Uber is launching a rental car network in partnership with Getaround, the ride-hailing company announced today (April 11).
Uber $UBER is launching a rental car network in partnership with Getaround, the ride-hailing company announced today (April 11).
San Francisco-based Getaround lets users find and instantly book vehicles from private car owners, all through a mobile app. The new Uber Rent platform, which is scheduled to launch later this month in San Francisco, will make cars from Getaround’s network available to users of the Uber app.
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The deal comes as Uber expands beyond its flagship on-demand rides and into other modes of local transportation. On April 9, the company said it had purchased Jump Bikes, a provider of dockless electric bicycles. Also today, Uber announced a partnership with London-based Masabi, a mobile ticketing company that Uber said will help customers book and use public transit tickets directly within the Uber app.
Getaround’s offerings will appear through a side menu in the Uber app. Users will be able to find and unlock an available car from their phones using wireless technology. Getaround operates in 10 US cities, including San Francisco, Chicago, Washington DC, Boston, and Los Angeles.
The company was founded in 2009 and has raised $88 million from investors including Toyota $TM. Getaround sees its car rentals, which can be booked by the hour or the day, as complementing Uber and Lyft $LYFT’s on-demand rides and helping to move Americans away from private car ownership. Getaround competes with other car-sharing platforms, such as San Francisco-based Turo and Daimler subsidiary Car2Go.
“Most of a person’s transportation needs can be met by coupling ridesharing for quick trips with carsharing for trips with multiple stops or longer getaways,” Getaround co-founder and CEO Sam Zaid said in a press release. ”It’s the perfect combination for people who have chosen to live car-free.”
