When my rusty car hit the big 10 last year, I decided it was simply too expensive to continue owning a car. It is, after all, a depreciating asset and I’m supposed to be MoneySmart… right? I haven’t been behind the wheel since, but perhaps now that I’ve discovered car sharing in Singapore, that might change.
Car sharing is basically the SG Bike and Obike of cars: You search for a nearby car, “unlock” it with a card or app, and drive it to your destination.
From a quick glance at the rates, car sharing seems like a godsend, especially for people whose driver’s licences do nothing but buy beer at 7-11. *shuffles feet guiltily*
Prices are advertised as just a couple of dollars per hour, but after doing some calculations and adding in hidden costs (subscription fees, registration fees, petrol, etc)… Lo and behold! It comes up almost comparable to steep Grab and taxi fares—and for those, you don’t even need to drive yourself. Sian, looks like I’m sticking to the MRT.
To be fair, it’s worth it if you have a lot of barang or if you’re transporting difficult cargo (kids included) and are going to multiple places within the time frame.
Here’s a price comparison of the major car sharing operators in Singapore offering hourly car rental: Blue SG, Car Club, Tribecar, Whizz Car, DriveLah, Shariot, and GetGo.
Contents
1. At a glance: Car sharing prices in Singapore (2022)
Different operators have slightly different pricing systems, so I will compare the initial cash outlay and prices as a first-time user opting for the no- or lowest-commitment membership tier and the cheapest sedan car available.
Let’s assume I want to book the car for 7pm to 11pm (4 hours) on a Friday to drive about 60 km. The prices are going to be similar over the weekend.
| Car sharing app | Total Price | Price breakdown |
| Tribecar (Economy) | $137.40+++ | $100 security deposit + $6.96 per hour + $2/hr weekend surcharge + unknown petrol fee + $1 payment gateway fee |
| Tribecar Car Club | $168.96 | $100 security deposit + $9 per hour + $2/hr weekend surcharge + $0.39/km mileage + $1 payment gateway fee |
| DriveLah | $58 | $6 per hour + $9.3 insurance + $1.3 processing fee + $0.39/km mileage |
| BlueSG | $67.90 | $8 membership + $59.90 4 hour package |
| Whizz Car | $205.46 | $18.29 first hour + $8.46 per 30 mins + 40km free mileage + $0.43/km mileage + $107 registration fee |
| Getgo (Standard) | $59.40 | $9/hour + $0.39/km mileage |
As a first-time user, Whizz Car and Tribecar are the most expensive with hefty initial deposit and registration fees of $100+.
Some things to note about car sharing:
-
- Buffer a few days’ lead time before your membership is approved. Your driver’s licence and record need to be reviewed upon application and approved before you can book cars.
- All operators cover their drivers with basic insurance.
- Costs incurred for ERP and parking (non-designated lots) will be borne by you.
- Different operators have “stations” and cars at different districts, so be sure to check that they’re in your area before you commit to a membership plan.
- Most of the car sharing operators require a safety deposit during the period of your membership.
2. Tribecar Singapore Review
| Tribecar | Rates |
| Membership fee | None! |
| Insurance provided? | Yes. Own or third party damage excess per accident of $3000 (subject to 8% GST). |
| Petrol included? | No. Ensure the reserve fuel indicator light isn’t lit up when returning the car. |
| Car rental rates (Super Economy category) |
|
| Fleet size | 1,300+ |
| Car sharing locations | 750+ |
Tribecar step-by-step guide:
- Apply for membership online for free—there’s no membership fee!
- Reserve a car online.
- Collect your car, unlocking it via web app.
- Drive around as you like. Note that the fuel usage is on you.
- Return car to original parking site, making sure the petrol indicator is not blinking.
If you’re just looking for the cheapest car rental rates out there, you’ve found them. Tribecar’s “super off-peak” rates for their Super Economy category cars take the cake at just $0.54/hour. Having said that, they meant it when they said super off-peak—a weekday drive between midnight to 6am, anyone?
Yeah, we thought not. You’re probably going to be more interested in Tribecar’s “off-peak” (no “super”) period from 6am to 6pm on weekdays. At $2.70/hour, this is still one of the cheapest hourly rates out there.
While Tribecar’s rates look pretty cheap, they do come with weekend surcharges that range from $0.50 to $2 per hour (not inclusive of GST). So if you’re driving over the weekend, you can very quickly rack up a huge bill.
Here’s Tribecar’s super economy prices and peak hour timing table:
| Mon to Thu | Fri | Sat and Sun | |
| Midnight to 6am | $2.14/hour (super off-peak) | $2.14/hour | $6.96/hour (peak) |
| 6am to 7am | $4.82/hour (off-peak) | $4.82/hour | $6.96/hour |
| 7am to 11am | $6.96/hour (peak) | $6.96/hour | $6.96/hour |
| 11am to 5pm | $4.82/hour | $4.82/hour | $6.96/hour |
| 5pm to 11pm | $6.96/hour | $6.96/hour | $6.96/hour |
| 11pm to midnight | $4.82/hour | $6.96/hour | $6.96/hour |
Paying on Tribecar is a little annoying. First of all, you can’t just link your credit card to your account. Instead, you need to load credits in denominations of $20, $50, $100 into your account e-wallet and use it pay for bookings. For each wallet top-up, you’ll be charged $1-3 for what Tribecar calls the “Payment Gateway Fee”.
