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by | Mar 16, 2018 | Hosta

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Uber Carshare is an Australian company that facilitates peer-to-peer car rental, a system by which individuals may rent privately owned vehicles[1] on an hourly or daily basis to other registered users of the service.[2][3][4] Established in 2012 as Car Next Door,[5] it currently operates in all Australian capital cities as well as the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and Newcastle.[6][7][8]

The founders appeared on season 2 of the Australian Shark Tank TV show in 2016 and secured an investment from 'shark' Steve Baxter.[9] The startup also secured a A$2.5 million investment from Caltex Australia (later Ampol) the same year.[10]

Hyundai invested in the company in 2019,[11] and listed a number of its electric Ioniq vehicles for sharing through the platform.

On 20 January 2022, the company was acquired by Uber for an undisclosed sum.[12][13][14] This was Uber's first Australian acquisition. The company continued operating independently following Uber's takeover with co-founder Will Davies as the chief executive until November 2022 when it was rebranded as Uber Carshare.[15]

How it works

The company addresses the lack of trust and lack of ease that would otherwise discourage people from sharing their cars with others,[16][17] by:

  • Providing an online forum where vehicle owners and borrowers are registered, vetted,[18][19] and approved;[20]
  • Providing a feedback system to allow vehicle condition and member behaviour to be rated and reported by other members;
  • Providing in-car technology that enables keyless access to the car, and an automated, web-based booking platform;[20]
  • Providing in-car GPS technology that tracks the car's location, reducing the risk of theft and misuse of the vehicle;
  • Providing insurance covering owners and borrowers;[20] and
  • Handling payments between owners and borrowers.[21]

See also

References

  1. ^ Fitzsimmons, Caitlin (22 October 2017). "Car ownership the norm, despite the rise in car sharing". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
  2. ^ Sydney Morning Herald. ″Drive thy neighbour's car ... or just rent it″. Archived 10 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine Nicole Hasham, October 6, 2012.
  3. ^ Daily Telegraph. "Dollars drive car share scheme to be launched in Bondi and Paddington″. Shae McDonald, Sydney, August 8, 2012.
  4. ^ Carey, Alexis (14 August 2020). "Car Next Door: Man earns $6K a month from car rental service". news.com.au. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  5. ^ "How Car Next Door went from a gutsy Shark Tank pitch to an Uber acquisition". SmartCompany. 21 January 2022. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  6. ^ "Neighbour to Neighbour Car Sharing Hits the Gold Coast | Car Next Door". Car Next Door. 7 November 2017. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  7. ^ "Would you rent your personal car to a tourist? What if there was a $1,000 incentive?". www.abc.net.au. 22 May 2021. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
  8. ^ Juanola, Marta Pascual (15 August 2019). "Perth's motoring costs could plummet as 'Airbnb of cars' launches". WAtoday. Retrieved 21 November 2019.
  9. ^ "How Car Next Door went from a gutsy Shark Tank pitch to an Uber acquisition". SmartCompany. 21 January 2022. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
  10. ^ "How this Sydney startup secured a $2.5 million investment from a corporate giant". SmartCompany. 3 March 2016. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
  11. ^ Hill, Joshua S. (19 September 2019). "Hyundai invests into Car Next Door car-share platform, with eye on electric". The Driven. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
  12. ^ Ross, David (20 January 2022). "Uber buys Australian car-sharing tech start up Car Next Door". The Australian. Retrieved 23 January 2022.
  13. ^ Kruger, Colin (20 January 2022). "Uber spreads its wings in Australia as it snaps up Car Next Door". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
  14. ^ "Uber acquires Aussie car-sharing startup Car Next Door". SmartCompany. 20 January 2022. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
  15. ^ Tabassum, Mashuka (18 October 2022). "Uber ventures into carsharing by taking over Aussie enterprise". News.com.au. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
  16. ^ "Survey Finds Trust is #1 Barrier to Sharing". 10 July 2012. Retrieved 23 June 2015.
  17. ^ Campbell Mithun and Carbonview Research. '″Collaborative Consumption: What Marketers Need to Know.″ Archived November 5, 2012, at the Wayback Machine January 2012. www.campbell-mithun.com/talkinar. Retrieved 11 November 2012.
  18. ^ "Car Next Door goes 'Minority Report' on bad actors (not Tom Cruise)". Australian Financial Review. 21 June 2021. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
  19. ^ Moore, Ben (22 June 2021). "Max Kelsen uses ML to weed out rude users for Car Next Door". Retrieved 13 May 2022.
  20. ^ a b c Steve Mills (producer), (9 October 2012). Breakfast Program [radio broadcast]. Perth, 6PR.
  21. ^ "How and when you'll be paid". Car Next Door Help Centre. Retrieved 13 May 2022.

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