Marco Filippi – CEO @volvero, about the company, community in Padua and future plans. See the English transcription right below the episode.
volvero team in Padua
Welcome back, dear friends, I’m Eleonora and I welcome you to this new episode directly from our studio in Padua. Hi Marco, Welcome!
Good morning, everyone, I’m Marco and it’s a pleasure to be here with you today.
Thank you, Marco, it is a great pleasure for us too, also because we are very curious to know more about volvero. Tell us how volvero was born and what is your goal.
volvero is an innovative startup that has created an app to connect owners of vehicles with people who need to rent them in a more direct and simpler way than the alternatives we have today.
In fact, through our app both private owners and companies such as dealerships, car rentals or even companies that have fleets of vehicles at their disposal, can share them via the app with those who need a vehicle to drive for a day or longer.
Where did this idea come from?
The idea was born in 2015 when I was living in Luxembourg. I had a girlfriend who lived in Milan, and I often had to rent a car to go back to Italy to visit. And so, I interacted a lot with car rental services and always found it very difficult to use their services for a variety of reasons. Then I said to myself why don’t we create something that would simplify the way people access the rental service of a vehicle?
Is there a specific reason for choosing the name volvero?
Definitely yes. It comes from the Latin word ‘volver’, which is a term that is still used today in Spanish.
Which means ‘to return’?
Exactly. I see you speak Spanish. Anyway, it refers to the fact that there is a trust that is established between the parties, so when someone shares their vehicle via volvero, it is important for us how this vehicle is being used by other people and that, obviously, this vehicle is returned in good condition.
Tell us more about how we can use the app.
It’s very, very, very simple. Just download it.
First, create the profile and wait until your profile is verified, usually, it happens within twenty-four hours. Once it is done, if you need to book a vehicle, just open the app and you will see a map around your location with vehicles available: cars, two-wheeled vehicles, campers, vans… In this way, it is very simple and immediate to find the vehicle you need. There is also a filter option to facilitate your search. Once you pick the vehicle you can see its availability and directly book it for the needed period.
Is there a minimum period of the rental?
The minimum time is twenty-four hours and there is no maximum duration.
So there is no option of rental per hour?
There are already similar services targeted at short-term rental. We, on the other hand, have differentiated the service to solve the needs of customers with different needs.
I know you have partnerships with companies and student organizations, right?
Absolutely yes, especially in Padua, where we launched the service as a world preview a few months ago. We are collaborating with important players in the transport and mobility sector. For example, Ceccato Automobili is one of the dealerships we are partnering with. We promote sustainable and electric mobility as much as possible, that’s why we are partnering with Askoll EVA – a producer of electric vehicles. As for student organizations, we collaborate with the European Student Network, and often with university centers for research and development activities.
Of course, sustainability is a topic that we are dealing with a lot within the episodes, and we are seeing that it truly embraces all sectors at three hundred and sixty degrees by now. So, this is kind of the future for all people who have to move.
Eleonora, allow me to correct you, it’s not the future but the present.
Of course, yes, it is the present. The future is not yet known.
The future is outlined. Obviously, we must be increasingly attentive to what we are doing, and what are the actions that we as human beings perform every day. Mobility is certainly one of the industries that influence climate change the most and therefore our own value proposition is also that of being able to have a strong impact in the reduction of emissions, the reuse of vehicles and sharing, which certainly is a phenomenon that is increasingly gaining popularity today.
What are the news and upcoming projects at volvero?
Since we launched the service in Padua, in collaboration with the Municipality of Padua, which I obviously want to thank for the support they have given us, we are focusing on creating a strong community in the city and on collaborating with other local institutions. By the end of the year, we are planning to expand the service to a new country. We are talking to some municipalities which are very interested in partnering with volvero. We have already carried out a pilot project in Brussels in partnership with European institutions and therefore, having obtained the experience and network, we will aim to expand the service as successfully as here in Padova.
Good luck! Do you want to share your contacts so that we can find you?
Absolutely yes, follow us on LinkedIn. Find volvero profile on Instagram, which is volvero_italy, Facebook, and check out our website, volvero.com. But above all, I recommend, download the app!
We will do it! Marco Filippi, thanks for being here with us again, good luck to the volvero team who promotes sustainable shared mobility which, I correct myself again, is the present, not the future of mobility.
Thank you all. Thanks, Eleonora.
