Fleets could cut rental costs by up to 35% while also benefiting from increased convenience by turning to car sharing.

Turo says peer-to-peer car sharing can cut costs by 35% compared to rental agencies

So says US car sharing specialist Turo – self-titled as the ‘Airbnb of cars’ – as it expands its offering in the UK.

Also present in the US, Canada and Germany, the Turo scheme first launched in the UK in December 2016 through commercial host partnerships with independent car rental firms, giving them a platform to compete with large rental corporations.

The firm has now expanded this by launching its peer-to-peer offering in the UK, enabling car owners to also offer their cars out for hire through an Airbnb-style platform.

The benefits for fleets – in particular SMES – of using the service are said to be two-fold; fleets can themselves hire out idle vehicles as an income generator but can also use the service to hire vehicles themselves.

UK director Xavier Collins told Fleet World: “We’re looking to empower small independent fleet owners to provide better value and experience than traditional car rental by leveraging our app and technology.”

He added that there are three key benefits to using peer-to-peer car sharing: convenience, value and choice. In particular, Turo says peer-to-peer car sharing is, on average, 35% cheaper than a traditional rental car.

Collins also underlined the choice of vehicles as a key advantage, with some 850 makes and models currently available on the platform. Insurance is supplied via Allianz.

And he outlined convenience as a key selling point compared to traditional rental services. “With Turo, cars are not required to be picked up at certain parking lots or rental car facilities. Instead the car owner and traveller can identify a mutually convenient location to meet to exchange the vehicle keys. This exchange is often quick and less cumbersome than it may be through a traditional car rental, with background checks and insurances having been confirmed via the app prior to the exchange being set up.

“Furthermore, because the key exchange can occur practically anywhere, there are no restrictions or business hours that reduce or limit access to vehicles,” he added.