GoGet is an Australian car-sharing service that provides members with short-term, self-service access to vehicles located in dedicated bays across major cities. Founded in Sydney in 2003 by Nic Lowe and Bruce Jeffreys, GoGet is widely regarded as one of Australia's earliest formal car-sharing schemes.[1][2] Members book via mobile app or web, with usage fees including fuel, insurance, registration and maintenance.[3]
GoGet launched as Newtown CarShare on 6 June 2003 with three vehicles and twelve founding members in Sydney's inner west.[4] It expanded to Melbourne in November 2004, adopting the GoGet brand nationally in 2005 as demand increased.[5]
In 2014, private equity firm The Growth Fund acquired a significant shareholding to support expansion and technology development.[6] GoGet's founders also established CarShare Australia to develop back-end systems and operational processes for round-trip, station-based car-sharing.[7]
Operations
GoGet operates in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane, with vehicles located in on-street bays and off-street sites arranged with councils, developers and businesses.[8] Members select personal or business plans and pay for time and distance travelled.
Scale in Sydney
The City of Sydney is one of Australia's largest car-sharing markets. The council installed its first car-share bay in 2008 and by 2025 reported more than 800 dedicated bays—approximately 2% of the area's kerbside parking.[9] The council publishes open datasets detailing bay locations, booked hours, number of bookings and trip distances, enabling independent analysis of utilisation patterns.[10]
In a 2025 submission to the NSW Net Zero Commission, GoGet reported combined personal and business memberships in New South Wales and argued that round-trip car-sharing contributes to decarbonisation through mode shift (figures operator-submitted).[11]
Fleet and access
GoGet's fleet includes compact cars, SUVs, vans and people movers, all equipped with telematics and app-based access.[12] Fuel, insurance, maintenance and registration are included in usage charges.
Coverage and ecosystem
GoGet operates in a competitive landscape that includes providers such as Flexicar and Popcar. Peer-to-peer service Uber Carshare (formerly Car Next Door) ceased operations in Australia in September 2024.[13] Studies from AHURI and Committee for Sydney position GoGet as a leading example of round-trip, station-based car-sharing in urban mobility systems.[14][15]
Technology and innovation
GoGet uses telematics, digital booking systems and keyless access to manage fleet availability and maintenance. UNSW research highlights GoGet as a technology-enabled, collaborative-consumption platform scalable across cities.[16] GoGet has also trialled electric vehicles in partnership with developers and infrastructure providers.[17]
Partnerships and programs
Car-sharing in Sydney and Melbourne operates under formal policy frameworks. Councils designate bays, regulate eligibility, and require monthly utilisation reporting.[18] The City of Darebin and City of Yarra in Melbourne embed car-share requirements in planning and transport strategies.[19]
Developers also integrate GoGet pods into residential and mixed-use projects as part of sustainability and travel-plan commitments.[20]
Environmental and social impact
GoGet states that each shared vehicle can replace around ten privately owned cars by increasing utilisation and reducing the need for households to own second vehicles.[21] The Australian Circular Economy Hub (ACE Hub) identifies GoGet as an example of efficient resource use under circular-economy principles.[22]
Independent research from the Journal of Cleaner Production finds that car-sharing participation typically reduces household car ownership and vehicle-kilometres travelled, although impacts vary across schemes.[23] Transport Policy research specific to Sydney shows that car-sharing can reduce demand for private parking and support multimodal transport use.[24]
Pricing and comparison with traditional car rental
Car-sharing and traditional car rental serve overlapping but distinct market segments. GoGet, like other round-trip operators, offers short-duration urban vehicle access charged by the hour and kilometre. Traditional rental companies such as Hertz, Avis, and Europcar typically apply daily hire charges, with fuel, insurance and excess reduction sold separately.[25]
Consumer and industry comparisons show consistent patterns:
Short trips (1–3 hours): Car-sharing is generally cheaper than traditional rental, which usually requires a one-day minimum hire.[26]
Multi-day trips: Cost comparisons vary depending on distance travelled. Consumer reports note that GoGet's multi-day discounts and included fuel and insurance can make it cheaper than, traditional rental companies for short-distance multi-day hire.[27]
Fuel and insurance: GoGet includes fuel, insurance and maintenance; traditional rentals typically charge additional fees for fuel, insurance excess reduction, toll processing and optional extras.[28]
Deposit and excess: Car-sharing generally requires no large security bond, whereas traditional rental companies may place holds of several hundred dollars to $5,000 depending on vehicle class.[29]
A 2023 CHOICE review found that for short urban trips, car-sharing users could pay "significantly less than even the cheapest day-rate rental," while multi-day renters generally obtained lower total costs through traditional hire companies.[30]
Awards and recognition
GoGet has been profiled as an early Australian example of the sharing economy, with case studies published by UNSW Business School and Boston University's Platform Strategy group.[31][32] The ACE Hub and Productivity Commission have cited GoGet as a model of circular-economy practice and sustainable mobility.[33][34]
↑Kent, Jennifer (2020). "Carsharing as a response to the climate crisis". Journal of Cleaner Production. 258 120633. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.120633.
↑Dowling, Robyn; Kent, Jennifer (2015). "Practice and public–private partnerships in sustainable transport governance: the case of car sharing in Sydney, Australia". Transport Policy. 40: 58–64. doi:10.1016/j.tranpol.2015.02.007.
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