While GM, BMW, Lime and others are getting out of the car sharing service, Penske plans to enter it. The Penske corporation has now its new ride sharing service called Penske Dash.
Penske has joined forces with with Ridecell Inc. to launch Penske Dash in Arlington, Virginia and Washington, D.C. The new car sharing service will offer users the opportunity to rent a Volkwagen Jetta SE by the minute, hour or day through a mobile app, with rates ranging from 45 cents per minute to $85 for a full day. A one hour rental will cost users $15. the service is targeting the short distance market, customers may not exceed 200 miles in the car per rental. Like Zipcar, cars must be left in parking spaces selected by Penske. In Arlington, the service is limited to street parking, while in Washington, these spots will be located in garages and lots throughout the city.
We are excited to bring a new mobility option to Washington, DC and Arlington, bolstered by Penske’s longstanding commitment to quality and customer service,” said Michael Montri, chief operating officer of Penske Dash. “From the technology used, to the upkeep of our vehicles, to customer and roadside support, every facet of Penske Dash was designed to provide our members with the highest-quality and most consistent carsharing experience possible. From here, we plan to evolve with the needs of these communities, listening closely to their feedback, to not only create but maintain a best-in-class carsharing service.”
Local operations will be led by Paul DeLong, who previously served as President and CEO of Car2Go North America and brings with him expertise in carsharing operations and the specific launch markets. DeLong said –
“We believe Washington, DC and Arlington are ideal markets to launch Penske Dash due to the commitment of each municipality to provide flexible mobility choices, and the local residents’ familiarity with the benefits of carsharing.”
Penske Corporation Chairman Roger Penske said –
“Penske Dash furthers our commitment to embrace new technologies while addressing the mobility needs for our consumers. As Mobility as a Service and the sharing economy develop, we will continue to leverage the expertise of our strong partners and our expertise in transportation services to remain at the forefront of new leading transportation solutions.”
The Ridecell platform enables companies to shared mobility services such as carsharing, or optimize the operational efficiencies and fleet utilization of an existing shared mobility service to improve profitability. The Ridecell platform APIs allow for instant driver verification, payment processing, on-demand reservations, demand/supply balancing, and fleet operations.
