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US-based Turo, a peer-to-peer car sharing marketplace has announced a new feature christened ‘Turo Go’ that allows guests to locate, book and unlock cars instantly from the app. The company has said it has begun an early-access wait list for hosts to get Turo Go connected car hardware installed in their cars when it becomes available in selected cities this year.
The hardware will enable car owners to remotely lock and unlock their cars, automatically track mileage and geo-locate their vehicle. In addition to making the experience of owning a car smarter, and the experience of sharing it safer, Turo aims to use Turo Go’s connectivity applications to improve their customer experience — both for busy Turo hosts and for guests demanding instant mobility.
Andre Haddad, CEO, Turo, said: “Inspired by our community and their calls for a remote access feature, we’re confident that Turo Go will help accelerate Turo’s mission of putting the world’s one billion cars to better use.”
In the future, in addition to supplying hosts with this connected car technology that can be installed in any car, the company envisions working directly with automakers to integrate the Turo app with connected vehicles coming off the line. “We’re talking with a number of forward-thinking auto manufacturers, including Mercedes-Benz, about solutions to further integrate instant mobility into our service. We see a future where new, connected vehicles leave the manufacturing line ‘Turo-ready’,” added Haddad.
Joerg Lamparter, head of mobility services at Daimler Financial Services said, “We’re thrilled to be working with Turo on a remote access solution to support owners of Mercedes-Benz vehicles to easily share their cars.”
Turo claims it has over six million users and 4.5 million day trip completed, and is the world’s largest peer-to-peer car sharing marketplace and the platform best positioned to innovate in the $80 billion (Rs 505,360 crore) car rental industry. The company has a presence in over 5,500 cities in over 56 countries. It recently raised $104 million (Rs 657 crore) in Series D funding round that was led by Daimler and Korean conglomerate SK Holdings, with participation by Founders Circle, Liberty Mutual, American Express Ventures and Sumitomo.
“Investing in connectivity and instant mobility access today will pave the way for the autonomous vehicle future of tomorrow. We envision a world where you can easily access a car anytime, anywhere — an endlessly mobile world effortlessly fuelled by our vibrant and intrepid community of trusted Turo hosts,” concluded Haddad.