Windy City Residents Have New Way to Travel Around Town by Sharing Cars with Community
CHICAGO, IL— September 20, 2012 — Getaround, the leading peer-to-peer car sharing service, today announced the launch of Getaround in Chicago. Already live in four cities across the nation including San Francisco, Austin, Portland and San Diego, Chicago is Getaround's first city East of the Mississippi. This announcement closely follows a momentous month for the company, including announcing $13.9 million in Series A funding, and the launch of Getaway, the first service of its kind giving owners a new way to unlock the value of a car under the Getaround brand by renting their car full-time--with Getaround managing the rental process.
“I am pleased to welcome Getaround to Chicago, to help residents of this city meet crucial transportation needs and get where they want to go while reducing traffic and emissions," said Mayor Emanuel. "As Mayor I am focused on improving all transportation options for Chicagoans, and my administration has invested in improving and modernizing our public transportation, creating protected bike lanes and launching a city-wide bike sharing program, and ensuring safety for our pedestrians. This is another step toward this goal of a comprehensive transportation network and will be a win/win for the city and its residents. Getaround is an exciting company to bring into our business community.”
Getaround, headquartered in San Francisco, has a simple mission statement: with nearly one billion cars on the road across the world, the company is maximizing what already exists. Getaround gives people a chance to share their cars with others nearby, ultimately offsetting the cost of car ownership for owners, and giving renters a convenient way of renting a car of their choice close to home for an affordable price. From a Toyota Prius to a Tesla Roadster, people can rent a car for as low as $3 an hour, with Getaround owners making an average of $350 each month.
"Chicago is a natural fit for Getaround," said Sam Zaid, CEO and Founder of Getaround. "We believe that the city is ready for a new and different way to think about car ownership, and are thrilled to be one step closer to solving car overpopulation. Our current customers have told us they love using our service to not only meet new people, but make significant extra money and help the environment - and we're confident that Chicago residents will embrace Getaround in the same way."
Following Getaround's launch in San Francisco in May 2011, the company has seen dramatic growth including launching in three additional cities, more than quadrupling the staff and raising $13.9 million in Series A funding. In addition, Getaround launched Getaway, a new service under the Getaround umbrella that gives car owners a chance to rent their car while they are not using it for an extended period of time. Getaway is currently available in beta in San Francisco and Chicago.
Renters or owners can share today by signing up for free at www.getaround.com. With insurance and rigorous driver screenings included in the price, Getaround works around the clock to ensure a safe and trusted community. Getaround offers a broad variety of cars to rent, and enables people to share resources, taking unneeded cars off the road and reducing traffic and auto emissions by changing consumer driving behavior.
About Getaround
Getaround empowers people to safely share cars by the hour, day, or week through a trusted online marketplace. By providing the Getaround Carkit, in-car technology designed in-house, as well as complete insurance up to $1,000,000 backed by Berkshire Hathaway, Getaround helps to create a seamless and fun sharing experience. Getaround is free to join, and for as little as $3 an hour, members can conveniently rent nearby cars and save money on auto payments, insurance and maintenance. Owners share cars ranging from a Toyota to a Tesla, offsetting the high cost of car ownership, while making a positive impact on the environment. Visit https://www.getaround.com for more information.