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Getaround Chicago: Car-Sharing Service That Rents Private Vehicles Launches Local Branch

Would You Rent Your Car To Strangers?
CHICAGO - MARCH 31: Seen in front of parked cars in Chicago's Marina City, the Dearborn Street double-leaf trunnion bascule bridge over the Chicago River, built in 1963, rises up during a bridge maintenance run March 31, 2006 in Chicago, Illinois. The Chicago River may have seen its first bridge in 1832 at Kinzie Street, a small bridge of wood for foot-traffic only. Two years later the first bridge to accommodate vehicles, a drawbridge, was built at Dearborn Street. The City of Chicago currently maintains 52 bridges, of which 37 are movable, spanning various parts of the Chicago River from the downtown area through the North and South branches, not including numerous railroad bridges. With all its tributaries from its furthest north to furthest south points, the Chicago River runs for 156 miles. Some of the current movable bridge types in the city range from the double and single-leaf trunnion bascule bridge, or 'Chicago-type' bascule and the Strauss heel-type trunnion bascule railroad bridge to the city's last double-leaf Scherzer rolling lift bridge at Cermak Road. The first trunnion bascule bridge in Chicago, and the United States, was completed in 1902 and can still be seen and driven over at Cortland Street on the city's near-north side. (Photo by Tim Boyle/Getty Images)
CHICAGO - MARCH 31: Seen in front of parked cars in Chicago's Marina City, the Dearborn Street double-leaf trunnion bascule bridge over the Chicago River, built in 1963, rises up during a bridge maintenance run March 31, 2006 in Chicago, Illinois. The Chicago River may have seen its first bridge in 1832 at Kinzie Street, a small bridge of wood for foot-traffic only. Two years later the first bridge to accommodate vehicles, a drawbridge, was built at Dearborn Street. The City of Chicago currently maintains 52 bridges, of which 37 are movable, spanning various parts of the Chicago River from the downtown area through the North and South branches, not including numerous railroad bridges. With all its tributaries from its furthest north to furthest south points, the Chicago River runs for 156 miles. Some of the current movable bridge types in the city range from the double and single-leaf trunnion bascule bridge, or 'Chicago-type' bascule and the Strauss heel-type trunnion bascule railroad bridge to the city's last double-leaf Scherzer rolling lift bridge at Cermak Road. The first trunnion bascule bridge in Chicago, and the United States, was completed in 1902 and can still be seen and driven over at Cortland Street on the city's near-north side. (Photo by Tim Boyle/Getty Images)

Driving in Chicago can be such a hellish experience that it often brings locals together, commiserating about cracked roads, poor driving conditions and the infamous dibs system.

Now, a car-sharing service new to the Second City wants to make that Chicago driving experience even more intimate by offering vehicle owners a chance to rent out their cars when they're not in use.

For an hourly rental fee as low as $3, subscribers to Getaround can borrow a local's car using the company's smart phone app, which coordinates the exchange, right down to remotely unlocking the vehicle (participating cars must install a keyless entry system).

Car owners will pocket about two-thirds of the assessed rental fee, excluding insurance costs, averaging about $350 according to a release from the company. Renters are responsible for a $500 deductible in the event of damage.

“Chicago is a natural fit for Getaround,” Sam Zaid, CEO and founder, said according to a release. “We believe that the city is ready for a new and different way to think about car ownership, and are thrilled to be one step closer to solving car overpopulation."

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel called the company's Chicago launch "a win-win for the city and its residents," according to a release.

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