US-based carsharing firm Getaround has expanded its reach to Europe with the $300m (£229.6m) acquisition of fellow carsharing platform Drivy.

The combined company now spans 300 cities in the US and Europe, adding locations in six European countries: France, Germany, Spain, Austria, Belgium and the UK. Drivy hosts 55,000 cars with a community of 2.5m, taking the combined number of customers between the firms over 5m.

The Drivy app enables users to locate and unlock participating cars using their smartphone. Customers can choose their car from the available nearby options, with the ability to filter by car type, price and other features.

The entire trip is managed within the app, and includes 100 miles per day. The trip is fully insured by Allianz and covered by 24/7 roadside assistance with the AA. Users then use the app to check out and end the trip, leaving the keys inside the car and locking it with their phone.

Paulin Dementhon, founder and chief executive of Drivy, believes that carsharing will replace car ownership in large urban markets in the future, meeting customer demands for instant and flexible transportation options. He said: “Connected technology, frictionless user experience, and increased car fleet density are the keys to this evolution, as they make it more convenient to use a shared car than your own.

“Getaround is an ideal partner for us because our companies are aligned in so many ways while being complementary on key aspects of our business, like geography or fleet acquisition.”

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“We are thrilled to be joining forces with the Drivy team as we move closer to our vision of creating a world where all cars are connected and shared,” added Sam Zaid, founder and chief executive of Getaround. “As the leading European carsharing marketplace, Drivy has built a strong business with products, teams, and values that closely align with ours at Getaround, making for a natural integration for our employees and users.”