Turo partners with locals to overcome car-rental insurance hurdle
Car-sharing start-up Turo has partnered with local independent car rental companies in British Columbia, Canada, to help provide insurance for its service as it expands in the region. The independent car companies will provide their own renter's insurance policies rather than Turo providing a central policy for all its clients. Turo says it's necessary to partner with such firms due to British Columbia insurance regulations. 
Turo Canada expands, partners with car rental entrepreneurs to fuel travellers’ adventures

Vancouver, BC (Oct. 3, 2017) – Turo announced today that its car sharing marketplace is now officially available in British Columbia, expanding to a new Canadian province for the first time since its launch in Alberta, Ontario and Quebec in April 2016. A pioneer of the sharing economy and travel industry, Turo connects local car owners with a bustling community of local and international travelers looking for the perfect vehicle for their next adventure. Turo has over four million members across the world, including 220,000 in Canada alone. The launch of Turo in British Columbia marks an important step in realizing Turo’s mission to put Canada’s 23 million cars to better use and to capture a growing share of the Canadian travel market.

“British Columbia is one of the top travel destinations in Canada and around the world. With its great outdoor culture, high penetration of car sharing and high levels of cross-border travel, it is a natural market for Turo,” said Cedric Mathieu, Director of Turo Canada. “This province has been active in our community since we launched the company, and over 7% of Turo community members are residents of B.C. who use the platform in other provinces and for travel to the US. We are proud to announce that they can now use it in their home province.”

To address the unique insurance regulations of BC, Turo has structured this first stage of its expansion to British Columbia by partnering with local, independent car rental entrepreneurs who will make their unique fleets of cars available to the Turo community and will be providing their own commercial rental insurance to travellers.

“We’re very excited to bring Turo to the people of British Columbia and provide them with a local, convenient, more personal alternative to big car rental companies through our local network of amazing car rental entrepreneurs,” said Cedric Mathieu. “Independent car rental companies are natural partners for Turo; most are family-run small businesses who offer great service, and great cars, at great prices. Using the Turo platform, they can easily reach our fast growing community of trusted travelers and be able to more effectively compete with the larger car rental chains. We’re thrilled to empower car entrepreneurs across beautiful British Columbia.”

A number of preferred partners such as hotels, independent car rental companies and individual car entrepreneurs have already listed their vehicles on the Turo platform. Some unique cars already available include makes and models like Tesla Model S, Mercedes-Benz CLA and Porsche Panamera, with many more to come in the coming weeks. All partners are required to carry adequate commercial rental insurance as well as provide best in class service in order to participate.

“We’re proud to chart a new path in the travel industry through our expansion to British Columbia. Thanks to Turo, international travelers can get a Tesla delivered to the Vancouver airport; tourists in Victoria can discover and rent cars directly from The DoubleTree by Hilton Victoria; these are two of many examples of how our platform makes car rental more accessible than ever, unlocking unique travel experiences and new economic opportunities for entrepreneurs and travel operators in B.C.,” said Mathieu.

Starting today, Turo is actively marketing towards travellers and suppliers across the province to raise awareness of the Turo brand in preparation of the future launch of its full peer-to-peer service.

“We remain committed to launching our peer-to-peer marketplace in the near future, and will be working with insurance regulators and legislators to bring Turo to all individual car owners in B.C. soon,” said Mathieu.

The news follows a funding announcement earlier this month, where Turo raised $92 million from top tier investors including Mercedes-Benz manufacturer, Daimler, bringing the company’s total funding to $193 million. Turo plans to invest the capital to enhance the customer experience on both sides of the marketplace, boost customer acquisition, and grow the Turo brand globally.

About Turo

Turo is a car sharing marketplace where local car owners provide travelers with the perfect vehicle for their next adventure. Travelers from around the world choose from a unique selection of cars and car owners earn extra money while helping fuel their adventures. A pioneer of the sharing economy and travel industry, Turo is a safe, supportive community where the car you rent is part of a story, not a fleet. Whether it’s an F-150 truck to help out on moving day, a Tesla for a luxurious weekend away, or a classic Mercedes-Benz for a picture-perfect road trip, travelers rent the car and own the adventure. Discover Turo at turo.com.

Source: Turo

Tags: British Columbia (BC)