Rentalcars.com, part of the Priceline Group (NASDAQ:PCLN), today announces the launch of a major enhancement to its online vehicle rental platform.

In a first for the industry, Rentalcars.com, the world’s largest online car rental service, has launched a new web service, Marketplace, targeted at local independent car rental companies.

The service will provide car rental operators with the opportunity to feature their vehicles in over 95 million global customer searches results every year.

By opening its platform to the independent sector, Rentalcars.com plans to significantly increase the number of locations and vehicles available to customers throughout the UK.

Ian Brown, CEO of Rentalcars.com, comments: “The independent car rental sector represents approximately 16% of the entire UK market.  By allowing independent supply partners to access Rentalcars.com, we are now able to offer increased coverage and choice to our loyal customer base.”

The service is initially being launched in the UK and Rentalcars.com have plans to roll out to 20 countries within the next 12 months.

Find out more about the platform here.