Interview: Silvercar CEO on Evolving With Shifts in Customer Behavior
Photo Credit: A Silvercar promotional photo showing its app. According to CEO Luke Schneider, Silvercar's customers use the service for both leisure and business travel. Silvercar
Skift Take
Silvercar remains an interesting outlier in the car rental space. As part of Audi, it will be interesting to see how it grows its operation in the U.S. as self-driving vehicles hit the mainstream.
Since its launch in 2012, Silvercar has taken a different path than the major car rental players.
By offering one premium car, the Audi A4, and allowing travelers to rent a vehicle using a mobile app, Silvercar anticipated the ways that shifting consumer behavior would disrupt ground transportation in recent years. Instead of going after the mass market with a wide variety of cars and locations, Silvercar simplified the process for upscale vacationers and business travelers.
Audi acquired Silvercar in 2017, a sign of the shifting dynamics as automakers become more like technology companies that create their own digital platforms to serve consumers. Silvercar has now expanded to 18 locations across the U.S. and offers the Audi Q5 SUV as a second vehicle option.
According to Silvercar CEO Luke Schneider, who joined the company after serving as chief technology officer for Zipcar, the wider ground transportation ecosystem has evolved to remove the biggest pain points for traveler
