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]