Making money by renting your car out when you’re not driving it could get much easier next year, thanks to a pilot program from Toyota and San Francisco-based startup Getaround.The concept is not new: Getaround already installs its hardware and software in your car to allow its customers to unlock the doors with their mobile devices, much like Zipcar or Car2Go. But Toyota’s execution is much different. Instead of requiring professional installation, the Japanese automaker has designed a “Smart Key Box” that can be placed in a vehicle without modification.The box communicates with smartphones via Bluetooth, allowing users to lock and unlock doors and start the engine with their smartphone. Toyota didn’t say how its box will communicate with the car, but The Verge reports that any new Prius or any Lexus can participate in the pilot program, suggesting that those models come from the factory with compatible interfaces.
The pilot will kick off for Getaround users in San Francisco in January. Toyota isn’t making any concrete promises on expansion after that, but the company said in a news release that it is interested in expanding in Japan and eventually allowing car lessees to use the income generated from car sharing to pay for leasing charges.
As for Getaround, the startup has car sharing networks in Portland, Chicago, and Washington, D.C., in addition to the Bay Area. It also recently received a $10 million investment from Toyota, signalling that the Japanese automaker is interested in more than just artificial intelligence and connected cars.
Over the summer, Elon Musk said Tesla EV owners will have the option to add their vehicle to a shared fleet once autonomous driving goes mainstream. “Have it generate income for you while you’re at work or on vacation, significantly offsetting and at times potentially exceeding the monthly loan or lease cost,” Musk said at the time.
