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Business Times
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Business Times
Amid BlueSG pause, how are car-sharing firms like Getgo, Tribecar faring?
[SINGAPORE] Electric car sharing firm BlueSG announced a pause of its current operations last Monday (Aug 4) and laid off most of its staff. Yet, the company is set to launch a new service from 2026 onwards. Some of Singapore's characteristics make it suited for car sharing, such as the high cost of car ownership, increasing disposable income and growth of the population. In recent years, car sharing has been boosted by the convenience of app-based platforms and high Certificate of Entitlement prices. According to Land Transport Authority statistics, the number of self-drive private hire cars has grown to 31,022 in 2024 from 17,238 in 2014. This includes both conventional long-term rental cars and car sharing vehicles. Industry estimates that the car sharing fleet population has grown to around 5,000 vehicles from less than 1,000 in the same period. The car sharing landscape in Singapore is estimated to bring in US$182.8 million in revenue by the end of 2025 with an average revenue of S$479 per user, according to research firm Statista. Revenue is projected to increase to US$236.4 million by 2030. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up Keith Kee, CEO of BlueSG, said that car sharing will continue to be a growth industry in the near future, citing Singapore's high barriers to car ownership. 'I think it's important that services like BlueSG enable people who have a driving licence, but do not want to have the heavy commitment of owning a car, to be able to still drive. It's a different experience from other services like public transport or ride hailing. It complements public transport as part of the transport ecosystem in Singapore.' GetGo CEO Toh Ting Feng concurred, saying he believes that 'car sharing continues to grow and deliver more impact and access' in Singapore. 'The cost of living is going up, the cost of labour, land, and cars. At the same time, public transport is getting better, which addresses daily transport needs. So the need for accessible and flexible transport options will grow,' he added. Shared destiny? However, car sharing also has challenges here with many past attempts ending in failure. Car sharing has been around since 1997, when NTUC Income Car Cooperative began operating. Yet, BlueSG's troubles are not new. Despite the rosy outlook, there have been many failed attempts at car sharing in Singapore as car sharing firms grappled with high capital expenditure on fleet size and struggled to maintain service convenience for users. Honda Diracc, from the Japanese mass-market car brand, closed in 2008, unable to maintain profitability, service standards and vehicle availability amid fluctuating vehicle prices. CitySpeed Car Sharing by ComfortDelGro wound down in 2007, citing lower Certificate of Entitlement and car prices as usership plunged. Startup Smove launched in 2011 and became Singapore's biggest car sharing fleet by 2018. But it went into liquidation in 2020, due to disruption from the pandemic and was acquired by Drive lah. In 2008, Honda closed its car sharing service Diracc in Singapore. PHOTO: BT FILE Luxury German carmaker introduced Audi On Demand, a car-sharing/short term rental service in 2018 as part of a global programme, but ended it in 2024. Walter Theseira, associate professor of economics at the Singapore University of Social Sciences, said that the fundamental economics of car sharing in Singapore are challenging, with most firms that have been in the space over the last few decades being unsuccessful. 'My long-term outlook (on car sharing) has always been negative, as structurally the aim of public transport policy in Singapore is to reduce car use as much as possible by providing better public transport connectivity,' he said. He added that in Singapore, capital expenditures on vehicles are high, thus a certain amount of utilisation or revenue is needed to overcome depreciation. 'Currently, it seems easiest to do that through taxis and ride-hailing. Even in the future, that's likely to be the case through robotaxis. not through self-drive,' he said. Car sharing in Singapore: the players GetGo CEO Toh Ting Feng says the appeal of car sharing will continue to grow in Singapore as the cost of living increases. PHOTO: BT FILE Here's an overview of the firms currently offering car sharing services in Singapore. GetGo GetGo is the largest car sharing platform in Singapore with over 400,000 subscribers. Commenced operations: 2021 Fleet size: More than 3,000 Subscription: No subscription Rates: From S$3 per hour and S$0.39 per kilometre Locations: More than 1,700 Beyond car sharing, the team behind GetGo launched a long-term car leasing service called ZipZap at the end of July. It will have a minimum rental period of six months, compared to a range of one hour to five days for GetGo. BlueSG BlueSG is an electric-only car