Car Sharing Company Expands Its Maritime Reach
HALIFAX — We now live in a world where, if you’re not using something you own, you can share it as a side hustle. People with a room to spare can list it on Airbnb instead of letting it sit empty. The same is now true for cars. Rather than letting an unused vehicle sit in your driveway, you can rent it to people looking for a ride.
One of the biggest car-sharing websites, Turo, has been growing its reach in the Maritimes over the last few years. It has now made it easier for car owners to deliver a vehicle to the person they’re sharing it with. The company has signed an agreement with the Halifax Stanfield International Airport that will allow users to easily drop off a vehicle at the airport.
This adds to other agreements reached with airports in Charlottetown, Deer Lake, St. John’s, and Gander. Given how many Turo customers are travelers, this is a big step for the car-sharing platform.
“It’s what we call an open parking agreement,” said Cedric Mathieu, the vice president and Head of Turo Canada.
“When this partnership was not in place, guests had to take a ride to the city and then get the car delivered to their hotels. Now they can really get the cars right when they get off the airplane.”
Turo is a platform that started in the United States but came to Canada in 2016. Three years ago, it arrived for users in Nova Scotia; it came to New Brunswick less than a year ago. Mathieu says Nova Scotia was the fastest-growing province for Turo in 2022.
Turo makes its money by taking a 25 percent commission from the hosts — who can set their prices. But Turo also provides insurance and 24/7 roadside assistance.
The top-rated car in Halifax on Turo’s website is a 2018 Tesla Model 3, costing $240 per day to rent. Mathieu says electric vehicles are very popular on the site, as car sharing gives people a chance to try new types of vehicles. Some may even pay just to take it for a test drive.
“With the price of gas in the past year, it’s been pretty high. A lot of people are looking for ways to save and driving electric cars is one way to do that,” said Mathieu.
“A lot of people need to get their hands behind the wheel and actually drive an electric car for a few days to get comfortable with it, and Turo is a great place to do that. So we have lots of people using the platform to do extended test rides on electric cars.”
The platform has allowed some of Turo’s “all star” hosts to create a business out of car sharing. In 2021, Cameron Vihant listed a single minivan on Turo. It has now become a full-fledged operation for the Halifax business student, who has grown his fleet to 10 vehicles, including a Jeep and two convertibles (popular with summer visitors).
Vihant’s rates vary depending on the vehicle and the time of year. Offseason his rates can range between $40-$100 per day, on average. But during prime tourism months, his most popular vehicles can fetch $150 a day.
Vihant decided to start using Turo to earn extra money in 2021. He had been working in the hospitality industry, which had been wrecked by Covid-19.
“I was looking for side income and basically I saw an opportunity to get involved with Turo,” he said. “Tourism was picking back up. The travel restrictions to the Atlantic provinces were being lifted. And there was a significant shortage of regular rental vehicles. So I bought a minivan to cater to family vacations. Anyway, within a couple hours of listening and I had five bookings.”
Last August, Vihant had nine vehicles listed and completed 52 bookings for the month. But it’s not just visitors who use his vehicles. One of his vehicles brings a bang of nostalgia that works for a lot of events.
”I host a classic 1980s Mercedes convertible that’s a big hit for weddings,” he said.
The new partnership between Turo and the Halifax Airport will make doing business even easier for Vihant. Given how many of his peak-season customers are travelers, dropping off a vehicle will be much more efficient.
“It also creates more visibility as well as for Turo. And it makes things easier for guests to know in advance where they’re going to find the vehicles and pick them up right on-site at the airport. Halifax airport is 40 kilometers from downtown Halifax. Cabs and Uber are quite expensive in town. So it gives another option for travelers.”
Derek Montague is a Huddle reporter in Halifax. Send him your feedback and story ideas: [email protected].