Facebook launches a new carpooling app

Facebook users can now search for fellow carpooling members in Europe, thanks to a new app launched November 16th.

The application called “Envoiture.fr” or “Rideshare.co.uk” in English, allows Facebook members to view the journeys of their friends online, and decide whether or not to join them. They can also view other available carshares on the Envoiture.fr website and check whether other users are friends or neighbours. Some users suggest the application to their friends in order to expand their lift sharing network and to facilitate planning journeys with more people.

The application doesn’t require giving any facebook permissions but if users want to offer or request a lift, they need to install the app and sign in with a rideshare.co.uk account. They can do so directly from the facebook application.

Although not the first carsharing app on facebook, it is likely to become one of the most popular as Envoiture.fr claims to hold more than 350 000 trips from 1.4 million registered users in Europe. The site and app are available in Austria, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Italy, Poland, and Switzerland, with a Spanish service on the way.

With a larger user base, the site may very well be the most successful application to bring carpooling to the realm of social media. With its Ecosharing Facebook app, Peugot attempted a similar feat in 2008 but according to Facebook’s current statistics, the app has only reached 17 monthly active users.