Getaround expands carsharing to Los Angeles

Getaround, the platform that empowers users to instantly rent and drive great cars shared by people in their city, has announced its expansion into Greater Los Angeles. Now, car owners in LA can reduce the financial burden of car ownership and even make some fun money by listing their car on Getaround. Each car is equipped with Getaround Connect, a proprietary technology that enables renters to locate and unlock the car using the Getaround app. People in Los Angeles can now instantly rent nearby cars all through the Getaround iOS or Android application—no need to meet in person to get the car keys.

Carsharing is a major part of the environmental sustainability movement. An independent study by the University of California Berkeley Transportation Sustainability Research Center measured the impact of carsharing. The study found that for every one car shared, about ten are taken off the road. This means that for every 1,000 cars shared on Getaround, roughly 100M pounds of carbon dioxide are offset.

“It’s an understatement to say that LA’s traffic and emissions are some of the worst in the country,” said James Correa, General Manager for Getaround Los Angeles. “We’re excited to bring Getaround to LA and start taking cars off the road to help reduce congestion in our city.”

Correa helped the company soft launch Los Angeles in March, quickly onboarding the first 50 car owners onto the platform. Many owners are earning over $1,000 per month already by sharing their car when it would otherwise be idle. With people in LA seeking transportation alternatives this spring and summer for road trips, apartment moves, and errand runs, now is the time for vehicle owners to list their cars and start earning money.

Getaround is dedicated to making the Los Angeles market successful and works closely with local governments to reduce congestion and emissions by encouraging designated parking spaces for carsharing communities. The company has office space in Culver City and has already hired over a dozen full-time and part-time employees. The team is also forging relationships with local auto body shops and automotive vendors.

What sets Getaround apart from competitors is that the company doesn’t own its fleet of vehicles. Each car is owned by a person who lives in the city. There are no signup fees, annual dues, or access cards, reducing the barriers for Los Angeles residents to try carsharing.

“As we expand and carsharing becomes universal, we’re not only providing people with access to transportation and economic opportunity, but we’re also helping cities solve environmental issues such as traffic, congestion and smog,” said Sam Zaid, CEO of Getaround. “We’re excited to become a part of the greater Los Angeles transportation network and to leverage our technology to create sustainable mobility options throughout the city.”