Self-driving platform ekar integrates with CarPro to enable 500,000 rental cars

Carsharing platform ekar has integrated with CarPro, a car rental fleet management platform, to digitally rent more than 500,000 cars over its platform.

CarPro will integrate ekar’s Mobility OS natively within its fleet management software, allowing car rental companies to enable vehicles onto the ekar app and benefit from a fully contactless rental process, increased fleet utilisation, driver behaviour analytics, and real-time vehicle tracking, a statement said.

Consumers can enjoy new combustible and electric vehicles from economy to premium options. Increasing fleet size suggests increased availability of cars to rent and unlock via carsharing or door-delivered via subscription.

“The car rental industry is going through a transformational phase as a result of the pandemic as tourist and business travel continues to suffer. Car rental companies are now embracing more innovative mobility options, recognising that traditional rental processes are costly, inefficient, and sub-optimal in a digital world that values contact-free solutions,” said Vilhelm Hedberg, founder of ekar.

“ekar’s integration with CarPro enables car rental tenants to add their rental cars onto the ekar carshare or subscription platform at the click of a button. On average, this produces double the revenue compared to traditional hires. This flexibility optimises utilisation for our partners, opens up renting to otherwise unknown commuter and youth markets, and provides the flexibility to charge lower rates without losing brand pricing identity. The general public benefits from thousands of more cars available for micro or long-term digital rentals,” added Hedberg.

Kieron Chalder, CEO of CarPro Systems, commented: “Our partnership with ekar marks the latest enhancement to the CarPro product suite, as we continue to support rental businesses to optimise their vehicle utilization and adapt to evolving customer demands.”

Earlier this year, ekar introduced a subscription-based long-term car leasing service.

Read: Self-driving platform ekar launches car subscription service

In March 2021, fuel delivery service Cafu also partnered with ekar to automate the fuelling process of the latter’s fleet of cars, following its trial period.

Read also: Self-drive mobility company ekar partners with UAE’s Cafu to automate fuelling process

Since its launch, ekar has grown from a 15-vehicle pilot programme with Etihad Airways to a multi-country service used by more than 250,000 customers, having booked 1.33 million trips.