Audi On Demand Now Available in the UK
Slideshow: The on-call service has launched in Manchester and will be extending to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Newcastle, Birmingham, and London by the closing of the year.
With the push of a button
The ever-growing program by Audi that brings the brand values of the marque to the on-call vehicle use has made its way across the pond. While the car-sharing program is only available in San Francisco stateside, the UK set has a far sunnier outlook. With services like Audi On Demand and Turo, gone are the days of waiting in tedious lines at traditional rental services like Enterprise and Hertz.
Just have a good time
Launched almost two years ago, Audi On Demand is the auto brand's premium car rental program. Want to try out an A6 3.0 TFSI Quattro for a day or two? No problem. How about a special date with your significant other punched up by the presence of a V10 R8? Reserve it and you're good to go.
The nitty gritty
Okay, I know that was very oversimplified but it's pretty close to the experience users can look forward to. However, I'll take this time to go through exactly what users will need to do in order to procure some time behind the wheel. Sign up on the on-demand website that pertains to your area (UK or US). After registering, you will then select the dates you'd like to rent the car for and then the type of vehicle you'll want. The car can then be picked up on that day at an Audi center or be delivered within a 30-minute distance from that location. If you're picking it up from a hub then getting the car happens just from simply flashing the QR code that will be generated when you created your booking.
Put aside all RS fantasies
The list of available cars for the program is continually growing as the program is maturing. At the time of this article, the list includes a wide variety of vehicles such as the A1, A3, S3, S5, Q3, and Q5. The A6, A7, A8, Q2, Q7 and all RS models are sadly not available yet. There go all of our hopes to play hooky from work and blast down backroads in an RS5. The prices of the daily rentals go from about $90 to almost $240, including unlimited mileage, insurance, and roadside assistance if need be. Time-wise, your rental can go from just one hour to almost a month spanning 28 days.
Plan of execution
For the UK, Audi is operating on a pilot basis from a hub within the Oldham Audi facility near Manchester. In the month of August, the program expanded with sites in Edinburgh and Glasgow. In September, those sites will be followed by new locations in Newcastle and Birmingham. The openings will continue for the rest of 2018 with plans to bring the program to London.
Bringing new drivers to the fold
Andrew Doyle, Director of Audi UK, said: “Audi on demand is the premium mobility service with a difference. It neatly packages convenience, flexibility, and ease of use into every booking and enables our customers to tap into a bespoke experience that is fitting of the Audi brand and maintains the exceptionally high levels of service that we are committed to from start to finish."
An Audi for everyone
“The traditional model of ownership is consistently evolving and this innovative concept firmly puts Audi UK ahead when it comes to meeting consumer demand and transforming into a digital premium car company.”
The program looks to eventually go global but is already offered across cities in the US, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Germany.
For help with servicing your Audi, check out the how to section of AudiWorld.com