Skip to main content

Audi Unite lets Swedes go splitsies on a brand new Audi with their friends

Car-sharing services are becoming an increasingly-popular alternative to car ownership, but Audi is redefining the concept with a new program in Stockholm.

Called Audi unite, it lets up to four people literally “share” a car for up to two years, using an app to manage access.

The list of available cars includes virtually every Audi model, from the tiny A1 hatchback to the Q7 SUV, and even the R8 supercar.

Just like a rental, insurance and maintenance are bundled into the monthly fee each driver pays, which cane be divided among group members evenly or based on how much each person drives. A “personalized fuel card” allows drivers to add fuel costs to that monthly bill as well.

Everything is coordinated through an app (iPhone only, for now) that works a lot like the apps used by Zipcar and other car-sharing services, allowing drivers to reserve the car and track its location.

Each driver also gets a beacon for his or her keychain that grants access to the vehicle and allows the system to track who has been using it, and for how long.

Audi unite was designed in collaboration with Swedish digital design studio Kram/Weisshar. Co-founder Clemens Weisshar told Co.Exist that it’s a natural fit for Stockholm because of Swedes’ reputation for sharing, tech-savviness, and love of design – including car design.

Audi reportedly plans to try out the scheme in other Swedish cities, but hasn’t discussed offering it outside the Scandinavian country.

Audi isn’t the first carmaker to break into the car-sharing game (BMW and Daimler operate services of their own) but the Audi unite model is obviously much closer to the existing relationship most people have with cars.

As cities look to lower traffic levels and consumers look to reduce the inconvenience of car ownership, it could help Audi keep pace with potential changes in driver habits.

Editors' Recommendations

Stephen Edelstein
Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…
Audi’s Q4 Sportback E-Tron will have customizable LED headlamps, 279-mile range
2020 Audi Q4 Sportback E-Tron concept

Audi's plan to launch more than 20 electric cars globally by 2025 is definitely ambitious, but it's also realistic, and the models that will help it achieve its goal are gradually coming to light. One is a close-to-production concept named the Q4 Sportback E-Tron that's closely related to the Q4 E-Tron introduced at the 2019 edition of the Geneva Auto Show.

Normally, I would have been able to enjoy an in-person look at the Q4 Sportback E-Tron during an auto show -- but shows in Geneva, Detroit, New York, and even Paris were canceled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The unveiling took place online, which is the new norm, and Audi design boss Marc Lichte tuned in to digitally present the concept.
What's a Sportback?

Read more
Audi’s updated Q5 receives extra power, better infotainment, and OLED lights
2021 Audi Q5

Audi is focusing on expanding its range of electric vehicles, but it's not forgetting about the gasoline-powered models in its portfolio. It updated the Q5, its best-selling vehicle in the United States, by giving it a new-look design that includes OLED rear lights, fitting a better infotainment system, and giving the entry-level model a power boost.

Up front, subtle visual changes distinguish the 2021 Q5 from the outgoing model. It wears a grille that's thinner and wider plus a new-look bumper. Stylists gave the rear end a nip-and-tuck, too, and some versions of the SQ5 receive OLED tail lights split into three six-segment tiles. OLED technology is normally associated with televisions, computer monitors, smartphone screens, and other digital devices, but offering it in a car makes sense.

Read more
Zipcar lets new members drive off within minutes if they send a selfie
a zipcar selfie lets new members jump in car minutes

Zipcar has just launched a new Instant Access feature that lets new customers drive off in one of its cars within minutes of signing up.

Dramatically shortening a process that before could take several days, the new system, rolled out this week, requires you to send Zipcar a selfie together with a photo of your driver’s license so the carsharing company can confirm your identity.

Read more