sharing platform, but will be pausing operations until 2026 as part of a major upgrade to its tech platform. Commenced operations: 2017 Fleet size: About 1,000 Subscription: Free, S$8, or S$18 per month Rates: From S$0.36 to S$0.58 per minute, depending on subscription level and car Locations: About 1,500 charging points In a response to The Business Times queries, BlueSG said it had about 250,000 subscribers currently. Goldbell Group had promised an investment of S$70 million over five years in 2021 when it acquired BlueSG from Bollore Group. The platform was also unique in that rented cars did not need to be returned to their pick-up locations. Tribecar Tribecar was the largest car sharing service in Singapore in March 2022, shortly after its acquisition of the oldest car sharing company Car Club (formerly NTUC Income Car Cooperative) and further expanded its fleet in 2022 with the acquisition of Popular Rent a Car. While no longer the largest, it is still one of the major players in the Republic. Commenced operations: 2016 Fleet size: About 1,400 Subscription: Optional, S$139 per month for two hours of driving per weekday Rates: From S$2.18 per hour, depending on subscription level and car Locations: More than 750 Tribecar also offers motorcycles, from as low as S$0.55 per hour, or vans from S$4.36 per hour. Shariot While GetGo is the largest car sharing platform, Shariot claims to be the largest van sharing platform in Singapore. It also offers car rentals, but has carved out its niche within vans. Commenced operations: 2020 Fleet size: More than 250 Subscription: No subscription Rates: From S$5.90, S$7.90, or S$9.90 per hour depending on vehicle type Locations: More than 300 Car Lite Carlite is a slightly older platform which, like Tribecar, allows probation plate holders to rent its vehicles. Commenced operations: 2018 Subscription: No subscription Rates: From S$1 per 15 minutes Locations: More than 150 According to Seedly, Car Lite in 2023 had a fleet size of more than 200 cars, though it does not otherwise publicly disclose its figures. Drive lah Drive lah is a unique car sharing service in the list, as it offers a peer to peer sharing. That means that private car owners rent out their own cars to hirers, instead of the cars all being owned by the company. Commenced operations: 2019 Fleet size: More than 1,300 Subscription: No subscription Rates: From S$1 per 15 minutes The company also acquired Smove, another car sharing platform, in 2020 and integrated its customers and some staff into Drive lah. In 2023, it secured S$2.7 million in funding from ComfortDelGro for its expansion in Australia, with that operation known as Drive mate.
Business Times
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Business Times
As BlueSG pauses amid troubles, here is how car-sharing in Singapore is faring
[SINGAPORE] Electric car sharing firm BlueSG announced a pause of its current operations last Monday (Aug 4) and laid off most of its staff. Yet, the company is set to launch a new service from 2026 onwards. Some of Singapore's characteristics make the city suited for car sharing like the high cost of car ownership, increasing disposable income and growth of the population. In recent years, car sharing has been boosted by the convenience of app-based platforms and high Certificate of Entitlement prices. According to Land Transport Authority statistics, the car sharing vehicle population (classified as a sub-type of private hire cars) has grown to 31,022 in 2024 from 17,238 in 2014. The car sharing landscape in Singapore is estimated to bring in US$182.8 million in revenue by the end of 2025 with an average revenue of S$479 per user, according to research firm Statista. Revenue is projected to increase to US$236.4 million by 2030. Keith Kee, CEO of BlueSG, said that car sharing will continue to be a growth industry in the near future, citing Singapore's high barriers to car-ownership. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up 'I think it's important that services like BlueSG enable people who have a driving licence, but do not want to have the heavy commitment of owning a car to be able to still drive. It's a different experience from other services like public transport or ride hailing, it compliments public transport as part of the transport ecosystem in Singapore.' GetGo CEO Toh Ting Feng concurred, saying he believes that 'car-sharing continues to grow and deliver more impact and access' in Singapore. 