Getaround Launches Digital Carsharing Marketplace in Hawaii

    SAN FRANCISCO, CA, December 01, 2021 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Getaround, the world's leading digital carsharing marketplace, today announced it is launching its services in Hawaii, the company's first state launch outside of the contiguous U.S. Getaround will initially expand services throughout the four main islands of Oahu, Maui, Kaua'i and Hawaii, with plans to continue expansion across the islands in the coming months. Hawaii marks the 10th state that Getaround has expanded into in 2021, making it available now in 22 states and Washington, D.C.

With a rush of tourism that has seen a 27.6% increase in the first half of 2021, compared to 2020, municipalities in Hawaii are facing a number of challenges when it comes to adequate transportation on the islands, including heavy congestion and lack of overall transportation resources; Getaround is seeking to alleviate this problem. On average, one carsharing vehicle replaces 9 to 13 vehicles, due to carsharing members selling their vehicles or postponing the purchase of one, significantly cutting down the number of cars on the road. Beyond that, research has overwhelmingly shown that peer-to-peer carsharing services, like Getaround, can reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) and harmful substances into the environment.

Getaround will be the first peer-to-peer carsharing entity in Hawaii to allow guests to obtain a car on an hourly basis, as currently available peer-to-peer carsharing services and traditional car rental companies require a minimum booking of one full day. Through Getaround, short or long-term trips can be booked and cars can be picked up within as little as minutes at any time of the day or night, without having to pick up keys or wait in a line, providing residents of Hawaii with an unmatched level of convenience. Additionally, carsharing on the Getaround platform provides an opportunity for local Hawaiian entrepreneurs to start their own car-sharing businesses with low start-up costs. In just days, Getaround hosts can share vehicles on the platform and generate passive income, with hosts in other parts of the country seeing up to $1,000 or more in additional income per car per month.

"Expanding Getaround's services outside of the mainland and into Hawaii is a major milestone for the company and for our vision of making cities and communities better places to live by empowering people with convenient access to the cars they need, when they need them," said Pat Notti, Vice President, Marketplace & Operations at Getaround. "Getaround is particularly excited to provide opportunities for island residents to share idle cars and even create their own carsharing businesses to make passive income while helping address transportation challenges."

Hawaii residents Adam and Sheri Laurich relocated to Honolulu when Adam, who serves in the U.S. Army Reserve, was stationed there. The pair found themselves facing a problem that has been plaguing locals and tourists alike: a rental car shortage. Now living on Waikiki Beach, Adam and Sheri have become Power Hosts on Getaround's platform, with a fleet of 13 vehicles.

"The primary reason we host our cars on Getaround is due to the ease of the whole booking process. We don't have to go to where a specific car is to meet our guests or hand over the keys. They just book and unlock it all through the app. It's a very easy, contactless process," said Adam Laurich. "We also really like the Getaround Connect technology because it will alert us if a guest left the lights on and the battery might be in danger of draining, so we can take care of that before it's a bigger problem."

"From the guests' perspective, it's just so much easier, too," added Sheri Laurich. "Every day, you see people lined up and waiting outside brick-and-mortar rental car facilities, waiting sometimes two or three hours just to get their car."

On average, privately owned cars are parked 95% of the time, with the typical car on the move for just 6 hours per week. The remaining 162 hours of the week, most cars remained parked and stationary. Peer-to-peer carsharing means fewer cars on the road, ultimately resulting in fewer accidents, reduced traffic, and less space needed for parking. Carsharing modernizes mobility by allowing people to connect multiple forms of efficient transportation for any type of use case.

About Getaround:
Getaround connects safe, convenient and affordable cars with people who need them to live and work. We are the world's first 100% digital carsharing marketplace with proprietary technology and data that make sharing vehicles superior to owning them. Our community includes guests who rely on our cars for on-demand mobility and hosts who share cars on our platform including those who operate their own carsharing businesses. Founded in 2009, today Getaround is active in over 850 cities across the U.S. and Europe. We support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal to "make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable." For more information, please visit Getaround.com, or download our iPhone or Android app.

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Media Contact:
BAM for Getaround
[email protected]

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