NEW CAR SHARE DOORS OPEN FOR AUSTRALIANS AS DRIVE MATE HITS AVAILABLE VEHICLE MILESTONES ALONG EAST COAST

• Over 600 vehicles now accessible across Melbourne, 500 across Sydney and 500 across Brisbane/Gold Coast more than doubling the amount available just last month in each city

• Adding on average 100 cars per day nationwide, catering to increased demand

• Vehicles can be rented, daily, weekly or monthly, with hourly coming soon

• Drive mate is Australia’s best value car sharing platform, with autos ranging from $40/day for a small hatchback, to $500/day for a performance luxury sedan

• Vehicles include hatchbacks, sedans, SUVs, vans, utes, convertibles and even a high-performance German supercar 

Sydney, Australia – Drive mate, Australia’s most secure and affordable peer-to-peer car-sharing company, today announced it has surpassed critical milestones of 600 vehicles available for hire across Melbourne, 500 across Sydney and 500 across Brisbane and Gold Coast (South-East Queensland), helping assure availability for drivers. 

Drive mate has spent the past 12 months fine-tuning its app, marketing approach and verification process for onboarding both hosts and guests – adding some 350 vehicles to its Sydney fleet, 400 to its Melbourne fleet and 300 to its Brisbane/Gold Coast fleet in the past month alone, more than doubling its available fleet in each city as it expands to meet the demand of Sydneysiders looking for fairly-priced car-share options. The company deems 500 available vehicles a crucial milestone to assure availability across the city.

Since August 21, Drive mate has been adding about 100 vehicles a day nationally, with its easy onboarding process enabling hosts to provide a range of post-2008 vehicles – ensuring Australia’s most flexible peer-to-peer car-sharing service, offering vehicles to guests for any budget or travel needs. 

Dirk-Jan ter Horst, co-founder of Drive mate, said the expansion of its fleet is perfect for Sydneysiders escaping for the October long weekend, or longer treks over the many upcoming holiday periods.

“Our data shows guests typically hire vehicles from just one to six days, with availability during peak seasons essential,” he said. “In the past we’ve seen big upticks over the October long weekend, and already we’re seeing cars booked at greater rates than any other period this year.”

In the seven days following August 21, vehicle searches on Drive mate increased by 222 percent; in the seven days after that, searches increased by a whopping 1,390 percent.

This data proves Australians’ appetite for peer-to-peer car share is strong, according to Drive mate co-founder Gaurav Singhal. 

“Thankfully vehicles booked through Drive mate are nearer than ever, particularly heading into Grand Final weekend,” he said. “Our model allows bookings from daily to monthly, with cost transparency upfront – so Aussies can book trips with confidence.” 

The company’s billing model ensures predictability in how much a vehicle will ultimately cost, making trips less prone to unexpected expenses. 

“The costs for vehicle hire, regardless of trip length, are upfront, with no hidden fees, while vehicles can be booked from just $40 per day,” said ter Horst. “Our hires include 150km per day, with small charges for each kilometre thereafter – but our data shows 150km is more than enough for most trips, even when escaping the city. This helps people avoid bill shock, previously a concern around car share and especially car rental from more traditional companies.” 

Signing up with Drive mate takes no more than five minutes via its app or website, with technology and 24/7 support also ensuring a smooth transition from pavement to the open road. 

ABOUT DRIVE MATE

Drive mate is here to make car rental simple, affordable, and neighbourly for Australians. We believe in building a community of mates who share their cars for a hassle-free and affordable car rental experience.

Drive mate offers easy, seamless and affordable access to a wide range of vehicles in the car share space in Australia. Say goodbye to the frustrations of typical car rental processes. Our all-in-one app simplifies the entire journey, allowing you to browse and choose from our top rented vehicles in your neighbourhood.