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Report: New kit enables you to rent your car out with an iPhone like Zipcar

Filed under: Etc., Technology

getaround car rental

Getaround Car Rental System – Click above for high-res image gallery

A new startup called Getaround is looking to jump into the car rental business by following a similar path laid out by Zipcar. Getaround is a bit different, however, because the fleet of rentals are comprised of customer-supplied personal vehicles. This is peer-to-peer car rental, and we’re intrigued.

Getaround co-founder Sam Zaid states that vehicles in the United States sit idle for an average of 22 hours every day. By signing your car up for use as a rental vehicle, you (and Getaround) can turn an idle situation into one that makes money.

The car sharing system works by creating a network of users that are connected via iPhone app and the Getaround website. Those wishing to rent their vehicles will receive a car kit that sits on the dash. When a customer has selected a car they wish to rent, you locate the car on a map and use your iPhone to unlock the vehicle. That gets you inside the car, where you can have access to a key hidden somewhere on the inside.

Rates vary by car, but the prices we’ve seen listed on the Getaround website seem quite reasonable. A Mini Cooper will cost you $5.50 per hour, a BMW Z4 can be had for $15 and you can tool around San Francisco in a Tesla Roadster for $50 per hour. The rate structure is a good incentive to keep people from putting serious mileage on your vehicle, but it also provides a fair deal at an hourly rate. Insurance is covered by Getaround thanks to backing from an unnamed provider, and it’s full coverage.

Rental fees are broken down so that Getaround takes in 60 percent of the profit while the car owner receives the other 40. If you’re interested in joining beta testing of the program, Getaround is currently offering the program to residents of San Francisco and San Diego.

If you don’t mind the having to re-adjust your seat every time you get in your own car and you’ve got faith in your fellow motorists, this seems like a potential win-win situation for those looking to earn a few extra bucks.

New kit enables you to rent your car out with an iPhone like Zipcar originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 May 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Why U-Haul won’t rent you a trailer for your Ford Explorer

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, Crossover, Ford

2011 Ford Explorer

2011 Ford Explorer – Click above for high-res image gallery

If you are a Ford Explorer owner who may need to infrequently tow small loads, here’s a Public Service Announcement that may be of interest. Apparently, U-Haul, which we’d guess is the first name that pops in people’s minds when the subject of a rental trailer comes up, will not loan trailers out if the lender plans on hooking it up to a Ford Explorer, regardless of the vehicle’s tow rating.

According to a spokesperson for U-Haul that spoke to Consumer Reports, it’s company policy to deny trailer rentals to Explorer owners. Why? Lawyers. Says Joanne Fried, director of media and corporate relations, “Every time we go to hire an attorney to defend a lawsuit, as soon as we say ‘Ford Explorer,’ they charge us more money.”

The issue can be traced all the way back to the Firestone tire debacle that tarnished the Explorer’s good name in the late 1990s. Though the original lawsuit has long since been settled and, more importantly, the current Explorer shares absolutely nothing but its moniker with the old truck-based model cited in the lawsuit, the name ‘Explorer’ is still enough to incite bouts of panic, sleepless nights and a bucket full of dollar signs to U-Haul’s legal team.

The corporate edict also applies to the Jeep Wrangler, unless the owner agrees only to tow the U-Haul trailer only when a hardtop is in place on the iconic off-roader. Seems more than a little arbitrary and ignorant to us, but we’re not the ones with law degrees, so what do we know?

Why U-Haul won’t rent you a trailer for your Ford Explorer originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 25 May 2011 15:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Coda EV models to be available through Enterprise Rent-A-Car

Filed under: Sedan, Marketing/Advertising, Technology, Electric

All-Electric Coda Sedan

All-Electric Coda Sedan – Click above for high-res image gallery

Want to drive an electric car but not ready to spend the money to own one? EV manufacturer Coda has the perfect solution for you. Coda has teamed up with Enterprise Rent-A-Car to place its all-electric sedan into the rental car company’s fleet. The plan is to introduce about 100 sedans across various Enterprise locations throughout 2011.

The Coda Sedan is the company’s first vehicle and it will be launched in the coming months. It’s a five-passenger sedan with a full-size trunk and a cruising range of between 90 and 120 miles per charge. Coda is utilizing a 6.6 kW on-board charging system which requires six hours for a full charge, however, the system can provide a 40-mile cruising range with just a two hour charging period.

In addition to the Coda Sedan models entering the Enterprise rental fleet, the rental company will serve as a loaner car system for Coda owners. If a Coda vehicle requires service, an Enterprise rental car will be made available during the time the owner’s Coda vehicle is in the shop. Read more in the official press release after the jump.

Gallery: All-Electric Coda Sedan

All-Electric Coda Sedan

[Source: Coda]

Continue reading Coda EV models to be available through Enterprise Rent-A-Car

Coda EV models to be available through Enterprise Rent-A-Car originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 12 Oct 2010 16:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mitsuoka Orochi now available to rent in Osaka

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Japan

Mitsuoka Orochi

Mitsuoka Orochi Premium Gold – Click above for high-res image gallery

So you’re headed to Japan and need to rent a car. What to choose? The island nation is a smorgasbord of metal foreign to American tastes, from a wide buffet of pint-sized kei-cars to more American-sized contraptions. But what if none of those options have the kind of flair you require for that special business meeting? Fear not. Mitsuoka has you covered. The company has just announced a rental program that will let you pick up either of its two sports cars for a fairly low per-day rental rate in Osaka.

For a mere $390 per day, you can play around with the ridiculously over-the-top Orochi, complete with its underwhelming Toyota 3.3-liter V6 mounted mid-ship. If you require something topless, Mitsuoka will be happy to put you in the driver’s seat of its roadster, the Himiko for a mere $177 per day. Whichever you choose, you’ll need a fair command of the Japanese language to navigate Mitsuoka’s site. Our Google Translator was no help at all.

Gallery: Mitsuoka Orochi Premium Gold

[Source: Mitsuoka via Gizmag]

Mitsuoka Orochi now available to rent in Osaka originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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