If there was any doubt that peer-to-peer car-sharing is an idea whose time has come, surely those fears can now be put to rest. After reporting on the emergence of such services in the United States and then Australia, we were interested to note recently that a similar offering has just launched in the UK.

Much like the other contenders we've seen, WhipCar enables London car owners to rent out their cars while they're not using them. There is no registration fee to use the site's online booking system, and owners set their own prices. WhipCar notifies owners by text and email when there is an approved driver in their area who wants to use their car; both cars and drivers are screened by WhipCar before a booking is completed. Every trip, meanwhile, is fully insured through a comprehensive insurance package that temporarily replaces the owner's existing insurance for the duration of hire. Following the end of a rental, both owners and drivers have the chance to rate each other.

By matching up car-owning sellsumers with transumers and others who don't have their own, peer-to-peer car-sharing services seem to be creating a win-win for everyone involved. Entrepreneurs in other parts of the world: how about you...?

Website: www.whipcar.com
Contact: hi@whipcar.com