Facing a future in which Gen Yers are likely to pay for a piece of a car as opposed to the whole thing, the auto industry is at a crossroads. But motoring giant Ford is paving the way with its car-sharing initiatives, attracting young drivers without adding any extra vehicles to the road.

Where once buying a car meant travelling to a dealership and speaking directly with forecourt dwellers, this is changing. It is estimated that at least 2,800 dealerships could disappear in the US alone by 2020. So in 2014, how exactly are people going about purchasing a new set of wheels?

Between DriveNow, Blablacar and Uber, companies are already making it easier than ever not to own a car. With funding from the MAIF, a French insurance company, Koolicar is a start-up that's rethinking the car-renting process between individuals.

France may not be keen on Uber, but the country has fallen in love with another ride-sharing platform, BlaBlaCar, which allows people to take up free car seats on other people’s journeys. Boasting 20 million members across 19 countries, what’s behind the start-up’s success?