Audi Rebrands its Premium Car Rental Service to ‘Audi on demand'

author: FutureCar Staff    

Luxury automaker Audi of America announced the rebranding of its "Silvercar by Audi" premium car rental service to "Audi on demand", which will also offer U.S. customers new long-term rental options for Audi vehicles.

Audi on demand, is an app-based rental platform allowing customers to pick up vehicles at participating Audi dealerships or have them delivered. As part of the rebranding to Audi on demand, the automaker expanded the variety of vehicles available to rent, as well as adding more dealerships. 

Via the app, customers can opt to pick up their vehicle at a local dealer or request to have the vehicle delivered to their location, saving them a trip. However, Audi says its cannot deliver its rental vehicles to airports.

Audi on demand is part of the automaker's efforts to offer more convenient and flexible mobility options for U.S. customers. The service was expanded to include the new fully-electric Audi e-tron Sportback, making Audi the first and only company to offer the premium SUV as a rental vehicle.

Audi also offers insurance options for the rented vehicles.

In addition to the electric e-tron Sportback, customers can choose from a range of Audi sedans and SUVs, including the Q5, Q7 and A5 Sportback sedan. Every vehicle comes with Wi-Fi and SiriusXM Satellite Radio, with an infotainment system that supports both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

"Consumer behaviors are changing and Audi is listening. Audi on demand allows us to meet the growing need for short-term and long-term mobility experiences – local rental options, longer test drives, flexible short-term transportation, and lease bridges – addressing consumer demands and expectations in today's rapidly changing travel environment," said Sara Whiffen, VP of Strategy, Mobility & Retail Operations at Audi of America.

How Audi on demand works

Participating Audi dealers in the U.S. offer a variety of Audi vehicles for daily, weekly or monthly rental periods. In some cases, customers can rent vehicles for up to one year. The dealers also provide convenient pickup and delivery options for the rented vehicles. Audi requests that customers provide seven days notice of when the rental period starts. However, the automaker says it can make exceptions in certain cases. 

Rental pricing varies by region and vehicle. In San Jose, California, the electric e-tron costs $122 a day to rent, while the Q5 SUV costs $84 per day. Monthly rental for the Q5 is $2,525 in San Jose. Audi also offers optional zero financial responsibility insurance on the Q5, which costs an additional $54.07 per day. Other insurance costs vary by vehicle. Zero liability insurance protection on the Q7 for example, is $64.07/day.

For renters of the e-tron, upon return the EV must have at least a 10% battery charge. If an e-tron is returned with a lower state of charge, Audi will charge an administration fee of $100, which covers increased vehicle turnaround time and involvement of staff to charge the vehicle.

Monthly mileage allowance Audi on demand vehicles is 1,000 miles. For longer term rentals, these miles also don't carry over month to month. Additional monthly miles are charged $0.30/mile.

Audi on demand services are currently available at 38 U.S. Audi dealerships, with more being added by the end of the year.

FutureCar Staff