Hong Kong car-sharing start-up goes from strength to strength
Two years after sowing the radical idea of drivers renting their cars to others when not in use, Carshare.HK has electric car deal with BYD, has spread to Shanghai and is eyeing Shenzhen
Encouraging Hongkongers to loan their cars to complete strangers seemed like a radical idea. Nevertheless, when Christopher Yeung and his team pitched their Carshare.HK concept at a start-ups exchange at the CoCoon co-working space in Tin Hau in 2013, they walked away with the HK$20,000 first prize.
They had their first modest chunk of the HK$620,000 capital they were seeking to get Carshare.HK into gear.
Two years later, the start-up is going places. With 2,000 cars available for short-term rental to Carshare.HK’s 20,000 members, the venture has become an integral part of Hong Kong’s fringe sharing economy.
To spread the sharing creed, the company this month launched a project with Shenzhen-based carmaker BYD, to give members the chance to experience driving an electric car.
BYD has provided Carshare.HK with five of its e6 models for its first “ambassador sharing” programme. The five ambassadors, chosen from more than 100 applicants, have been given an e6 for two months, which other Carshare.HK members can rent for HK$199 a day, with a free battery recharge. Ambassadors who rent the e6 to 10 members a month will receive a parking voucher worth HK$995.