Toyota has announced the launch of Hui, a car-sharing service in Hawaii that will allow users to rent vehicles through reservations made on a smartphone application. Toyota, the world’s largest automobile company, will join a horde of competitors that are continuously introducing new mobility solutions to mitigate any future risk of low vehicles sales.
According to sources, the Toyota Hui service will commence in Honolulu and consist of up to 70 cars spread over 25 locations across the city. The vehicles available for renting will include the well-known Toyota Prius and Camry, along with two other models of Toyota’s luxury car brand, Lexus.
Toyota confirmed that the minimum rate of renting a vehicle would be USD 9.95 per hour or USD 79.95 per day and the rates will apparently increase depending on the vehicle model. The prices would be inclusive of the fuel and insurance costs. Reports confirm that the company is also aiming to offer monthly memberships for the Hui car-sharing service to attract frequent drivers amidst high competition that is already prevalent in Hawaii.
Reportedly, the automaker is working on introducing a pay-as-you-go membership model for Hui which will not require any monthly fees but will have higher hourly and daily charges. Furthermore, the rented cars can be unlocked using a technology named Smart Key Box on the smartphone app and will need to be returned to the original pick-up location, as per sources.
Zack Hicks, who is the CEO of Toyota Connect and the chief digital officer of Toyota Motor North America, made a statement describing the Hui program as an easy to use service which is more convenient than other traditional car sharing services. Hui customers will benefit from additional features, like gas and insurance being included within the car reservation cost, he further added.
