Penske Launches Car-Sharing Program

Penske Corp. is launching a dockless car-sharing scheme in partnership with San Francisco-based startup Ridecell Inc.

The service, called Penske Dash, debuts this week in Washington, D.C., and Arlington, Va. Initially, rentals will be limited to Volkswagen Jetta compact cars.

Members can rent cars for as little as 45 cents per minute, $15 an hour or $85 per day. Discounts are available for three- and six-hour rentals at $40 and $70, respectively. Users can place their orders through Ridecell’s mobile app platform.

The vehicles can be picked up and parked at any unrestricted public parking spot in the participating cities. Penske Dash also has reserved spots at select parking garages.

Dash is a joint venture between Penske and its Transportation Solutions unit. The car-sharing business will be headed by Paul DeLong, who previously was CEO of Daimler AG’s Car2Go car-rental operations in North America. That business is now part of the Share Now joint venture that Daimler and BMW AG launched earlier this year.

The launch comes as several competitors are scaling back their car-sharing and vehicle subscription programs. Automotive News notes that Share Now and General Motors Co.’s Maven mobility brand intend to stop offering car-sharing services in several U.S. markets this year.