ChatGPT can now help you find and reserve a rental car with a new Turo integration launched on Monday. The Turo app for ChatGPT simply allows you to tell the AI chatbot what you are looking for: from the pick-up location and dates to the number of seats, Preference for electric vehicles and much more – using natural language, and receive real Turo rental cars, tips and links directly to the Turo website to book.
Turo is a peer-to-peer marketplace that allows private owners to rent their personal vehicles to travelers and locals. I like to think of it as the “Airbnb cars” or drive it yourself Uber. Unlike traditional rental agencies that own and maintain large fleets of cars, Turo simply provides the technology, insurance and support needed to connect vehicle hosts and guest drivers. Turo has proven to be a popular alternative to the airport rental counter thanks to its more varied selection of unique car models (including luxury or high-tech vehicles), competitive pricing, and the convenience of having certain vehicles delivered.
And now it has ChatGPT integration. You can access the new Turo app in ChatGPT by first searching for and then adding Turo to the list of available agents in ChatGPT’s Applications menu. Once logged in, adding “@Turo” to any chat with the AI bot will trigger the new feature.
I launched ChatGPT after setting it up myself and typed in the prompt: “@Turo, I’m flying into Atlanta on Friday and would like to rent an electric vehicle for the weekend with enough range to get to Augusta. What’s available?”
I used natural language to find cars available on the Turo service using ChatGPT.
Screenshot by Antuan Goodwin/CNETThe app responded with lists of vehicles currently available for rental near the airport with enough range to travel about 300 miles round trip with as little as a quick charge. Each listing included photos, price estimates (including taxes and fees), star ratings and the number of times each car had been rented.
Clicking on an ad took me straight to the Turo website (or mobile app) to complete the booking. I also tried asking for “an electric vehicle near me that seats six” and “a hybrid that would be useful for moving,” and found the results adequate.
In addition to the listings, ChatGPT and Turo provided details (like range) about each car as well as pros and cons, like Tesla’s. many Superchargers between Atlanta and Augusta or the Very fast charging speed of the Kia EV6. Overall, the new feature seems like a pretty convenient and decent starting point for someone who knows nothing about cars when choosing a rental.
Turo’s app for ChatGPT is the latest example of AI’s rapid advancement in all aspects of the automotive industry, from natural language AI assistants in the dashboard to AI-powered inspection of rental car returns.
(Disclosure: Ziff Davis, CNET’s parent company, filed a lawsuit against OpenAI last year, alleging that it violated Ziff Davis’ copyrights in the training and operation of its AI systems.)