INAUTONEWS discusses MINI's new car-sharing option and says, in part:
The brand has now launched a program that allows buyers to try and recuperate part of the cost by simply renting out their vehicle when not in use. Numerous traditional carmakers have been hard at work trying to figure out a way to remain relevant in a rapidly changing environment, with a generation of drivers that increasingly skimp the car ownership practice in favor of convenient car sharing schemes – exploited rapidly by numerous startups and car rental companies. The Mini brand will build on the already established BMW DriveNow car-sharing scheme, allowing Mini owners to have the same smartphone app for third-party drivers paying a part of the earnings. The Mini concept comes with a twist, though, in a bid to bring the best of both worlds – with Peter Schwarzenbauer, the BMW board member responsible for the Mini brand saying the idea was based on accommodation web site Airbnb, which facilitates the access to other people’s lodging.
