Chrysler to Lease Pacifica Minivans to Kid-Focused Ride Company

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV’s Chrysler unit says it will provide special lease rates for its Pacifica Hybrid minivans to DoLightful Inc‘s Kango ride service for children.

A fleet of Pacifica minivans will be used by pre-screened Kango drivers starting this autumn to transport children in the San Francisco Bay area. Lease terms weren’t announced.

Kango, which also provides childcare services, claims to be the only service in the U.S. insured to drive children of any age. Kango's drivers and caregivers all have previous childcare experience and are certified, fingerprinted and background checked—including driving records.

Users can schedule same-day or pre-scheduled rides and can meet drivers in advance upon request. Kango also provides multi-family carpools, picking up neighboring children or several kids from an after-school activity. The company provides booster seats as necessary.

California-based DoLightful and Kango were launched two years ago by co-founders Sara Schaer and Kaliyuga Sivakumar, both of whom previously were executives for online photo-sharing specialist Snapfish.com. There now are more than 250 Kango drivers in San Francisco.