Booking on Tribecar isn’t the most convenient either. Also, you cannot amend your bookings on the go; you will need to make a new booking and cancel the existing one.
How about returning the car? Similar to GetGo, Tribecar is a point A to A car sharing service. That means you’ll need to return your Tribecar to its original parking spot once you’re done, so no one-way trips.
Finally, Tribecar’s fuel policy is pretty vague. You “may return the vehicle at any fuel level (at your own cost) as long as the reserved fuel indicator does not light up”. Don’t push it though—if the next person who gets behind the wheel proves to Tribecar that the fuel reserve light is lit up, they’ll charge you $35 the first time, and $65 if it happens a second time.
3. Tribecar Car Club Singapore
| Tribecar Car Club | Rates |
| Subscription fee | $100 deposit |
| Insurance provided? | Yes. Insurance excess from $1,605 to $12,840 |
| Petrol included? | Yes. Top up with Car Club petrol card |
| Petrol mileage fee (per km) | $0.39/km or $0.52/km mileage fee |
| Fleet size | 200+ |
| Car sharing stations | 110+ |
Car Club step-by-step guide:
- Apply for membership online ($100 deposit)
- Reserve a car online or via mobile app
- Collect your car and drive around
- Return car to original parking site with minimum 1/4 tank fuel
Car Club used to be the oldest, most established car sharing operator in Singapore. They’ve been in the business since 1997. Car Club was acquired by Tribecar in March 2022, to which Tribecar charged existing Car Club users an additional $100 deposit to “join” the Tribecar group – a move that wasn’t well-received.
Car Club charges both by duration and $0.39/km for mileage fee (for fuel), which is quite the standard pricing rubric that car sharing companies like GetGo, DriveLah, and Whizz Car have adopted. However, Car Club charges an additional $0.50 to $2 per hour weekend surcharge (before GST) which can add up.
| Weekdays | Weekends | |
| 12am – 8am | $3/hour (super off-peak) | $6/hour |
| 8am – 6pm | $6/hour (off-peak) | $9/hour |
| 6pm – 12am | $9/hour (peak) | $9/hour |
While Car Club’s registration was pretty straightforward in the past, it’s changed since Tribecar acquired it. There is no longer a clear sign up button for the Car Club on the website. Instead, you’ll have to sign up as a Tribecar member and select the Car Club plan.
What’s the difference between Tribecar’s cars and Car Club’s cars? Here are some comparison points:
- Rates and fees: The hourly rental rates are higher for Car Club. There’s also a mileage fee of $0.39/km.
- Premium cars: Car Club offers more premium cars under the Car Club Prime programme. Hourly rates range from $10 to $12, and mileage fee is $0.52/km.
- Minimum fuel: While Tribecar just states that the reserve fuel indicator shouldn’t be lit up when you return the vehicle, Car Club quantifies the minimum amount of fuel: 1/4 tank.
4. DriveLah Review
| DriveLah | Price |
| Subscription fee | – |
| Insurance provided? | Yes, $3,000 to $4,000 excess |
| Petrol included? | Yes, opt in for fuel inclusion at $0.39/km |
| Car rental fee | Varies from $40 to $200+ for 24 hours |
| Fleet size | 1,300+ |
DriveLah step-by-step guide:
- Create account online manually, scan license, NRIC, upload individually
- Find your preferred car online, make a booking
- Car owner contacts you via app messaging
- Collect your car and drive around
- Pump petrol to original fuel level
- Return car to car owner
DriveLah is great for those of you who love chatting and getting to know your neighbours while looking for a quick ride. You’ll probably have to be pretty responsible in keeping the car clean, since it’s actually someone else’s personal car that you’ll be driving. So, this is not for you if you’re planning to drive your university OG out for a messy late night prata and ECP trip.
Prices vary depending on the car you choose. A Honda or Mazda entry-level should cost you $6 per hour, while a continental Audi A3, Volvo XC40, and BMW 3 series will range around $12 per hour.
Compared to other car rental operators, DriveLah’s sign up process is pretty troublesome since it requires you to upload all your documents manually (vs syncing with SingPass).
Since these are all personal cars, you can expect cars to be cleaner and better serviced condition. If you enjoy cars, you’ll be treated to newer makes such as the BMW 5 Series, Mercs GLB, Audi, Toyota Harrier, Nissan Qashqai, Volvo, and Mazda CX series.
