Drivy and Getaround acquisition: why now is the time to start car sharing

Never heard of car sharing before? Here's all you need to know 
From L-R: Paulin Dementhon and Sam Zaid want to take car sharing global
Drivy/Getaround
Amelia Heathman23 May 2019

Two of the world’s biggest peer-to-peer (P2P) car sharing start-ups are joining forces to encourage a new mode of transport.

US company Getaround recently acquired French start-up Drivy for a cool $300 million as a way to consolidate their leading positions in the car sharing space.

Together, they have a total of five million members, sharing cars in 300 cities across the US and Europe. And, now that they’ve joined forces, you can expect that number to grow.

“We want to really empower people to car share everywhere and be one of those four or five apps on your phone that you use to access the next generation of transportation and mobility,” says Sam Zaid, founder and CEO of Getaround.

Here’s what you need to know about Drivy and Getaround and why now is the time to share cars.

Why car sharing?

Both companies launched back in 2010 just as the sharing economy was starting to take off. The premise is simple: people rent out their cars on the platform when they’re not using them and can make some money on the side.

People who don’t own cars have access to a vehicle when they need, whether it’s a trip to Ikea or a weekend away.

For every car that is shared in this way, a total of 10 cars are taken off the roads, according to research by Como UK.

Unlock the car with your smartphone and get moving
Drivy/Getaround

How does it all work?

In the UK and Europe, you download the Drivy app, whilst in the US it’s all about Getaround. Input your details and scan around for a car to hire.

The key to enabling the car sharing rests on Drivy’s Open technology. This is a small telematics devices that allows customers to access the car without the key or meeting the owner.

A driver will book a car on the app or website, locate it, then conduct a short check-in process including inspecting the car and taking some photos of its condition. Once this is complete, the driver can then unlock the car with their smartphone and find the key’s hidden location inside and get driving.

On a Drivy trip, 100 miles per day are included in the initial price. Any extra miles, as well as the difference in fuel level, are automatically calculated at the end of the trip and drivers pay using the app.

“The barrier to entry is super low,” explains Drivy founder and CEO Paulin Dementhon. “You can be in a car in 10 minutes.”

Joining together

The two founders, Drivy’s Dementhon and Getaround’s Zaid first met back in 2014. As their companies grew, they got to the point where they realised a partnership would make sense.

“There’s a good alignment between Getaround and Drivy,” explains Zaid. “We believe in the same mission, the same North Star.”

This mission is focused around encouraging people to share cars, and therefore taking unused vehicles off the road. "With car sharing, you have less congestion, it’s better for the city and the environment, and makes places much more liveable and sustainable. That was core to our ethos,” says Zaid.

For every car shared, its estimated 10 vehicles are taken off the road
Drivy/Getaround

For instance, 72 per cent of Drivy users do not own a car today. Among these drivers, 65 per cent used to own one or several cars and have since decided to sell them and use Drivy instead.

It’s a known fact that congestion is a major issue in cities. According to Transport for London (TfL), congestion costs London £9.3 billion annually and is set to rise to £39.9 billion across the UK as a whole. Drivy and Getaround hope that car sharing will help to mitigate the problems caused by congestion.

What’s the future of Drivy and Getaround?

For now, UK and European users will still use the Drivy app and platform, which has recently been renamed to “Drivy by Getaround”, as part of the acquisition. Dementhon is now the Getaround Europe CEO and will be spearheading its expansion across Europe, and London, in particular, is a major focus.

Drivy only launched in London in late 2017 but it is one of the platform’s fastest growing cities, second only to Drivy’s native Paris. As part of this focus, Drivy is hoping to replicate the partnerships it has been building in Paris, such as working with local councils to create shared car parking spaces.

In Paris, there are now 154 Drivy-designated on-street parking spaces which will highlight Drivy cars around the city, as well as make it easier for drivers to find a space to park the car.

Dementhon hopes to work with London's local boroughs to offer a similar service here.

Zaid will continue as Getaround's CEO whilst Dementhou is now European CEO and will head up expansion across UK and Europe
Drivy/Getaround

Drivy is also providing a special offer to London car owners who want to upgrade to a greener vehicle to avoid charges imposed by the new Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ). As part of the offer, Drivy will waive commission for car owners who scrap their vehicles in exchange for a hybrid or electric car that they will share on the platform.

“We’re not putting more cars on the road in order to take cars off the road,” says Zaid. “We’re turning them into shared vehicles, enabling more people to live and move car-free, away from ownership.”

The car-sharing platforms to know in London


Drivy by Getaround: Prices from £21 per day, fuel isn't included. drivy.co.uk

Hiyacar: Prices from £28 per day, fuel isn't included. hiyarcar.co.uk

Turo: Prices from £30 per day, fuel isn't included. turo.com

Zipcar: Prices from £33 per day, fuel is included. zipcar.co.uk

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