By Sudip Kar-Gupta
PARIS, May 29 (Reuters) - BlaBlaCar, whose amateur chauffeurs share costs with passengers on long-distance journeys, and AXA AXAF.PA said on Tuesday that they had launched a new car insurance product.
The product, which will be launched initially in France, will offer insurance protection for drivers that use the BlaBlaCar service, with no excess charged for damage that may occur whilst carpooling.
BlaBlaCar, which was founded in Paris in 2006, describes itself as the world's largest carpooling community.
BlaBlaCar is among several new firms challenging traditional carmakers and transport companies alike.
Such companies include the likes of Uber UBER.UL and Avis-owned CAR.O ZipCar, which offer access to self-drive vehicle fleets for as little as an hour at a time.
(Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta; Editing by Leigh Thomas)
