As the world’s largest ridesharing company, Uber is no stranger to transportation innovation. The company has now set its sights on the carshare market, taking over the Australian carshare enterprise Car Next Door.
Uber plans to use Car Next Door’s platform to launch carsharing services in other countries. This is a logical extension of the company’s existing business, and it could help Uber to further cement its position as a transportation leader.
In January 2022, during a visit to Australia by Uber’s US-based CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi, Uber Australia announced the acquisition of peer-to-peer carsharing network Car Next Door.
Car Next Door is an Australian car-sharing company that allows users to rent cars from each other. The company has been a success in Australia, and now Uber is preparing to expand it to North America.
Car Next Door has the potential to become the dominant carsharing service in the world. And with Uber’s backing, it is well-positioned to do just that.
Will Davies, a co-founder of Car Next Door, has been operating the company independently since Uber’s takeover, but it will close down in early November, 10 years after it first opened in Sydney.
The rebranding of Car Next Door to Uber Carshare is a recognition of the success of the service. It’s also a sign that Uber is serious about expanding its carsharing business.
Since its inception in 2013, Car Next Door has been shaking up the Australian car industry and is now the country’s leading carshare service. The company has a fleet of over 1,000 vehicles, which are available for members to use by the hour or day.
Car Next Door is revolutionising the way Australians use and own cars. By making it easy and affordable to share cars, the company is helping to reduce car ownership and reliance on private vehicles.
Since 2013, more than 1.1 million trips have been booked with Car Next Door. The platform has seen significant growth since joining forces with Uber.
The number of cars available to rent on the platform has increased significantly, with car owners growing by 60 per cent and car borrowers by 20 per cent.
“The goal is to help us better integrate the service into Uber’s other offerings and provide Australians with a complete range of mobility options,” Uber said in a statement.
“As of November 8, Car Next Door will be officially rebranded as Uber Carshare. It will offer classic rideshare to public transport and micro-mobility options like scooters, while also offering easy access to cars nearby when you want to drive yourself.”
Will Davies, CEO of Car Next Door, said he’s hopeful that merging with Uber will be the next step in easing the process of the sharing car.
“Aussies now have access to a better way to move, whether they’re catching a rideshare for a night out or borrowing a local van to move house, thanks to our carsharing service being combined with Uber’s range of mobility options,” he said.
