WaiveCar — Ad-Supported Car-Sharing Program In LA Lets You Drive For Free

A new ad-supported carsharing program was recently launched in Los Angeles, giving residents the option of “renting” a Chevy Spark EV for 2 hours for free, according to recent reports.

As one should be able to surmise, the new program pays for itself via the advertising signs mounted on the roofs of the cars — that said, users are apparently billed for usage greater than 2 hours at a time (at $6 an hour).

The new service is known as “WaiveCar.” As alluded to above, it utilizes a fleet of 20 of Chevy’s popular electric compliance car model, the Spark EV. The company is apparently aiming to grow this fleet to number 200 vehicles within the near future, though.

Green Car Reports provides more:

“We’re giving to the lower-income people that need cars,” and taking from wealthy companies that pay for advertising, WaiveCar CEO Isaac Deutsch told Digital Trends.

…The WaiveCar fleet currently consists of Chevrolet Spark EV electric cars, so its business model dovetails nicely with current state policies. California lawmakers are eager to give lower-income individuals greater access to electric cars. New rules for the state’s incentive program increase the size of purchase rebates for lower-income buyers, and add income caps on eligibility. But free two-hour car rentals could be an effective solution as well, assuming WaiveCar’s model scales up successfully.

The service’s recent launch was a soft one of sorts — with availability only available in Santa Monica and Venice Beach, as of right now. Following this trial period, the service will then be expanded elsewhere — presuming that all goes well, that is.

The service is operated via a dedicated smartphone app.