Whether you need a car to get to the mountains or just for a day-trip to Boulder, Denver residents will now have access to another car-sharing platform.
Getaround, an application that allows users to instantly rent and drive cars owned by people in their neighborhood, today announced its expansion into Denver.
“As we approach the holiday travel season and, of course, ski season, we’re thrilled to bring our car-sharing platform to Denver,” said Sam Zaid, co-founder and CEO of Getaround, in a statement. “Today, consumers demand accessibility, variety and instant gratification, and Getaround addresses all of those needs. Residents and visitors of Denver now not only have an opportunity to embrace Getaround’s eco-friendly ethos, but they’ll also have fun renting a Subaru, Tesla or hybrid SUV to explore the city and beyond.”
Users can rent vehicles with Getaround by the hour or by the day using an iOS or Android application.
Each car on the platform is equipped with Getaround Connect, a proprietary technology that enables renters to locate and unlock the car using the app, removing the need to meet the owner in-person for a manual key exchange. That is Getaround’s primary difference from competitors in Denver, like Turo.
“Nearly one-in-five downtown Denver households don’t own vehicles, but those that do, often have multiple cars for special use cases, such as a second car just for the mountains,” said Zach Houck, GM of Getaround Denver. “Those residents can now instantly monetize their primary car, or extra car that’s used occasionally, while also providing a sustainable way for car-free locals and tourists to enjoy Denver. With Getaround, there’s no hassle of waiting in line at a rental car counter or coordinating with the owner to meet and exchange keys—it’s truly a win-win for both sides.”
In an interview with Colorado Inno, Houck said Getaround will better leverage the available cars in Denver and will not add vehicles to the city.
In the next year, Houck said Getaround hopes to reach a point where there will always be a vehicle available within a block or two of any customer.
The five-person Getaround Denver team is currently working out of the WeWork Triangle space and Houck said they continue to hire staff.
In August, Getaround raised a $300 million Series D round led by Softbank. With this expansion, Getaround is now operating in 90 cities across the U.S.
