European e-mobility provider UFODrive has opened an electric vehicle location in Austin and will launch in Manhattan starting this month.

As of Sept. 26, Austin customers can book and drive UFODrive’s electric vehicles. New Yorkers will be able to rent vehicles in October. UFODrive also plans to double its fleet in San Francisco by opening a second location in San Francisco. More U.S. locations are in production and will be announced soon, according to the company.   

“It has been wonderful to serve so many customers in the Bay Area so quickly,” said Edmund Read, UFODrive’s chief commercial officer. “We maintained our 5-star service ratings and are working round the clock to get more cars on the road nationwide. Demand for electric rental is growing fast and electric platforms enable a redefinition of the rental experience from start to finish. We hope to be one of the killer apps that drives EV adoption and disrupts the legacy rental experience.”      

With European launches at Frankfurt Airport, Stratford International, and in downtown Madrid, UFODrive is now available in nine European countries and 25 worldwide locations, including London, San Francisco, Paris, Berlin, Dublin, and Amsterdam.

UFODrive’s platform has been built from the ground up and includes everything from app-based booking and registration to keyless entry using your phone to range management and charging optimization.  

“We’ve only just begun to expose the capabilities of EV platforms and match each to a new level of rental experience for our customers,” said Renaud Marquet, UFODrive’s chief operating officer and co-founder. “What really surprised us was how digitization of all aspects creates an operation that is 80% more efficient than traditional rental. That means we can also be super competitive and nimble.”

To accelerate its North American expansion, UFODrive has partnered with Inspiration Fleet, an EV-only fleet management company (eFMC).