Australia’s first EV car ride-sharing program kicks off

We’ve all heard about car sharing programs, but today comes news of Australia’s first residential electric car-sharing service. It’s called Ohmie Go and comes online today, for a select few anyway.

The program is supported by Hyundai and JET Charge. The project has launched in one of Melbourne’s largest residential buildings, the EQ Tower. Two brand new Hyundai Kona Electric vehicles will be available for rent, but only to those will live in the building.

Residents can use the Ohmie Go app to make a booking. While this is clearly a program still in its infancy, it’s still great to see some baby steps being taken. These kinds of electric mobility solutions really are the future, especially for city dwellers. 

Kyle Bolto, CEO of Ohmie said, “​Personal mobility is undergoing the most significant shift since the invention of the car, including entirely new ownership models, multi-modal transportation methods and eventually vehicles that drive themselves. By deepening ties between buildings and mobility there is an opportunity for property owners and operators to deliver increased amenities, reduce costs and significantly improve the sustainability rating of the building.”​ 

This basically is a step towards fixing what up until now has been a major hurdle. That being how do apartment owners charge an EV car?

Mr Bolto said, “​My vision for Ohmie GO is to create a frictionless, exclusive, premium mobility option in every large residential building. The convenience of having a service like this in the car park of the building you live in is the closest thing to owning your own car without all the traditional costs of car ownership. We also found a way to offer premium electric vehicles at rates less than even the budget car-sharing rental prices you would find out in the street. We are excited to have a number of large developers who share our vision and are looking to deploy Ohmie GO in their developments ASAP​”said Bolto

“​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 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!​”

Hyundai’s Australia CEO, JW Lee said, “​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.​”

Ohmie GO wouldn’t get off the ground unless they partnered with charging companies such as Jet Charge. Founder Tim Washington said, “​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 and Kyle’s team, we have 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​”

The possibilities are endless with this type of tech, think scooters, bikes and more!