Canadian startup car-sharing company CityFlitz is rolling out $1/day car rentals, with rentals up to one week.
$1.00? Take that, Zipcar!
This isn’t Hertz, to be sure. The service is, at first, limited to the Toronto area. (Vancouver is in their sights.) Vehicles are small (easy to park!), such as Mini Coopers or Smart cars.
The catch? The cars will be covered with ads. You’ll be a driving billboard. And you’ll be expected to drive a minimum of 30km (18.6 miles). But the rental costs you a single loonie.
Friend of the blog Dr. Vino guest-posted about ad-supported rental cars in Paris a year ago. It’s spreading.
You may not want to use the service if you’re picking up a client and taking them to lunch. But for personal use in town, it’s certainly a cheap option.
Unlike, say, airlines that slather their seatback trays or interiors with ads, and yet charge you a hefty airfare, there’s a real discount here for putting up with advertising. And as long as you’re driving, you don’t even have to be subjected to the ads yourself.
Would you drive around in a mobile billboard for a dollar a day? Hit the comments.
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August 21st, 2008 at 8:42 am
Hrm. I dunno that I have to. I mean, to get a compact from the car agency, how expensive? Or from Zip or their other competitors (there’s one here in Chi-town, but I can’t recall the name)? If I were considerably more strapped, then yes. But at current level of income and security, they are hideously tacky. Beyond ugly.
Maybe depends on where I am. If I were in Curacao, maybe. In a metro area, probably not. I don’t want the attention.
August 21st, 2008 at 8:55 am
yes, definitely, for a dollar?! cheaper than the TTC – which is definitely NOT the better way.
August 21st, 2008 at 10:18 pm
absolutely!
August 22nd, 2008 at 12:54 am
Absolutely — no brainer with ads from businesses like Yahoo. When the local “gentleman’s club” starts buying ad space, I might have think about it for a moment. With taxes, fees, etc. that’s at least a $30/day savings, ~$10000/year!
August 25th, 2008 at 9:15 am
Yes – absolutely – no problem altogether – might even pay a premium over the $1 if it was a brand I liked!
;¬)
Kuzzer
August 26th, 2008 at 10:53 pm
I’ll rent the ad car for personal use and business use that don’t require direct contact with clients.
August 27th, 2008 at 5:20 am
I’d totally rent one of these cars.
September 8th, 2008 at 11:40 am
Maybe, depending on the advertiser. Yahoo (as shown)? OK. Viagra? No, thanks.