'The cost of living is going up, the cost of labour, land, and cars. At the same time, public transport is getting better, which addresses daily transport needs. So the need for accessible and flexible transport options will grow,' he added. Shared destiny? However car sharing also has challenges here with many past attempts ending in failure. Car sharing has been around since 1997, when NTUC Income Car Cooperative began operating. Yet BlueSG's troubles are not new. Despite the rosy outlook, there have been many failed attempts at car sharing in Singapore as car sharing firms grappled with high capital expenditure on fleet size and struggled to maintain service convenience for users, Honda Diracc, from the Japanese mass-market car brand closed in 2008, unable to maintain profitability, service standards and vehicle availability amid fluctuating vehicle prices. Cityspeed Car Sharing by ComfortDelGro wound down in 2007, citing lower Certificate of Entitlement and car prices as usership plunged. Start-up Smove launched in 2011, became Singapore's biggest car sharing fleet by 2018. But it went into liquidation in 2020, due to disruption from the pandemic and was acquired by Drive lah. Luxury German carmaker introduced Audi On Demand, a car-sharing/short term rental service in 2018 as part of a global programme, but ended it in 2024 Walter Theseira, associate professor of economics at the Singapore University of Social Sciences, said that the fundamental economics of car sharing in Singapore are challenging, with most firms that have been in the space over the last few decades being unsuccessful. 'My long-term outlook (on car sharing) has always been negative, as structurally the aim of public transport policy in Singapore is to reduce car use as much as possible by providing better public transport connectivity,' he said. He added that in Singapore, capital expenditures on vehicles are high, thus a certain amount of utilisation or revenue is needed to overcome depreciation. 'Currently, it seems easiest to do that through taxis and ride-hailing. Even in the future, that's likely to be the case through robotaxis. not through self-drive,' he said. Car sharing in Singapore: the players GetGo CEO Toh Ting Feng says the appeal of car sharing will continue to grow in Singapore as the cost of living increases. PHOTO: BT FILE Here's an overview of the firms currently offering car sharing services in Singapore. GetGo GetGo is the largest car sharing platform in Singapore with over 400,000 subscribers. Commenced operations: 2021 Fleet size: More than 3,000 Subscription: No subscription Rates: From S$3 per hour and S$0.39 per kilometre Locations: More than 1,700 Beyond car sharing, the team behind GetGo launched a long-term car leasing service called ZipZap at the end of July. It will have a minimum rental period of six months, compared to a range of one hour to five days for GetGo. BlueSG BlueSG is an electric-only car sharing platform, but will be pausing operations until 2026 as part of a major upgrade to its tech platform. Commenced operations: 2017 Fleet size: About 1,000 Subscription: Free, S$8, or S$18 per month Rates: From S$0.36 to S$0.58 per minute, depending on subscription level and car Locations: About 1,500 charging points In a response to The Business Times queries, BlueSG said it had about 250,000 subscribers currently. Goldbell Group had promised an investment of S$70 million over five years in 2021 when it acquired BlueSG from Bollore Group. The platform was also unique in that rented cars did not need to be returned to their pick-up locations. Tribecar Tribecar was the largest car sharing service in Singapore in March 2022, shortly after its acquisition of the oldest car sharing company Car Club (formerly NTUC Income Car Cooperative) and further expanded its fleet in 2022 with the acquisition of Popular Rent a Car. While no longer the largest, it is still one of the major players in the Republic. Commenced operations: 2016 Fleet size: About 1,400 Subscription: Optional, S$139 per month for two hours of driving per weekday Rates: From S$2.18 per hour, depending on subscription level and car Locations: More than 750 Tribecar also offers motorcycles, from as low as S$0.55 per hour, or vans from S$4.36 per hour. Shariot While GetGo is the largest car sharing platform, Shariot claims to be the largest van sharing platform in Singapore. It also offers car rentals, but has carved out its niche within vans. Commenced operations: 2020 Fleet size: More than 250 Subscription: No subscription Rates: From S$5.90, S$7.90, or S$9.90 per hour depending on vehicle type Locations: More than 300 Car Lite Carlite is a slightly older platform which, like Tribecar, allows probation plate holders to rent its vehicles. Commenced operations: 2018 Subscription: No subscription Rates: From S$1 per 15 minutes Locations: More than 150 According to Seedly, Car Lite in 2023 had a fleet size of more than 200 cars, though it does not otherwise publicly disclose its figures. Drive lah Drive lah is a unique car sharing service in the list, as it offers a peer to peer sharing. That means that private car owners rent out their own cars to hirers, instead of the cars all being owned by the company. Commenced operations: 2019 Fleet size: More than 1,300 Subscription: No subscription Rates: From S$1 per 15 minutes The company also acquired Smove, another car sharing platform, in 2020 and integrated its customers and some staff into Drive lah. In 2023, it secured S$2.7 million in funding from ComfortDelGro for its expansion in Australia, with that operation known as Drive mate.
