Ola launches self driven car sharing service

Mobility platform Ola on Thursday announced the launch of ‘Ola Drive’, a self-driven car-sharing service. The service has been initially rolled out in about five locations in Bengaluru. The company has launched the service with 500 vehicles and plans to scale up to 20,000 cars by 2020. It also enables users to design their own package, controlling everything from the number of kilometers and hours to fuel inclusion, the company said in a statement.

Ola said customers can use the service for 2 hours onwards and the cars will be equipped with 'Ola Play', enabled through a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment device, and will include GPS, media playback, and Bluetooth connectivity. Users will also have access to the platform’s support and safety features. Users can book a car of their choice for a time period of two hours onwards by paying a security deposit starting at Rs 2,000.

Arun Srinivas, Chief Sales, and Marketing Officer, at Ola, said: “We are very excited to launch the Ola Drive category. In the first phase of its roll-out, it will be offered as a short-term self-drive car-sharing service as we look to introduce long-term subscriptions, corporate leasing, and more options in the times to come."

Ola will introduce the service to users in Bengaluru through pick-up stations located across different residential and commercial hubs. The company said that it is investing about $200 million for expansion in this space.