Come January, Toyota will be launching a 500-car pilot test in San Francisco that will let certain Toyota owners seamlessly rent their vehicles through Getaround. Getaround, a startup that helps drivers rent their cars to strangers for a few hours or days, currently boasts a 20% stock of Toyotas.
Toyota’s Smart Key Box
And Toyota owners won’t have to hide their keys for prospective renters because Toyota has developed a “smart key box”. The new device allows renters to unlock and start the vehicle from their smartphone; anyone who owns a Toyota Prius or Lexus C200h is eligible.
From the article:
“Toyota owners will also be able to make lease payments directly from their Getaround earnings. And the automaker will consider a buyer’s potential earnings on Getaround when determining whether they qualify to buy the vehicle. This benefit will only apply to Toyota owners who buy vehicles after January.
If the test program goes well, Toyota will sell the smart key box to existing Toyota owners. It hasn’t announced pricing yet.”
Because the average San Francisco Prius owner renting their car on Getaround makes $500 a month, according to Zaid, they are essentially getting a car for free- as long as they are willing to share it! The partnership with Getaround is just one of the latest examples of automakers exploring new forms of mobility; earlier in the year, GM invested $500 million in Lyft and last month Ford bought Chariot, a shuttle service (it’s also sponsoring San Francisco’s bikeshare system).
Would you share your vehicle if it meant you could basically have it for free?
Source: CNN
