In what is pretty great news for car-less drivers, Uber and Getaround have teamed up far a service to rent out cars to them. Initiating from San Francisco, this service will allow Uber drivers to utilize the Getaround app to rent their cars on demand from various pick-up spots across the city, at an hourly pricing of $5 for the vehicle including insurance, gas and unlimited miles.
The rental arrangement is quite similar to the one Uber has with GM, or with Hertz, or with other services designed specifically to offer rental services to Lyft and Uber drivers. Getaround adds a continuous rental model to the system which functions 24 x 7 similar to car2go, Zipcar and other short term rental companies.
The alliance of Uber and Getaround also presents a free trial for new users along with 14 hours of free driving for the very first time. However, to avail this trial and gain access to Getaround, drivers need to go through Uber’s program, which includes a sign-up and screening procedure. Those approved from here will be provided with a special Getaround app download code which initiates the trial. The cars which are made available through Getaround are actually provided by the cab company’s lease program, Xchange Leasing.
This decision from the cab aggregator is largely based on attracting drivers who do not their own vehicle, or are uninterested to use their own rides, but have some inclination towards driving and would like to make extra bucks in their spare time.
Uber is undergoing various investigations regarding unhealthy work culture, drink and drive cases from its drivers, along with a veritable PR nightmare. Since then, the company has been working hard to maintain its stature, especially on the driver’s part. The service will attract more drivers towards it, and open a way to gain feedback from drivers as well.
