Hopp Offers Short-Term Electric Car Rental in Reykjavík

Hopp Reykjavík, which since 2019 has been operating an electric scooter sharing service, has expanded its service to include electric cars, mbl.is reports. The cars can be rented short-term, using the Hopp app.

Ten electric cars are available for short-term rent during the first phase of the project. “Those ten cars are meant to [help us] gauge the demand, collect data, test our app and develop our service,” states Sæunn Ósk Unnsteinsdóttir, managing director of Hopp Reykjavík.

The service was formally launched Friday, when Reykjavík Mayor Dagur B. Eggertsson drove the first car from Reykjavík City Hall, and University of Iceland students drove from the City Hall to the University.

The service is offered in cooperation with the car rental Höldur – Bílaleiga Akureyrar, a franchisee for Europcar. “They are a good fit for us, because Höldur – Bílaleiga Akureyrar has a solid environmental policy,” Sæunn Ósk states. “That’s why we cooperate with them and [they] provide the cars … Residents are asking for more diverse transportation, and we’re excited to see how this will be received by customers.”

To begin with, the service will be limited to Reykjavík. Starting the car costs ISK 300, and there is an ISK 45 charge per minute.

You find the car by using the Hopp app, go to the car and scan the QR code that’s on it. The first time you rent one of the cars, you need to verify your driver’s license and accept conditions. The cars can be parked in any legal parking spots, even where parking is not free.

Sæunn Ósk states that renting cars short-term is a rapidly growing market in neighboring countries. “This is a major transportation issue, in addition to making it easier for people to live a car-free lifestyle, or have one car instead of two,” she concludes.