{"id":2025,"date":"2016-07-11T10:03:57","date_gmt":"2016-07-11T17:03:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/turo.com\/blog\/?p=2025"},"modified":"2025-03-31T07:10:25","modified_gmt":"2025-03-31T14:10:25","slug":"auto-startups-for-smooth-operating","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/turo.com\/blog\/news\/auto-startups-for-smooth-operating\/","title":{"rendered":"Auto startups for smooth operating"},"content":{"rendered":"

Owning or driving a car can offer the ultimate freedom, but that doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s all fun and games. From buying and selling cars to keeping them clean, there\u2019s always some auto business to be taken care of, and a flurry of auto startups are here to help out.<\/span><\/p>\n

Perfect parking <\/span><\/h3>\n

For the Cher Horowitzes of the world, the startup <\/span>Luxe<\/span> can provide you with valet service everywhere you go, so you\u2019ll never be forced to parallel park in platforms, ever again. However, if you\u2019re still planning to maneuver into your own spot, <\/span>Parker<\/span> can ease some parking anxiety by finding paid parking, empty spots, or navigating street parking rules wherever you are. For those with big plans, <\/span>ParkWhiz<\/span><\/a> allows users to prepay (with a discount) for spots at the airport, special events, or in cities all over the country.<\/span><\/p>\n

Car connections<\/span><\/h3>\n

To quell the uneasy \u201cthis must be a con\u201d feeling often associated with buying or selling a previously-owned car, <\/span>Shift<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>Beepi<\/span> offer streamlined platforms to connect car buyers to car sellers. Both startups aim for transparency, include a rigorous car inspection, and conveniently deliver cars for test drives and purchase.<\/span><\/p>\n

Carting the kiddies<\/span><\/h3>\n

Kids know how to do a lot of things these days, but unfortunately, they still can\u2019t drive themselves to their own engagements. <\/span>HopSkipDrive<\/span><\/a>, founded by three business professionals who are also moms, allows you set up rides for kids, so that vetted, experienced CareDrivers get them to their activities. Currently, service is only available in LA and Orange County, but will be coming soon to San Francisco and the East Bay.<\/span><\/p>\n

Full coverage<\/span><\/h3>\n

Insurance is not the most whimsical part of driving, but it\u2019s necessary. If you\u2019re looking for the quickest way to compare insurance prices, <\/span>The Zebra<\/span> offers the largest price comparison database in the US, with instant quotes from over 200 companies.<\/span><\/p>\n

Meanwhile, <\/span>Metromile<\/span> is a startup founded on the basic logic that the biggest risk factor in auto insurance is how much time you spend on the road. They provide a wireless device that collects your driving mileage and charges you based on the miles you drive.<\/span><\/p>\n

Power up<\/span><\/h3>\n

If you\u2019re driving an EV long distances, you know how important it is to be able to charge your battery. <\/span>PlugShare<\/span> is an app that shows a map of over 40,000 charging locations, public and private (many electric car enthusiasts are game to share their home charging stations) across the US and Canada, and even more around the world. <\/span><\/p>\n

For those who prefer the open source, community-built version, <\/span>Open Charge Map<\/span><\/a> offers detailed information on the capabilities of charging stations, including photos, as well as a navigation function for accessing charge sites.<\/span><\/p>\n

Clean machines<\/span><\/h3>\n

A trip to the car wash can is never what you\u2019re hoping to do with your free time. Instead, while your car is hanging out doing nothing at work or at home, you can schedule a professional to come by and give it a solid cleaning \u2014 in the case of <\/span>Wype<\/span><\/a>, a totally waterless one. This is great news for the average busy person, but could also be a huge perk for Turo car owners.<\/span><\/p>\n

These startups tend to be pretty localized, but for those out west, <\/span>Wype<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>Squeegy<\/span> provide on-site washes in the Los Angeles area, and <\/span>Washos<\/span><\/a> is available in LA, San Francisco, and Las Vegas. <\/span>Spiffy<\/span><\/a> makes cars sparkle in North Carolina, and <\/span>Wash\u00e9<\/span><\/a> gives cars the towel treatment in Boca Raton, FL.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Owning or driving a car can offer the ultimate freedom, but that doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s all fun and games. From buying and selling cars to keeping them clean, there\u2019s always…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":2036,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[72,39],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2025","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-insights","category-news"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t