The luxury car-rental startup Silvercar is being acquired by Audi.
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Audi purchased Silvercar when?
- With the purchase or lease of an Audi vehicle from the 2019 model year or later, new Audi clients are given seven days of Silvercar by Audi rental cars at no additional cost.
- Through the Silvercar by Audi network, Audi customers can purchase an Audi A4, A5 Cabriolet, Audi Q5, or an Audi Q7.
- Program provides a first in the premium market and improves customer satisfaction by tying ownership to on-the-go transportation requirements.
Monday, August 19, 2019 HERNDON, Va Today, Audi of America unveiled the “Always Audi” customer loyalty program. Customers who buy or lease an Audi in 2019 or later will receive seven rental days with Silvercar by Audi, the hassle-free, all-Audi car rental service available in 26 Silvercar locations countrywide, at no extra cost. These days can be utilized individually.
Cian O’Brien, interim president and chief operating officer of Audi of America, said that this new service “deepens our relationships with Silvercar and offers clients even more possibilities to experience Audi.” Our customers can now travel with their beloved Audi in tow thanks to this program.
As part of its ongoing efforts to develop a portfolio of mobility goods and services that provide customers with more access and flexibility, Audi bought Silvercar in 2017. There are presently four vehicles available from Silvercar by Audi, including the Audi A4, Audi A5 Cabriolet, Audi Q5 SUV, and Audi Q7 SUV. The launch of travel accoutrements, like free Peg Perego luxury car seats and pet carriers, has helped made traveling hassle-free. In the past year, Silvercar has grown quickly, opening 26 stores around the country.
According to Matt Carpenter, CEO of Silvercar by Audi, “Silvercar and Audi establish a network that allows clients choice and access to the brand in a way that best fits their lifestyle.”
With this new initiative, our clients can now directly connect their Audi ownership experience with their on-the-go mobility needs, which is an industry first for the premium market.
Customers can rent current or prior model year Silvercar by Audi vehicles that come fully equipped with onboard Wi-Fi for passenger use, GPS navigation, and SiriusXM satellite radio always included at no extra charge. All Silvercar customers will still enjoy a reasonable fuel plan, unlimited mileage, and no extra charges for car seat rentals.
Does Silvercar still operate?
Audi’s car-rental service, Silvercar, is closing its airport sites and focusing exclusively on dealer-based pickup. Silvercar, which the manufacturer fully acquired in 2017, sets itself apart from other airport rental companies by only providing Audi vehicles and emphasizing an app-first experience.
The Audi A4 sedan was the only rate and vehicle type originally intended. Although Silvercar’s rates weren’t always less expensive than those of more well-known companies like Hertz and Enterprise, the company made the guarantee that you’d always get the car you wanted along with benefits like free in-car WiFi hotspot access.
Since then, Silvercar has added more vehicles to its lineup, including the A5 Cabriolet for sun-seeking drivers and SUVs like the Q5 and Q7 for those who require more room or seats. Additionally, it started opening dealership locations outside of its primary airport presence. Audi will now concentrate on that area of the business.
Silvercar will stop using its airport locations as of December 6 and only use dealerships. In the process, it will shift its focus from providing transportation for travelers to helping local residents get a car. Cars and SUVs will be rented via the Silvercar app and may be picked up completely contact-free from a secure parking area at the dealerships, reflecting the rise in social-distancing and the decline in overall travel.
Silvercar will also provide contactless delivery as an alternative, bringing the Audi to your place. The company claims that same-day service is offered and that it would adhere to CDC cleaning standards for vehicles in between loans.
Perhaps it’s not surprising that Silvercar and Audi made this choice. Although the promise of a more luxurious loan experience was always alluring, existing automobile rental providers that could provide significantly lower rates found it difficult to compete. The cost of on-airport locations, which needed some form of transit for many Silvercar facilities to an off-site pickup, the decline in air travel during the pandemic, and these factors likely rendered the existing model even less feasible.
Approximately 20 dealerships in the US already provide Silvercar, however the service is still unavailable in many areas.
Nevertheless, the change in direction enables Silvercar to diversify its product line. Audi is promoting the service as a method to bridge leases and bridge the gap between regular automobile ownership while still considering short-term loans.
