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The Irish travel-tech company will provide its booking system for Uber Rent as it begins expansion in the US.
CarTrawler has inked a deal with Uber to power the company’s car rental service.
Uber Rent is live in Australia, New Zealand, the UK and France and is now being expanded in the US. The service allows people to browse and book cars for renting through the Uber app.
Irish travel-tech company CarTrawler, which was acquired last year by TowerBrook for €100m, will provide its online booking platform for users of Uber’s app in the US.
“Crucially, this is a critical moment for the car rental market, as two of the most innovative travel-technology organisations come together to create a unique car rental proposition,” CarTrawler chief commercial officer Aileen McCormack said.
“The partnership will bring best-in-market car rental services to its widest audience yet, enabling more people than ever to travel in a way that is cheaper, easier and more sustainable. And as we see more positive signs of recovery globally and cities opening up, CarTrawler and Uber will set the world in motion by getting people moving again.”
The two companies claim that car rentals will help reshape transport post-pandemic, especially in urban settings, and to reduce dependency on private car ownership – a familiar tenet of Uber’s ride-hailing business.
“As we partner on this and future endeavours together, we’re committed to creating a stellar rental vehicle experience defined by more options and less stress,” Caleb Varner, global head of Uber Rent, said.
The Uber partnership adds to a series of deals signed by CarTrawler. It recently partnered with Hopper, a travel booking app that also includes car rentals. In February, it renewed a deal with AXA Partners, which underwrites CarTrawler’s car rental insurance business.
The company has several partnerships with airlines and other travel companies. Much like every other tech company in the travel space, CarTrawler has had a tough year but appears to be banking on a return to travel as economies slowly emerge from the pandemic.
