Whipcar makes use of spare neighbourhood cars
Posted by DavidM in Driving | 17 September 2010
Look down most streets on any day and you'll see rows of cars parked up unused. Meanwhile others who need cars during the day are getting expensive rentals. What if you could rent out your car when you weren't using it? Or borrow a neighbours car if you need one for the day?
Whipcar offers just that. A scheme that started in London is now nationwide with cars available in 300 locations. It's a neighbour-to-neighbour car rental scheme though I have to admit I hadn't heard anything about it until Tom dropped me a note.
Basically, if you have a car that you don't use all the time and you fancy a bit of extra cash, you sign your car up with Whipcar. They vet the drivers, sort out insurance, breakdown cover and payment. You can check how much you could get by entering you number plate and postcode at the Whipcar website.
For drivers, you can get cheap car hire, with a local pick up point (your neighbour's house). For both of you, one car is used instead of two, mileage is lower and life is easier.
Sounds like a great idea. I had a look and my 2004 Passat estate could bag £32 a day when I'm not using it. In terms of hiring, I found four cars within 5 miles of my house to hire, from a Peugeot 107 for £15 a day to a Hyundai Terracan for £40 a day.
This is a smart idea that makes maximum use of resources, so I wish it well. See the video below for Tom's promo of the service.
Comments
Can not believe Google thinks this is news!
