Thursday 28 March 2024

Opel pioneer in Europe to launch car sharing concept

Over the past year or two, there has been an evident boost in popularity and overall international usage of ride-sharing services and applications. Why not rent a car from a peer at the click of a button? Why not offer your car to someone when it is not being used? And get paid for it.

CarUnity, the innovative carsharing concept powered by Opel has made a promising start. Currently, roughly one month after its launch, around 1,500 cars are available on the new platform, mainly in the Rhine-Main area, which is Opel home turf. The free app already has over 5,000 registered users. “We have taken a strategically important step towards becoming a mobility provider with the successful launch of CarUnity. We will build on this and fire up the next step now,” said Opel Group CMO Tina Muller.

“We initially focused our marketing efforts on the Rhine-Main area. Now we will up the ante all over Germany. We will be targeting the Berlin metropolitan area next and will intensify our commitment there,” said Dr Jan Wergin, Director Opel Community Carsharing. Berlin is a hotspot for carsharing. “That is why expanding to the German capital is the next logical step to take for carUnity. We are optimistic that our concept will be just as successful in Berlin as it is in the Rhine-Main area,” said Dr Wergin.

Opel launched its new carsharing community under the motto “Better off sharing” at the end of June. CarUnity provides a quick, easy and flexible opportunity for car owners to offer their car for rental. Opel is treading a new path with the free CarUnity app and is the first car manufacturer to offer carsharing for everyone. It does not matter if the car is an Opel or a different brand.

The expansion of the mobility services portfolio is an important pillar on Opel’s plans for the future. Earlier this month, Opel secured a stake in the ridesharing platform flinc. Furthermore, the already existing cooperation between flinc and CarUnity will be extended. As of 2016, the internet and app-based ridesharing platform will provide the technological platform to provide ridesharing via the carsharing app. “This step will add further impetus to our intended change towards becoming a mobility service provider,” said Tina Müller.

While some may be concerned about trust issues when it comes to renting out your car, the service allows users to be able to decide to whom they allow their car to be rented, for example, limited to Facebook friends only, or specific individuals who they invite into their personal circle on CarUnity.

With the deal acknowledgment and transaction taking no longer than a few seconds, the app makes it easy for users to either earn quick cash, or promptly find a ride.
With the introduction of such apps increasing in the market, the idea of a car is skinned back to its prime purpose, as a transportation tool. Having a car to rent for cheap at the touch of a button, and from the hands of a trustworthy peer, may be of interest to people who, for example, only need to drive once in a while for a one-off errand, or who may only need a vehicle for a short period of time, ultimately decreasing the car presence on the road. The slogan for CarUnity is ‘better off sharing’, with the ‘better off’ suggesting the ‘win-win-win’ situation for customers, car owners and ultimately, the environment alike.

Although CarUnity services are limited to Germany, the notion of sharing rides is one we may all take into consideration and benefit from.

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