SAN FRANCISCO— August 2, 2012 —Getaround, the leading peer-to-peer car sharing service, today announced Getaway, a new way for people to share their cars through Getaround full-time, with Getaround managing the car rental process. Launching in beta today in San Francisco and Chicago, Getaway is the first service of its kind from a car sharing company to give people a new way to unlock the value of a car when it would otherwise sit unused. This launch also delivers an exciting new feature, Instant Rental, which makes renting a car through Getaround easier than ever.

"We've heard from countless owners across the country that they are looking for a way to share their car through Getaround for an extended period of time, and aren't able to manage their car," said Sam Zaid, CEO and founder of Getaround. "From being called to military duty to taking a trip around the world to going away to college, we know there is a demand for this one-of-a-kind service, and know owners will be thrilled to turn their unused car into cash."

"My wife and I decided to take a three month honeymoon to Southeast Asia, and didn't know what to do with our car while we were away," said Amit Verma, a Getaround member. "Instead of leaving our car parked in a friend's garage, we decided to enroll our car in Getaway and made $1600. Not only were we able to go on the trip of a lifetime, but we also had the peace of mind that our car was taken care of."

During this initial beta period, owners across the country can visit getaround.com/getaway and submit their car to be shared full-time. After a detailed selection process, taking into account the type of car and location, the Getaround team will send the owner a contract, and make arrangements to pick up the car. Getaround's Customer Happiness team then completes a series of inspections to ensure the safety and condition of the vehicle, installs the Getaround Carkit and finally selects a safe and secure location for the vehicle to be parked and shared from.

Time to Getaway: How it Works 

Participating investors include Collaborative Fund, Sean O'Sullivan of SOSventures, Correlation Ventures, Sam Shank, CEO of HotelTonight, David Sacks, CEO of Yammer, Bobby Yazdani, CEO of Saba Software, Matias de Tezanos, Founder of Hoteles.com, Dan Martell, Founder of Clarity.fm, Juan Diego Calle, CEO of .CO and numerous others.

Getaround's Customer Happiness team manages each rental, facilitating the cleaning and maintenance of each car. All revenue, after the upkeep and commission, go straight to the owner. For a limited time, Getaway owners are guaranteed to make at least $1000 for their first three months, with potential to earn much more.

Hit the Road (Fast): Instant Rental 

One of the most exciting features to launch from a peer-to-peer car sharing company, Instant Rental, gives people a chance to get access to a car instantaneously. Each Getaway car will be outfitted with Getaround's own technology, the Getaround Carkit, that enables people to get access to a car anytime in select cities. The Carkit comes equipped with GPS technology, usage tracking and advanced security protection that allows renters to get secure access to someone's car using an application on their smartphone.

The Getaround marketplace gives people a chance to share their cars with others nearby, offsetting the cost of car ownership. Since launching in San Francisco in early 2011, Getaround has seen significant momentum including expanding into Austin, San Diego and Portland, and signing up 10,000 cars nationwide. Each shared vehicle can take up to 13 cars off of the road, cutting over 165 pounds of carbon emissions. Getaround was selected to receive $1.725 million in federal funding to launch peer-to- peer car sharing and study the impact in Portland, a known environmentally conscious city.

Renters or owners can share today by signing up for free at www.getaround.com. With insurance and rigorous drivers' checks included in the price, Getaround works around the clock to ensure a safe and trusted community.

About Getaround 

Getaround empowers people to safely share cars by the hour, day, or week through a trusted online marketplace. By providing the Getaround Carkit, in-car technology designed in-house, as well as complete insurance up to $1,000,000 backed by Berkshire Hathaway, Getaround helps to create a seamless and fun sharing experience. Getaround is free to join, and for as little as $3 an hour, members can conveniently rent nearby cars and save money on auto payments, insurance and maintenance. Owners share cars ranging from a Toyota to a Tesla, offsetting the high cost of car ownership, while making a positive impact on the environment. Visit http://www.getaround.com for more information.

Contact 

Meg Murray
press@getaround.com
(415) 990-6503