CNA
7 days ago
- Automotive
- CNA
CNA938 Rewind - Are AI enhancements behind BlueSG's 'strategic pause' and suspension of services?
Electric car-sharing firm Blue SG will suspend operations from this Friday, 11.59 p.m. It will return next year though. Is this move due to market competition or infrastructure? Daniel Martin finds out more from Keith Kee, CEO, Blue SG.
AsiaOne
05-08-2025
- Automotive
- AsiaOne
BlueSG is shutting down - what happens next?, Lifestyle News
Electric car-sharing firm BlueSG has announced that it is shutting down its operations in Singapore on Aug 8. What happens next? And what does that mean for you as a user? Why is BlueSG stopping operations? Technically, the company is 'taking a pause' to do a major upgrade of its platform and fleet, and it promises to be back in 2026 fully refreshed. In the meantime, the car-sharing service will cease operations at 11.59pm on Aug 8, with the company laying off staff accordingly to 'reflect the reduced operational scale during the pause period', said a BlueSG spokesperson. Keith Kee, chief executive officer of BlueSG, told The Business Times, "We are not ending the service per se. We call it a pause, because it is in preparation for the upgrade." He added, "We want to have a refreshed user experience. The new platform will feature a refreshed fleet and upgraded systems, designed to deliver a stronger performance and more seamless user experience." BlueSG had previously done another upgrade, or 'technical migration', to its platform between 2023 to early 2024 to improve the user experience. While that upgrade took place without any disruption to its services, users experienced some issues with billing and booking cars during that period. The BlueSG spokesperson told The Straits Times, "Through that migration, it became clear that the current infrastructure needed a decisive, future-ready upgrade - one that could better support the changing mobility landscape. Emerging technological advancements also reinforced the urgency to act decisively." The need for a stoppage to operations could also be down to BlueSG's fleet of electric cars, which would require extensive refreshing. The French-made Bollore Bluecar, which was BlueSG's launch model, has been in use since the company started operations in 2017, and is now regarded as being extremely outdated. The other BlueSG model, the Opel e-Corsa, which was introduced to the fleet in 2022, will also be soon rendered obsolete, as Opel will no longer have any official representation in Singapore. The brand's dealer, Auto Germany, has announced plans to stop Opel sales here by the end of 2025. That would make servicing and maintaining the Opel e-Corsa BlueSG cars a difficult proposition. The current fleet are unlikely to be reused when BlueSG restarts operations, and they will be decommissioned or repurposed, said Kee, without elaborating further. I'm a BlueSG user. What's going to happen to my account? Obviously, you won't be able to make or complete any bookings after Aug 8. Any pre-bookings after that date will be cancelled. Users on BlueSG's paid subscription pricing plans, which range from $8 to $18, will have their plans adjusted, and any subscription fees billed up to Aug 8 will be refunded accordingly. They will also not be charged any subscription fee from Aug 8 onwards. All user accounts will remain accessible until 11.59pm on Aug 31, following which they will be closed. The company stated in a press release that it will process all account closures, outstanding billing issues, subscription adjustments and refunds by Aug 31. Users will be required to update their contact details within the BlueSG app by Aug 16 to a PayNow-linked number, and all refunds will be made through that method. Refunds will be processed in batches starting from Aug 16. BlueSG's customer service team will provide support until Aug 31 through phone, live chat and emails. Following that date, support will continue to be provided via email only from Sep 1 to Oct 1. Users can also approach the Consumers Association of Singapore (Case), who have set up a dedicated channel address matters related to the refund of credits and outstanding bills. Those who need help may approach Case via its hotline on 6277 5100 or its website at [[nid:720947]] No part of this article can be reproduced without permission from AsiaOne.
