Peer-to-peer car sharing service Getaround launches in Austin, Texas

7 March 2012

Peer-to-peer car sharing company Getaround announced its official launch in Austin, Texas. This announcement closely follows the company’s February launch in the greater Portland metropolitan area with a $1.7 million federal grant and expands its reach to four major cities.

Getaround will join the local “collaborative consumption” space in Austin. Collaborative consumption describes the reinvention of swapping, sharing, bartering, trading and renting through advanced technologies and peer-to-peer marketplaces in ways and on a scale not possible before.

Getaround provides patent-pending smartphone and in-car technology to create a seamless sharing experience, and each rental includes complete insurance up to $1,000,000 backed by Berkshire Hathaway. Getaround is free to join and for as little as $3 an hour, members can rent nearby cars by the hour, day, or week, and save hundreds or even thousands of dollars on auto payments, insurance and maintenance.