Australia welcomes first ever electric car sharing service
Melbourne based developers ICD Property have partnered with Ohmie Go – a local Australian tech start-up – to launch the country’s premiere electric car-sharing service. Ohmie Go will be run out of ICD Property’s landmark development, Eq. Tower, a 63-storey residential building comprised of 633 apartments. The electric car-sharing service will join a long list of the award-winning building’s resident amenities, including karaoke rooms, games rooms, resort-style spa facilities and more.
Residents of Eq. Tower will have access to two brand new Kona electric vehicles, which can be booked, unlocked and billed via the Ohmie Go app. At this stage, the developers have identified that two cars would be sufficient to accommodate the requirements of Eq. Tower residents but will consider adding more should the demand for shared cars increase.
“Providing Eq. Tower residents with an electric car-share service helps minimise the number of cars on city roads, alleviating traffic congestion. It also reduces the need for city dwellers to own a car and carpark within their building and all the costs associated with that. We’ve loved working with Ohmie and having the chance to back Australian entrepreneurs who have original ideas that can benefit the wider community in an area as important as sustainability.”
- Matthew Khoo, ICD Property Managing Director
Why this is a fantastic initiative for apartment owners
In a recent Urban feature where we looked into the future of bicycle infrastructure in Australia, we discovered some interesting facts about car use.
- A carpark in an apartment building can cost you anywhere up to $100,000 on top of the apartment value
- A recent survey found that parking spaces outnumbered vehicles by approximately 40%, with up to one-third vacant residential parking spots
- Our cars are generally parked 95% of the time
- It’s eco-conscious in so many ways. From the physical car’s low environmental footprint, through to the greener lifestyle of not owning a car
If you don’t own a car in Australia’s major cities, there are plenty of convenient transport options, which even involve car use, just not your own. Uber and car-sharing are two complementary modes of transport to the great public transport infrastructure in Australia’s cities, as well as cycling, walking and e-scooter/bikes.
“The environmental benefits of existing car-sharing models in reducing the overall number of private vehicles on the road are already well established. If the car sharing is electric, then that further significantly contributes to reducing emissions, making a good thing even better. We believe that homes and transport solutions that are sustainable are overwhelmingly preferred by today’s consumers!”
- Kyle Bolto, CEO of Ohmie
How much will the service cost
To rent a car will cost $15 per hour, with a daily cap of $79 – giving users the flexibility to take the car for a long weekend away, or just a quick school drop off.
Ohmie Go has been supported by automotive giants Hyundai, as well as JET Charge (Australia’s leading electric car recharging company), with plans to expand to other residential developments across Australia in the near future.
WHAT THEY SAY
“We’re excited to be partnering with Ohmie Go for the launch of Australia’s first residential car-sharing service, and to provide Eq. Tower residents access to long-range, eco-friendly electrified driving with our stylish new Kona Electric SUV. It is Hyundai’s intention to establish leadership for eco cars in Australia and we are inspired by Ohmie Go’s equally ambitious plans to offer convenient and cost-effective mobility solutions across the country.”
- JW Lee, Hyundai Motor Company Australia CEO
“We have been waiting for years to team up with a company that recognises EVs as being both a mobility and energy asset. In Ohmie we found that company. They share our vision of offering a leading car-sharing business using 100% electric vehicles and also using the same vehicles to support our electricity grid, maximising that vehicle’s utilisation. We are super excited to be launching this world-class service with Ohmie Go, Hyundai and ICD Property”
- Tim Washington, JET Charge CEO