“Silvercar by Audi announced its expansion to Audi dealerships all around the United States in September. All airport locations will close by December 6 in full support of that development. Customers with existing airport reservations have been informed and given the choice to cancel or complete their reservation at nearby locations, if possible, along with a $50 gift card for a future local rental.
By switching their focus from airport rentals to local rentals, Silvercar is part of a bigger initiative to build an on-demand network of Audi vehicles in urban areas that will primarily serve clients looking for flexible rental alternatives, such as daily, weekly, or monthly. Silvercar by Audi will be offered at over 25 dealerships by the end of 2020, with a number of additional sites expected to open each month beginning in 2021.”
Audi owns Dealerware, right?
With the Audi A4, Silvercar was created and established to provide a high-end rental car experience.
With its $28 million investment in Silvercar and its vision for mobility in the auto sector, Audi takes the lead.
A connected automobile platform called Dealerware has been introduced with the goal of enhancing the service experience for automotive retailers.
Beyond loaner fleet management, Dealerware enables subscription services for significant OEMs.
With 26 distinct locations, Silvercar by Audi has an extended fleet of 5 Audi vehicles.
Ten of the top 10 dealer groups and more than 25 OEM brands use Dealerware to enable contemporary fleet management for tens of thousands of vehicles.
Founder of Silvercar
Todd Belveal and Bill Diffenderffer’s inspiration for starting Silvercar came from a string of discouraging encounters at the rental car desk.
How do I always get an Audi code?
Within 2-4 business days of your vehicle’s purchase or lease, Audi Experience should send you an email with your redemption code.
Why did Silvercar cease operations?
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Out of frustration with some of the issues encountered by conventional car rental firms, Silvercar was founded in 2012. My family’s preferred method of renting automobiles across the nation was rapidly established by the business, which abandoned the conventional car rental playbook. It provided a fleet made up exclusively of Audi vehicles, and in some situations, it would pick you up and drop you off at the terminal. The business did not impose exorbitant toll or petrol station fees, nor did it impose additional costs for ski racks or premium car seats.
Audi fully purchased Silvercar in 2017, and since then there have been more pick-up locations, Audi vehicle types, a vehicle delivery option, the introduction of a rewards program based on points, and other changes.
However, it appears that 2020 will be really terrible news for passengers that use Silvercar. All of Silvercar’s airport rental locations will shut down by December 6, as was initially reported by AutoSlash and confirmed by TPG.
Several Silvercar airport stations have closed during the past few months in well-known tourist destinations, including John Wayne, Orange County (SNA), and Orlando International Airport (MCO), among others. Silvercar provided TPG with the following statement in order to corroborate the news:
“All Silvercar by Audi airport locations will close by December 6 due to the evolving travel landscape. Customers can still purchase Silvercar by Audi at our in-town and dealership locations. Customers who already made reservations for the airport have been informed and given the choice to cancel or complete their bookings at our in-town locations, where available, along with a $50 gift card for a future in-town rental. With an immediate focus on Audi dealerships, Silvercar by Audi will soon be establishing new in-town sites as it continues to quickly grow its network.
You cannot book after December 5 when you attempt to make a new Silvercar reservation at the airport pickup sites that are still open as of this day. Instead, you are limited to local and dealership sites around the United States. Local Audi dealership rental locations are listed on Silvercar’s website for places including Henderson (close to Las Vegas), Ft. Lauderdale, Denver, Seattle, Dallas, Orlando, Tampa, Houston, and more.
People who already have Silvercar bookings can modify them to pick up at one of these sites, as noted in the message.
A nearby dealership, however, may not necessarily be the best choice. Audi owner and Silvercar enthusiast Matt Lischin, whose December appointment was canceled, tells TPG: “I have rented multiple times, but never a city location; I always go to the airport. Unfortunately, this move is really inconvenient, and I can’t imagine myself in a situation where it would be necessary to travel another 30-plus minutes to a dealer after arriving (and the same in reverse).
