Uber has acquired Australian peer-to-peer car-sharing platform Car Next Door which aims to “free people and the planet from the one person, one car mentality”.
Launched in Sydney in 2012, the Car Next Door platform turns any car into a shared car offering renters increased and affordable access to cars, while providing revenue to car owners.
Uber says Car Next Door gives riders a reliable option for trips that are less suited to ride-sharing, “such as running errands at the store or a day trip away”. The service operates Australia-wide, with vehicles listed in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Cairns, Perth, Canberra, Adelaide, Hobart, Launceston and Newcastle.
After acquisition, Car Next Door will report into Uber’s Australian team, but will otherwise operate independently, with its existing leadership team remaining focused on building and scaling their technology in more cities across Australia.
Dom Taylor, General Manager of Uber Australia and New Zealand, says, “This year marks 10 years since both Uber and Car Next Door launched in Australia. A lot has changed in that time, but one thing has stayed constant: a shared vision that we need to make transport not just safe, convenient and affordable – but also sustainable.
Will Davies, CEO and Co-Founder of Car Next Door, adds, “This is an exciting opportunity for Car Next Door to achieve our mission of ‘freeing people and the planet from the one person, one car mentality’ years before we otherwise could have. By working with Uber, we can scale up our ambitions and look to move Australians away from the over-reliance on the private car, which is damaging our planet and making our cities less liveable.”
