With the exit of Car2Go from the Vancouver car sharing market, Turo’s timing couldn’t be much better.
B.C. will soon welcome a global leader of the car sharing industry.
Turo, the world’s largest peer-to-peer car sharing platform, has secured the required insurance coverage from ICBC it needs to operate in the province. Turo allows private car owners to rent out their vehicles to guests via an online and mobile interface.
Turo’s B.C. launch comes on the heels of multi-year discussions with the provincial government and ICBC to create an insurance product that equally protects car owners and guests.
After a pilot program launched in BC in 2017 in partnership with independent car rental companies, the insurance coverage secured by Turo marks a major milestone in the expansion of its peer-to-peer marketplace and paves the way for the future of car sharing in B.C.
“Bringing Turo to B.C. has been in the works for many years and we’re excited to finally be in a position to safely introduce our trusted platform and community to the province,” says Cedric Mathieu, VP and Head of Canada at Turo.
“It’s high time British Columbians reaped the huge benefits of peer-to-peer car sharing which other Canadian provinces have enjoyed for the past 4 years”.
Since its launch in Canada in 2016, Turo has quickly become the country’s largest and fastest growing car sharing platform with 850,000 members throughout Canada and 35,000 cars listed across Alberta, Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia.
In a province known for its high cost of living and at a time when financial constraints are magnified, Turo will provide British Columbians another means to save and make money with an asset they already own. Turo hosts are currently averaging $620 per month in car rental income in other Canadian provinces where it is available.
“With the recent exit of car sharing platforms from B.C. we’re happy to step in and answer the demand with a car sharing model that makes more economical and environmental sense – and that does not inflict additional pressure on cities’ parking infrastructures,” says Mathieu.
On top of the comprehensive insurance included in every reservation, Turo performs extensive guest screenings, offers 24/7 roadside assistance, and has implemented a number of new policies to ensure the safety of its community in the context of COVID-19, including enhanced cleaning and disinfection guidelines for its hosts.
Interested in sharing your car on Turo? List it now.