Contacting Silvercar to inquire about other options is worthwhile if you have an airport rental. According to Autoslash, a Lyft trip from the airport to an appropriate Audi dealer location might be offered in some circumstances. However, in other circumstances, you’ll probably have to arrange a new vehicle rental reservation on your own.
I strongly suggest contacting the business in a proactive manner. In many places, it might be difficult to find cheap car bookings, especially if you need a particular kind of vehicle, like an SUV. Losing a highly sought-after holiday car rental reservation could put visitors who are planning to hit the road in an even tighter bind. This is especially alarming given the fact that there is already a rental car scarcity happening in some places.
Any clients who have had a reservation cancelled are nevertheless eligible for a $50 credit toward their subsequent in-town rental. If you are impacted by this change, be sure to acquire your discount code and apply it to your subsequent rental. You may find it useful if you need a new set of wheels to get around town because it’s a good deal.
How is Silvercar now run?
The app-based rental method at Silvercar eliminates waiting in lineups. You may easily make a Silvercar reservation either the website or the app.
After you reserve your rental, you must contact Silvercar directly to request any specialized equipment you may require, such as a car seat or ski rack. The best part is that all of the extras, including the ski rack and car seat mentioned above, are free.
Download the Silvercar app before picking up your rental even if you don’t intend to add anything to your reservation because you’ll need it to do so.
Who is Audi’s parent company?
Ten brands from five different European nations make up the Group: Audi, Lamborghini, Bentley, Porsche, Ducati, KODA, SEAT, and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles. The Volkswagen Group also has a large number of additional brands and business divisions, including financial services. Volkswagen Financial Services includes leasing, leasing for customers and dealers, banking, insurance, and fleet management services.
The Volkswagen Group is laying the groundwork for the biggest change process in its history with its NEW AUTO – Mobility for Generations to Come Group strategy and future program: the realignment of one of the best automakers to become a leading provider of sustainable mobility on a global scale. To do so, the Group will change its core automotive business, which will include, among other things, the introduction of another 30 or more fully electric vehicles by 2025 and the expansion of battery technology and autonomous driving as new key businesses.
Is Silvercar covered by Amex?
The sole vehicle Silvercar will provide is an Audi A4, which is not included in any of the exclusions. The word “luxury” on the car signifies nothing because it isn’t excluded. Exotic vehicles are sometimes subject to price restrictions, but Amex’s lowest price cap is $50,000, which is more than enough to purchase an Audi A4.
After you return the car, Silver does charge. However, they did place an authorized hold, and following the return, they will charge the card.
This is frequently a problem when using points because there is nothing to charge, which is the insurance’s need. An allowed hold isn’t the same as a charge, which is the issue with Silvercar. Although there is a hold for renting with points, it is not the same as paying with a credit card. But I’m completely relying on the fact that I’m using my Chase Visa Signature card to make the payment.
The value of Silvercar points
As was previously mentioned, Silvercar introduced its Premium Rewards reward program in the middle of 2019. This program gives loyal Silvercar customers points they can redeem for future rentals.
By clicking on your account name in the website’s upper right-hand corner, you may see your current point total. When logged in, your points balance will be displayed just beneath your user name.
How Much Are Silvercar Premium Rewards Points Worth?
Confusion sets in at this point. Silvercar doesn’t specifically mention the value of Premium Rewards points, so we decided to conduct some test searches of our own to determine a rough approximation. In order to achieve this, we looked for 1-day Audi A4 rentals in 5 different markets, averaged the cents per point, and combined the results.
Here is what we discovered:
We assign a 9.50 cent per point value to Silvercar Premium Rewards points. It’s not obvious why Silvercar doesn’t make this information available on its website, but doing so would protect Silvercar Premium Rewards from unannounced devaluations. To guard against a potential loss in value, we advise using these points as soon as feasible.
But prior to this devaluation, Silvercar Premium Rewards points are very worthwhile at 9.5 cents each. For instance, if you regularly hire Silvercars for $90, it will only take you 10 days to accrue a free rental day at that rate.
One more point: even if you choose to purchase through Silvercar, you will still be responsible for paying insurance fees and additional taxes. You can only use points to pay for the cost of the Silvercar rental alone when earning Premium Rewards points; all other Silvercar expenses are ineligible.