Downtown-based car-sharing platform HyreCar Inc. announced July 17 that it will partner with DriveItAway.com Inc., a used vehicle auction platform based in Cambridge, Mass. The collaboration is designed to allow independent car dealerships in 34 states and Washington, D.C. to list their vehicles on the HyreCar platform.
HyreCar allows for users to list cars for rent to people who want to drive for services such as Uber or Lyft but don’t have their own car. HyreCar was relying individuals listing their own cars on the site until this new partnership, which allows HyreCar to widen its pool of cars for rent and allows DriveItAway.com’s dealers to participate in the rental car market and connect with potential car buyers.
The two companies are joining forces in anticipation of a boom in the mobility as a service, (ride/car sharing) market. A HyreCar press release issued references a July 2018 report by Indian Market Research Future firm, which forecasts “the global ‘Mobility as a Service’ market” to “reach approximately $253.16 billion by 2023.”
“Our dealers are preparing for the ‘Mobility as a Service’ future which will allow a quick and efficient way to create new scalable revenue streams,” said founder of DriveItAway John Possumato. “Most importantly, we are also introducing a new customer base for the store for vehicles sales and fixed operations …we are enabling new buyers to the store, not ‘poaching’ current prospects in the market.”
To use the service, dealerships upload their vehicle listings, complete with cars specs, price and mileage limits to the HyreCar platform. Once a rental is accepted, the dealer is given an opportunity to suggest ownership to the driver, who is charged before pickup.
“We are focused on creating strategic alliances that expand our supply of vehicles, which will provide us with the infrastructure to scale,” said HyreCar executive Joe Furnari, adding the company is “excited to become the franchise solution for vehicle suppliers who want to tap into the growing mobility industry.”
Tech reporter Samson Amore can be reached at samore@labusinessjournal.com or (323) 556-8335. Follow him on Twitter @samsonamore.
