Insurance for car sharing in Germany, station based and free floating
In car sharing hundreds of people drive the same car, often for half an hour, unlock it with an app and leave it somewhere in town. Every new driver is a new risk, and the app is the key to the whole fleet. If you run car sharing in Germany, station based or free floating, German law applies. This page explains what is compulsory, which insurance belongs with it and what it costs.
A customer reports a dent the previous user might have caused. Who pays?
If the person who caused it cannot be identified, the damage usually stays with you or your comprehensive cover. That is why photos at the start and end of each trip in the app, telematics data and clear reporting duties in your terms matter so much. Your comprehensive insurer settles with you; whether and how far users share in damage is set out in your terms.
What goes wrong in this trade
01
Changing drivers
New drivers, tourists, people driving the car for the first time: claims are more frequent than with any company car.
02
Unknown culprits
Scratches, dents and kerbed wheels are found hours later, and who caused them often stays unclear.
03
Theft and misuse
Stolen log ins, forged driving licences, cars that never come back.
04
Attacks on the app
An attack on the platform or telematics locks the fleet and affects customer and payment data.
05
Cars off the road
Every car in the workshop earns nothing while leasing and parking costs continue.
06
Vandalism and hail
Cars stand outside in public spaces, often overnight and in changing places.
For managing directors who are personally liable to investors and the company.
What it costs: example prices
Car sharing vehicles cost more to insure than company cars because many different people drive them. The price depends on vehicle class, city, minimum age of users, excess and the fleet's claims history.
Insurance
Example
Typical range
Car insurance
Small car used for car sharing, liability and comprehensive, €1,000 excess
about €1,200 to €2,500 a year
Fleet insurance
Fleet of 30 cars, liability and comprehensive
about €40,000 to €90,000 a year
Cyber insurance
Platform with app and telematics, €1 million cover
about €3,000 to €8,000 a year
Business liability
Provider with stations and charging points, €5 million cover
about €500 to €1,500 a year
Business legal expenses
Provider with traffic, contract and employment legal cover
about €800 to €2,000 a year
For comparison: Comprehensive cover on a car sharing small car costs about as much a year as the car earns in four to six weeks of good use.
Guide figures from our quoting practice, excluding German insurance premium tax,
as of October 2026.
Insurers publish no tariff examples for car sharing because they price by fleet and claims history.
The minimum limits and the Car Sharing Act are linked.
Six things car sharing providers really go through, all on one busy Friday. Tap through and see who pays.
Damage so far€90,600
Pulling out of a space, a user hits a cyclist, who is injured.
€14,000 · Paid by: Car insurance
The next user reports a dented bumper, and no one can say who did it.
€2,400 · Paid by: Car insurance
An attack shuts down the app, no car can be unlocked and customer data is affected.
€45,000 · Paid by: Cyber insurance
At a station a passer by trips over a charging cable.
€5,000 · Paid by: Business liability
A user disputes accident damage and refuses to pay the excess.
€2,200 · Paid by: Business legal expenses
A car is taken with stolen log in data and never comes back.
€22,000 · Paid by: Car insurance
Which package would you have had?
Paid by insurance: €0
Out of your own pocket: €90,600
Illustrative amounts before any excess.
What is paid depends on the policy terms.
Practical tips from your broker
Declare car sharing use expressly to the insurer; a company car tariff does not fit.
Choose a high combined liability limit; the statutory minimums are not enough for serious injuries.
Have users take photos at the start and end of each trip, so culprits can be identified more often.
Check licences and identity carefully at registration, as misuse usually starts there.
Set minimum age and years of driving in your terms and agree them with the insurer.
Test regularly whether the fleet can still be opened and locked if the app fails.
Why NAMMERT for your business
We find insurers for car sharing
Not every insurer covers vehicles with an open group of drivers. As brokers we approach those that do and compare comprehensive cover, excess and theft protection.
Fleet and platform together
We match motor, cyber and public liability so that no gap remains between car and app.
Growing with you
From a neighbourhood scheme to a city fleet, we adapt the policy as cars and cities are added.
Family run, brokering since 1989
Norman Nammert arranges your cover as an insurance broker. It is free for you; the insurer pays our commission.
Frequently asked questions
Questions and answers
Which insurance is compulsory for car sharing in Germany?
Motor liability for every vehicle, with at least €7.5 million for injury,
€1.3 million for property damage and €50,000 for financial loss.
Car sharing use must be stated in the policy.
What does the Car Sharing Act regulate?
It defines station based and free floating car sharing and allows parking privileges and fee
exemptions for marked vehicles.
Spaces for station based schemes can be allocated for up to eight years.
What does insurance for a car sharing car cost?
For a small car with liability and comprehensive about €1,200 to €2,500 a year, depending on city,
excess and claims history.
Who pays for damage when the culprit is unknown?
Usually your comprehensive cover, minus the excess.
Good photo records in the app help to find the culprit more often.
Do car sharing providers need cyber insurance?
Yes, the app is the key to the fleet.
An attack stops operations and affects customer and payment data.
Does this also apply to cooperative and housing car sharing?
Yes.
Small schemes also need motor liability with declared car sharing use and should consider
liability and legal cover.
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