Peer-to-peer carshare Getaround arrives in Hawaii

Getaround, a peer-to-peer carsharing service that allows hosts to rent their cars by the hour, continued its aggressive expansion this week with entry into Hawaii, the 10th state it has expanded to in 2021.

Getaround, which was founded in 2009 in San Francisco, now operates in more than 850 cities throughout Europe and the U.S., where it is in 22 states and Washington, D.C.

It announced its expansion into Hawaii on Wednesday.

The company’s technology allows for contactless transactions. Guests may use their phones to find, book and unlock vehicles directly from the Get­around app 24/7. The concept is similar to Turo, which has been in Hawaii for some time but doesn’t offer rental rates of less than a day.

Pat Notti, Getaround’s vice president of marketplace and operations, told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser on Thursday that Hawaii is an attractive market because it offers the opportunity to serve residential customers as well as visitors.

“Hawaii touches both of those user groups really well,” Notti said.

Hawaii faces a number of challenges when it comes to traffic and adequate transportation on the islands, Notti said. Getaround can help since one carsharing vehicle, on average, replaces nine to 13 vehicles on the road, he said.

Getaround will provide opportunities for island residents to earn extra income by sharing idle cars.

“With people working from home or having more flexibility in their work schedule, you see a lot of people diving into side hustles,” he said. “Getaround has definitely been a place that people have gravitated to.”

Like ridesharing companies such as Uber and Lyft, rates fluctuate based on demand, but Notti said they generally range from about $8 to $10 an hour. Trips of longer duration typically have lower hourly rates, he said.

Owners usually pocket about 60% of the price, with 40% or so going back to Get­around to cover trip insurance and other fees.

Notti did not answer the Star-Advertiser’s question about how many car owners have joined Getaround in Hawaii, but said the company intends to expand its services on Oahu to the neighbor islands.

Hawaii residents Adam and Sheri Laurich are among Getaround’s first Hawaii hosts. The couple, who relocated to Honolulu when Adam, who serves in the U.S. Army Reserve, was stationed here, are capitalizing on rental car shortages with a fleet of 13 vehicles on Getaround.

“The primary reason we host our cars on Getaround is due to the ease of the whole booking process. We don’t have to go to where a specific car is to meet our guests or hand over the keys,” he said in a statement. “They just book and unlock it all through the app. It’s a very easy, contactless process.”