Uber Carshare was an Australian company that facilitated peer-to-peer car rental, a system by which individuals may rent privately owned vehicles[1][2] on an hourly or daily basis to other registered users of the service.[3][4][5]
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Transportation |
| Founded | 2012, in Sydney, NSW, Australia |
| Founder | Will Davies, David Trumbull, and Chloe Iliffe |
| Defunct | 12 September 2024 |
| Fate | Operational difficulties relating to insurance and theft risk. |
| Headquarters | Sydney, NSW, Australia |
Area served | Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Tasmania, Canberra, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Newcastle |
Key people | Will Davies (Founder & CEO) & , Dave Trumbull (Founder & CTO), Chloe Iliffe (Founder), Merryn Clancy (COO) |
| Services | Peer-to-peer carsharing |
| Parent | Uber |
| Website | www |
History
editEstablished in 2012 as Car Next Door,[6] it operated in all Australian capital cities as well as the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and Newcastle.[7][8][9]
Caltex Australia (later Ampol) invested A$2.5 million in the company in 2016.[10] Ampol sold its 17.2% interest for A$16.7 million on 24 December 2021.[11]
Hyundai invested in the company in 2019,[12] 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, but believed to be $105 million.[13][14][15][16] 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.[17]
In August 2024, Uber announced that Uber Carshare would cease operations in the following month citing rising costs and 'operational challenges'.[13]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Car Next Door goes 'Minority Report' on bad actors (not Tom Cruise)". Australian Financial Review. 21 June 2021. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
- ^ Fitzsimmons, Caitlin (22 October 2017). "Car ownership the norm, despite the rise in car sharing". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Daily Telegraph. "Dollars drive car share scheme to be launched in Bondi and Paddington″. Shae McDonald, Sydney, August 8, 2012.
- ^ Carey, Alexis (14 August 2020). "Car Next Door: Man earns $6K a month from car rental service". news.com.au. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
- ^ "How Car Next Door went from a gutsy Shark Tank pitch to an Uber acquisition". SmartCompany. 21 January 2022. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
- ^ "Neighbour to Neighbour Car Sharing Hits the Gold Coast | Car Next Door". Car Next Door. 7 November 2017. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
- ^ "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.
- ^ Juanola, Marta Pascual (15 August 2019). "Perth's motoring costs could plummet as 'Airbnb of cars' launches". WAtoday. Retrieved 21 November 2019.
- ^ "How this Sydney startup secured a $2.5 million investment from a corporate giant". SmartCompany. 3 March 2016. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
- ^ "2021 Annual Report" (PDF). Australian Securities Exchange. Ampol. 21 February 2022. p. 95,128. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b "Uber Careshare to fold globally within a month". 22 August 2024.
- ^ Ross, David (20 January 2022). "Uber buys Australian car-sharing tech start up Car Next Door". The Australian. Retrieved 23 January 2022.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Uber acquires Aussie car-sharing startup Car Next Door". SmartCompany. 20 January 2022. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
- ^ Tabassum, Mashuka (18 October 2022). "Uber ventures into carsharing by taking over Aussie enterprise". News.com.au. Retrieved 29 November 2022.