Toyota has developed and launched a new car-sharing service around Honolulu, Hawaii. The service allows islanders and tourists to access Toyota vehicles at car-sharing stations on the island of Oahu. The service is run through an app called “Hui Car Share”.
In the app description, Toyota states that “Hui is round-trip, station-based care share service developed by Toyota Connected and Servo Pacific Inc. Vehicles are available 24/7 and can be booked by the hour or day, now or in the future. There’s no fee to sign up or required monthly commitment. Book, change, or cancel reservations all from your smartphone”.
In Hawaiian, Hui means club or association and Toyota hopes that their service will create a community of users on the island.
Zack Hicks, the chief digital officer of Toyota Motor North America and the president of TCNA, stated that “the program is simple to use and more convenient than a traditional car rental service–plus typical add-ons like gas and insurance are included in the reservation cost”.
Though a monthly subscription is not required, Toyota does offer an “Elite” plan for $14.95 per month. The plan is geared towards more drivers who spend more time on the road. The Elite plan includes the Camry XSE at $13.95 per hour (or $111.60 a day) and the Prius at $9.95 per hour (or $79.60 a day). Toyota also plans on offering a monthly “Freedom” membership. The hourly and daily rates will be higher under this membership.
Hui offers 25 pick-up locations throughout the area where service users will be able to pick a car from a choice of 70 Toyotas and Lexus vehicles. The app uses the Smart Key Box technology to allow access to the keys. This process is done through the app and the keys must be dropped off at the same place it was picked up.
We still do not know if Toyota plans to expand the car-sharing app to other cities and it seems like Hui is a test run for their newly developed service.
Featured Image via Flickr/Anthony Quintano
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