If you've got a car and it's just sitting, then why not join the 'What's mine is yours' mindset? Make money by renting out your vehicle when you're not using it. Just picture yourself making quite a stash and not having to worry about your car's safety. Skeptical? Well, GM has now joined RelayRides, the car-sharing company to help ease your fears and to make the service a bit more friendly.
Since so many folks are uneasy about the thought of letting a total stranger rent their ride for short-term use, GM has stepped into the carsharing arena along with RelayRides by adding technology to the equation. GM vehicles such as Cadillac, Chevy, GMC and Buick that are rented out short-term can now be unlocked by the simple use of a renter's cell phone via OnStar. Other vehicle owners would need to have their vehicles outfitted with very visible special hardware that will allow access to their cars.
So what's in it for GM, why are they involving themselves in the social carsharing craze? Well according to Stephen Girsky, GM's vice chairman, "Our goal is to find ways to broaden our customer reach, reduce traffic congestion in America's largest cities, and address urban mobility concerns."
The exclusive relationship between the two companies is slated to begin in early 2012.
If you're still curious about how RelayRides work, well here's the skinny. You sign up on the RelayRides website and you can borrow a neighbor's vehicle for as low as $5 an hour, premium cars like a Mercedes for instance, will demand more by the hour. If you're an owner, you sign up your vehicle on the website and the company states, that you can make up to $7,000 a year depending upon your car's popularity.
Insurance worries? RelayRides has a million dollar supplemental insurance policy that covers the rental period. The fee breakdown is as follows, RelayRides takes a 15 percent cut from the rental and the rest is pocketed by the owner. The owner is also responsible for the car's maintenance.
Right now, RelayRides is only available in San Francisco and Boston but by the end of 2012, the service will set up markets across the country so stay tuned....
--Car Chick
Comments