Business Times
04-08-2025
- Automotive
- Business Times
BlueSG lays off staff ahead of operations pause to revamp app and fleet
[SINGAPORE] BlueSG on Monday (Aug 4) announced that it has laid off staff ahead of a pause in its car-sharing operations from Friday, while it prepares for a major upgrade to its tech platform and vehicle fleet amid complaints of car and app issues. BlueSG, a major player in Singapore with around 250,000 subscribers, said that it made the 'difficult decision to streamline operations significantly'. It did not reveal how many staff were affected, but confirmed that it is now operating with 'a core team'. 'We are working closely with affected employees to provide fair severance, career support, and where possible, explore redeployment opportunities within the wider group,' it said. Its new platform is slated to be launched in 2026. There will be an expanded network of pick-up and drop-off points and a fleet of newer vehicles. Keith Kee, chief executive officer of BlueSG, told The Business Times: 'We are not ending the service per se. We call it a pause, because it is in preparation for the upgrade.' He said that building on the experience it has gained from its operations, it fully intends to come back with an improved product by revamping its platform and car fleet. 'We want to have a refreshed user experience. The new platform will feature a refreshed fleet and upgraded systems, designed to deliver a stronger performance and more seamless user experience.' Existing BlueSG vehicles are 'not likely' to be carried over to its new chapter, and will be decommissioned or repurposed where necessary, he added. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up He did not elaborate on the cost of the reboot, but shared: 'This decision reflects a long-term strategic vision that's set by careful financial financing.' BlueSG is also looking forward to investments from strategic partners who will also contribute technology and expertise to the company, he explained. 'But right now, I think the focus is on ensuring that our existing service and our existing users are able to take the pause, and that we address the current issues first.' Common issues cited by users In recent years, BlueSG had issues with feedback in online channels about unresponsive customer service, malfunctioning apps, and aged or unclean vehicles. An ex-BlueSG subscriber told BT that he stopped using the service earlier this year because the vehicles and charging stations were not well maintained, and the customer support was disappointing. Technology issues are partly to blame, said a source familiar with the matter. This comes from the management having opted to develop its own in-house software solutions, which is more difficult than using or adapting off-the-shelf ones. BlueSG's app is rated 3.8 out of 5 stars on both Google Play and Apple's App store, with user reviews citing poor user experience and app issues. Walter Theseira, associate professor of economics at the Singapore University of Social Sciences, said: 'I think (the shutdown) was expected. We know that the economics of car-sharing has always been challenging in Singapore, with most firms that have been in the space over the last few decades having folded.' He said that BlueSG's fleet, comprising entirely of electric vehicles (EVs), may have been a hindrance to expansion. 'The bigger issue is that (an all-EV fleet) boxes you in somewhat, making you unable to expand to points without charging.' The EV fleet may also have contributed to the situation. Theseira said that by the time Singapore engineering firm Goldbell bought out the operator in 2021, the first-generation Blue SG cars, which were Bolloré Bluecars, were already outclassed by other EVs. The operator's second-generation of cars, Opel e-Corsas, was a questionable choice, given the availability of better Chinese EVs. Automotive consultant Vincent Ng echoed this viewpoint, saying that BlueSG's cars were limited in range and slow to charge, hampering their user-friendliness – and the operator's competitiveness. Observers said that a new approach is needed for the car-sharing space in Singapore. 'Competitors like GetGo have shown that a clean-slate business model could outperform BlueSG, so that may have motivated the relaunch,' said Theseira, who thinks that BlueSG is likely to keep its existing customer base, but change its branding, operations and pricing model. Ng said that a ground-up relaunch is viable, if access to the charging network remains. He added that the most valuable component of BlueSG at the time of Goldbell's takeover was not the car-sharing business itself, but the charging network. With that takeover, French energy company TotalEnergies acquired the charging network. 'BlueSG's charging network was the largest in Singapore in 2021, and it is still a valuable asset – more so than the cars or the business itself.' GetGo is currently the largest car-sharing service in Singapore, with around 400,000 users. BlueSG's user base is now around 250,000, up from 140,000 in 2021; it recently surpassed seven million cumulative rentals since its start in 2017. What customers can expect: processes for refunds, closures and more The current BlueSG service will wind down its operations at 23.59pm on Aug 8. Matters such as billing, account closures, subscription adjustments and refunds will be managed until Aug 31. The company said: 'BlueSG is committed to ensuring a transparent, efficient and smooth process for users, with clear communications, timely updates and dedicated customer support throughout the process.' In a statement on Monday, the Consumers Association of Singapore (Case) said that it has worked with BlueSG to set up a dedicated channel for handling credit refunds and outstanding bills to support affected users. Customers requiring assistance may approach Case via its website or hotline, the association added. BlueSG started out as a subsidiary of French conglomerate Bolloré Group in 2017, before its acquisition by Goldbell. At the time, Goldbell said that it planned to expand the car-sharing business regionally, and use BlueSG as the global headquarters.
