Two peer-to-peer car sharing startups have launched in the Bay Area in recent months (there’s at least five here now), and there’s now four peer-to-peer car sharing companies in France. Yeah, it looks like a bubble, but the amount of drivers and car owners in these networks is actually really small, so there’s room for quite a few players, as these companies figure out market strategies, marketing and mobile apps.
Peer-to-peer car sharing (sometimes called distributed, neighbor-to-neighbor and car sharing 2.0) facilitates car renting between personal car owners and a network of interested renters. In contrast, for standard car sharing from ZipCar or CityCarShare, the organization owns the fleet of cars.
Probably even more companies will launch P2P car sharing services in the coming months, with new ways to target already-existing communities, and eventually the market will face consolidation. But in the mean time, here’s my cheat sheet of a dozen companies offering web sites to facilitate peer-to-peer car sharing among neighbors.
Company
Location, Founded
Investors
Differentiators
Buzzcar
France, Launched March 2011
Zipcar’s co-founder Robin Chase, Mobivia Groupe
Buzzcar is focused on France, and was started by the co-founder of car sharing 1.0 leader Zipcar.
CityzenCar
France, Launched Jan 2011
N/A
CityzenCar is focused on France, uses automated locking by a network of approved installers, creating a network of founder/car owners.
Getaround
Bay Area, San Diego, Founded 2009
$3.4M, Crunchfund, Redpoint Ventures, General Catalyst, + angels
Getaround sells a P2P car sharing kit that car owners install themselves and which can unlock car doors, and also has focused on its iPhone app.
HiGear
Bay Area, soon Los Angeles, Launched August 2011
$1.3M, Battery Ventures, BV Capital, 500 Startups, angels.
HiGear focuses on car sharing of luxury and sports cars, and doesn’t use automated locking systems.
Livop
France, Sept 2010
N/A
Livop focuses on car sharing in France, uses key exchange.
RelayRides
Bay Area, Boston, Founded 2009
$5M, Google Ventures, August Capital, in talks with GM.
RelayRides installs the car tech itself, and recently scored a partnership with GM around Onstar.
RentMyCar
Across the U.S., International, May 2001
N/A
RentMyCar is the oldest site out there, but basically only acts as a middleman. No insurance, no automated locking system, no community element.
Spride Share
Came out of stealth in April 2010, pilot Sept 2010, not yet commercial.
Spring Ventures
Spride Share has an impressive advisory board, and the company was instrumental in getting insurance legislation passed in California.
Tamyca
Germany, launched Nov. 2010
N/A
Tamyca was founded by Konrad Erzberger. Stands for “Take My Car.”
Voiturelib
France, Early 2011
Founded by Paulin Dementhon
Voiturelib focuses on car sharing in France.
Wheelz
Stanford Campus, Founded early 2011, launched Sept.
Angel-backed, Facebook early-exec-turned-investor Chamath Palihapitiya, Jim Freer, Sebastien de Halleux, Felicis Ventures and Red Swan Ventures.
Wheelz has a plan to focus on college campuses and launched at Stanford.
WhipCar
U.K., Founded early 2009, launched 2010
Delta Partners
WhipCar is available in the U.K., and doesn’t use automated locking systems — drivers/owners swap keys in person.
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