the Evo app. See the screenshots below for the exact location to input the code.
If there are no promotions available on the website but you’d still like a discount, you can use my referral code: JL6R1J5U. This will waive the CA$35 registration fee and give you CA$25 in driving credits—enough for over an hour of free driving with Evo.
8. Approval
Once Evo processes your documents (2-3 business days), check your account in the Evo app. If your status says Approved, then you’re good to go!
Fuel Reimbursement
At the end of June, we planned a road trip from Vancouver to Banff National Park. After comparing prices among various car rental companies, we found Evo to be the most cost-effective option, costing about CA$120 per day, including insurance and fuel. The only drawback was that only the account holder could drive the car. However, given the affordable price, we decided to use Evo for our trip.
Below is the invoice we received when we returned the car. Unfortunately, we exceeded the rental time by 3 hours, which added an extra CA$60, bringing the total to CA$540.08. However, splitting the cost among four people still made it a very budget-friendly option!
2024/7/8
After completing the trip, we gathered all the fuel receipts collected along the way, took photos of them, and emailed them to info@evo.ca. In the email, I included my name, date of birth, and the Evo license plate number. I also listed the dates and amounts of the fuel charges and attached the receipts. If receipts are unavailable, you can provide bank transaction records, though it’s recommended to include receipts if possible.
2024/7/10
I received a reply from Evo confirming the amount and informing me that the reimbursement would be transferred to my account via e-transfer.
2024/7/11
The next day, I received the full reimbursement for the fuel expenses via e-transfer! It was quick and straightforward—big thumbs up to Evo! 👍
If you’re new to driving in Canada, familiarize yourself with local traffic laws to ensure a safe and smooth experience. Evo is a great option for temporary or occasional use, especially for those without immediate plans to buy a car.
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