Mercedes’ Croove private car-sharing platform expands to Berlin

25 April 2017 Croove is a private car-sharing platform developed by Mercedes-Benz which aims to connect people who want to provide and rent vehicles privately. The pilot project was launched in Munich late in 2016 and was introduced in Berlin in mid-April, with plans to roll it out in other German cities. According to the Daimler press release, ′Using the app or website, renters can seek a private vehicle in Berlin that meets their specifications and price expectations. Owners create an online profile with the details of their vehicle, including any optional equipment. The person renting out their vehicle can set their own price or Croove can help with this to balance supply and demand. Vehicles must be in good condition and no more than 15 years old. Renters (minimum age 21, must hold a valid driving licence) simply have to register and then they can contact vehicle owners via the app or website and arrange appointments. It is possible to either collect the vehicle in person or pay extra for a pickup and delivery service. In future, Croove intends to make keyless access possible. Payment is made electronically via the app.’ The Croove platform of free-roaming, peer-to-peer car sharing complements Daimler’s Car2Go car-sharing scheme, which recently announced a 23% increase in rental volume in Q1 2017. Manufacturers are increasingly eyeing profit in car sharing as driverless vehicles change the ownership landscape. So-called ′station-based car sharing’ services such as Car2Go also received a boost recently as the German Parliament passed a car sharing law which gives providers a legal basis for the establishment of reserved parking spaces in public areas. Croove is a project developed by Daimler’s CASE (Connected, Autonomous, Shared & Services and Electric) division which ′brings together the strategic topics of the future for Mercedes-Benz Cars in one unit’ according to the press release.