Tauranga – Tauranga residents can now take advantage of EV car sharing, following the launch of the GoTo car share.
The new company offers the use of EVs from durations of 30 minutes to an entire weekend.
Founder Steven Vincent says the inspiration for the company stemmed from the growth of the sharing economy, as well as the desire to see fewer cars on the road, which helps to reduce Aotearoa’s carbon footprint.
The popularity of car sharing in major cities around the country is growing and thought a similar service would benefit Tauranga, which has a population of more than 155,000, with an estimated 52,000 commuter cars on the road each day.
“We have a resource that can be shared by people, reducing the need for each person to bring their own vehicle into the CBD.” Vincent says.
GoTo is starting off with a fleet of three EVs and a rapid charging station available to the public.
The service operates via an app for ease of booking and features keyless access to any EV in the fleet 24/7.
The plan is to extend to more locations around Tauranga, which would allow users to pick up and drop off at multiple locations.
The Bay of Plenty Regional Council, economic development agency Priority One and Farmer Auto Village have supported scheme.
Current users include charities, not-for-profits, IT companies, start-ups, and business owners. All these organisations and their teams can now make use of a fleet of EVs without the disadvantages of having to maintain an on-going costly corporate fleet.
GoTo hopes to have 10 to 15 cars in multiple locations by early 2023. Pricing is $19 plus GST an hour and $26 plus GST an hour (+GST) depending on the vehicle type (range and size). There are discounts for an eight hour, overnight and weekend rental. The price includes all energy costs, insurance and road tolls.
Photo: GoTo founder Steven Vincent
