Airport car sharing service eyes expansion

Hungarian startup BeeRides has partnered with German investor innogy Innovation Hub to expand its airport car sharing service. After Budapest and Dortmund, the next target is Düsseldorf, according to a press release sent to the Budapest Business Journal.

When people travel abroad and park at airports, the majority of their cars sit unused for several days. Travelers spend HUF 2 billion a year on parking in the vicinity of Budapestʼs Ferenc Liszt International Airport, while many tourists coming to Budapest are looking for a mobility solution. BeeRides offers car owners the opportunity to share their car and make money, according to the press release.

BeeRides offers a fully automated system, operating 24/7. The administration is fast, due to the online user interface, contract and payment made online, and "smart lockers" at the airport, which allow drivers to pick up car keys without waiting, says the company.

Currently more than half of transactions are made by recurring customers. According to an internal estimate at BeeRides, customers have earned or saved about HUF 150 million through car sharing, says Gergő Kálcsics, co-CEO of the startup.

Since its start, BeeRides has received a total of EUR 1.4 mln in investment, the most recent earlier this year by German investment fund innogy Innovation Hub.