Perodua partners universities for app-based car rentals

KUALA LUMPUR: Perodua has partnered with three local universities to introduce UCar-e, an app-based car rental service for students and university staff.

The participating institutions are Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM), Universiti Putra Malaysia and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia’s Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology.

The initiative is part of Perodua’s “Mobility as a Lifestyle” strategy, which aims to shift the focus from traditional vehicle ownership towards service-based mobility solutions.

Through the app, users can locate, book and access vehicles parked at designated locations on campus, with specific parking zones allocated for vehicle returns after use.

The service is expected to commence this month and will be implemented in stages, depending on each university’s readiness.

Perodua president and chief executive officer Datuk Seri Zainal Abidin Ahmad said the company will initially deploy 50 vehicles across the three universities.

This will allow students and staff to travel between their accommodation and lecture halls within campus grounds.

“We want to make this experience as simple and hassle-free as possible for students and staff.

“Perodua is also working closely with the respective universities to appoint students to manage the vehicles, including maintaining cleanliness, monitoring fuel level, and ensuring proper upkeep.

“In return, the student will receive commission-based payments,” he said in a statement.

Zainal said many Gen Z consumers are increasingly prioritising access to mobility over vehicle ownership as rising maintenance costs, limited parking availability and traffic congestion drive demand for alternative transportation solutions.

The initiative was recently launched at Inasis Perodua in UUM, in a ceremony attended by UUM vice-chancellor Prof Dr Ahmad Martadha Mohamed.

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المصدر: New Straits Times