GetaroundEdit
Getaround is a platform that enables people to rent cars from one another on a short-term basis, using a mobile app to handle discovery, booking, and access. The service sits at the intersection of car ownership and on-demand mobility, offering a marketplace where vehicle owners monetize idle assets and renters gain flexible transportation options. Insurance coverage, roadside assistance, and platform support are integrated into the experience, helping to manage risk for both sides of the transaction. In practice, Getaround operates within the broader ecosystems of car sharing and peer-to-peer car sharing.
The platform’s European roots are prominent in its history. It operated for years in Europe under the name Drivy before expanding to the United States and rebranding to Getaround after the 2019 acquisition of Drivy. This trajectory reflects a broader shift toward leveraging digital marketplaces to make better use of existing assets, particularly in urban environments where car ownership is expensive or impractical for many residents.
From a market-oriented perspective, Getaround is praised for expanding consumer choice, driving price competition, and making transportation more affordable and flexible. It is framed as a way to reduce the total cost of mobility by increasing utilization of underused private vehicles and by letting people rent only when they need a car. Critics, however, raise concerns about worker protections, accountability, and safety, arguing that such platforms can weaken traditional labor standards and shift liability in ways that leave users exposed. Supporters contend that the model preserves valuable flexibility for participants and that well-crafted standards can ensure safety without stifling innovation. In debates around the platform, supporters stress that participation is voluntary and that better oversight and reasonable minimum standards are preferable to heavy-handed regulation that could dampen innovation and raise costs for users. These debates are part of a broader conversation about how digital marketplaces fit into a modern economy that prizes both efficiency and opportunity.
History and operations
Getaround’s evolution has been defined by the pivot from a regional European operation to a transatlantic platform. As Drivy, the company developed a reputation for user-friendly tools, insurance-backed rentals, and scalable logistics for private vehicle owners. The 2019 move to bring Drivy under the Getaround banner marked a consolidation that broadened the service’s footprint, accelerated growth in the United States, and reinforced the emphasis on a standardized, all-in-one experience for both owners and renters. The platform’s growth has been shaped by local rules and market conditions in different jurisdictions, which in turn have driven adaptations in safety checks, verification processes, and insurance terms. See also France and United States in the context of regulatory environments and market dynamics affecting car sharing.
Business model and services
Ownership and pricing: Vehicle owners set the daily or hourly rates for their cars, with Getaround taking a platform margin. This creates price competition among listings and allows consumers to compare options quickly. The model relies on active owner participation and a steady flow of listings to sustain liquidity in the market.
Booking, access, and insurance: Rentals are completed through the app, with features that facilitate key exchange or remote access to the vehicle. Insurance coverage is provided as part of the rental, addressing a core risk for both owners and renters and contributing to the platform’s perceived reliability.
Safety and verification: Getaround employs identity checks, vehicle maintenance standards, and other safeguards designed to protect users. The approach emphasizes transparency and user feedback to maintain trust in a peer-to-peer environment.
Customer service and dispute resolution: Support channels address issues ranging from vehicle condition to payment disputes, with mechanisms intended to resolve problems without resorting to formal litigation or lengthy processes.
Regulation, policy debates, and the public square
A central point of contention in Getaround and similar platforms is how to balance flexibility and innovation with consumer safety and fair labor standards. Proponents argue that the market for on-demand mobility thrives where people can set terms, choose when to work, and monetize otherwise idle assets. They contend that overbearing regulation risks slowing innovation and driving up costs for drivers and riders alike. Critics push for stronger safeguards, clearer liability rules, standardized safety requirements, and, in some cases, more traditional employment protections for drivers who dedicate substantial time to the platform. From a right-leaning vantage point, the emphasis is on minimizing unnecessary regulatory barriers, preserving consumer choice, and letting market competition discipline prices and service quality, while still maintaining reasonable protections.
In this space, critics sometimes frame the disputes around the broader gig economy and questions of classifying workers as independent contractors versus employees. Supporters of a more flexible model argue that the ability to choose when to work and how to price one’s own car is a meaningful form of economic empowerment. They caution against policies that would rigidly reclassify drivers or impose blanket mandates that could raise prices or limit participation. When critics refer to perceived imbalances or exploitation, supporters argue that voluntary participation and demonstrated consumer demand reflect a functioning market, and that targeted, proportionate rules can safeguard safety without killing innovation. Some discussions also address how “woke” criticisms—emphasizing equity or broad-based social justice narratives—fit into policy debates about private marketplaces; from the right-of-center lens of this article, the point is that pragmatic regulation should protect safety and fairness while avoiding policy overreach that would curb efficiency and opportunity.
Partners, regulators, and courts in the United States, France, and other markets continue to refine how Getaround operates within existing frameworks for vehicle safety, consumer protection, and liability. The balance between encouraging new mobility models and ensuring a level playing field for traditional rental providers remains a live policy question, with ongoing developments at city, state, and national levels.