Cab aggregator Ola today formally launched a self-drive car rental service on its platform ‘Ola Drive’, with a plan to add 20,000 vehicles by end of 2020, according to a company statement on Thursday. The service was initially rolled out for users in Bengaluru as a pilot. Ola now plans to launch the service across Hyderabad, Mumbai, and New Delhi shortly.
Ola Drive will allow users to design their own rental package, controlling everything from the number of kilometers and hours, to fuel inclusion. By allowing users to customize their rental package, Ola claims to provide self-drive cars at a 30% lower rate compared to other competitors in the space.
Ola will introduce the service to users in Bengaluru through pick-up stations located across different residential and commercial hubs. Users can choose to book a car of their choice for as little as 2 hours by paying a security deposit starting at ₹2000.
All Ola Drive cars across segments will come equipped with Ola’s connected car platform ‘Ola Play’, enabled through a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment device, and will include GPS, media playback, and Bluetooth connectivity.
Users will have access to the platform’s support and safety features such as a 24/7 helpline, emergency button, which prompts an immediate call from Ola’s dedicated safety response team, and real-time tracking. The service will also include roadside assistance as well.
“India’s car-sharing market has immense potential and opportunity, which is yet to see a large-scale investment in technology and operations to make the model viable. Our expertise in serving millions of customers through a large fleet of vehicles across 250 plus cities have been instrumental in making ride-hailing a norm in India. Ola Drive has been built on the same DNA and will play a transformative role in defining India’s car-sharing market in the next decade,” said Arun Srinivas, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer of Ola in a statement.
He added that in the first phase of the Ola Drive roll-out, the service will be offered as a short-term self-drive car-sharing service. “We (will also) look to introduce long-term subscription, corporate leasing, and more options in the times to come,” Srinivas said.