5. BlueSG Review
| BlueSG | |
| Subscription fee | $8 Basic, $18 Premium |
| Insurance provided? | Yes, $5,000 excess |
| Petrol included? | All BlueSG cars are electric, no need for petrol |
| Price plan – Basic | $8 per month, rental $0.42 per min |
| Price plan – Premium | $18 per month (min. 6 months), $0.42 per min, free 40 min/month |
| Fleet size | 667 |
| Charging points | 1,500 |
BlueSG step-by-step:
- Apply for membership online or via mobile app
- Link account to credit card to unlock car
- Reserve a car online or via mobile app
- Unplug and collect your car
- Drive around, book a BlueSG parking lot
- Return car to any BlueSG parking site
BlueSG has perhaps the most unique concept – they have a full fleet of electric cars for sharing. This means that the cars are charged at their designated lots, so you don’t have to worry about or fuss over petrol. You may think this translates to savings in petrol, but that’s not really the case.
The all-in rental fees used to be quite steep at $0.50/min a couple of years back, was then reduced to $0.33/min, $0.36/min, and back up to the current $0.42/min.
If you intend to go for BlueSG, you should consider the 6-month Premium membership, which gives you 40 mins free monthly.
BlueSG is one of few operators that allows you to pickup and drop-off your car at any of designated parking site, and is most cost-efficient if you’re driving long distances for 3 or 4 hours (get their packages).
However, BlueSG cars are not the easiest to drive. The cars come equipped with regenerative braking features and may be challenging for inexperienced or young drivers.
6. Whizz Car Rental
| Whizz Car | Standard Plan (min. 12 months) | Whizzy-Ezzy Plan |
| Subscription fee | $10.70 per month, $107 registration, $100 deposit (min. 12 months) | None + $107 registration fee |
| Insurance provided? | Yes, $3,000 to $6,000+++ excess | Yes, $3,000 to $6,000+++ excess |
| Petrol included? | Yes, Esso, top-up to 1/2 tank | |
| Price plan (Economy) | $14.07 1st hour, $6.51/30 mins after | $18.29 1st hour, $8.46/30 mins after |
| Mileage fee | 1st hour 10km free, subsequent 30 mins 5km free. Anything beyond that is $0.43 per km. | |
| Fleet size | 170 | |
| Car sharing stations | 58 | |
Whizz Car step-by-step:
- Apply for membership online
- Receive a key fob for unlocking cars
- Reserve a car online or via phone call
- Collect your car and drive around
- Top up petrol to at least half tank with fleet card
- Return car to original parking site
There are 3 membership plans for Whizz Car: Standard, Extra Value (highest commitment), and free membership Whizzy-Ezzy. The Standard plan is a premium annual membership that entitles you to discounted rates. However, unless you intend to rent the cars VERY OFTEN, you’re not likely to get enough bang for your buck. There’s a one-time $107 registration fee, $10.70 monthly (that’s $128.40 per year), and $100 security deposit.
If you’re just trying it out and don’t want any commitments, go for the Whizzy-Ezzy free membership. There’s no subscription fee, and no minimum commitment period. However, you still need to pay $107 registration, and pay more for the car rentals.
Unfortunately, Whizz Car is the most expensive because they even the “super economy” class of cars (under 1.4L) which are supposed to be priced more affordably are going to cost you a bomb. Prices increase astronomically for the “economy” tiers which typically feature car models which are 1.6L to under 2L.
Because you need to collect and return the car at the same Whizz Car parking site (there are about 58 of them), it’s more suitable for return trips and not one-way trips. Additionally, Whizz Car has one of the fewest cars (170) and stations (58), so make sure to check that they have designated cars in your estate before you commit to anything.
7. GetGo Car Sharing Review
| GetGo | Prices |
| Subscription fee | None |
| Insurance provided? | Yes, $1,605 to $10,700 |
| Petrol included? | Yes |
| Car rental fee (per hour) | $3-7 (Economy), $3-9 (Standard), $6-12 (Premium), $4-10 (Standard Electric) |
| Mileage fee | $0.39/km, $0.25/km for EVs |
| Fleet size | 1,400 |
| Car sharing stations | 1,300 |
GetGo step-by-step guide:
- Create account on mobile app
- Find your preferred car online, make a booking
- Unlock car with your mobile app
- Drive around
- Top up car fuel if it’s below 1/4 tank with Esso card provided
- Return car to original parking lot, end trip on mobile app
GetGo prices:
| Weekdays | Weekends & Public Holidays | |
| 12am – 5:59am | $3 or $6/hour (off-peak) | $3 or $6/hour |
| 6am – 8:59am | $3 or $6/hour | $5, $6, $9/hour |
| 9am – 5:59pm | $5, $6, $9/hour (normal) | $7, $9, $12/hour |
| 6pm – 11:59pm | $7, $9, $12/hour (peak) | $7, $9, $12/hour |
GetGo is great if you are making a short trips. They charge by time and petrol mileage, which can easily add up to $15 for a return lunchtime trip to a nearby mall. It makes sense if you were going to Grab anyway, but want to avoid Grab’s crazy surge $30+ prices.
However, you have to return your GetGo rental car to its original parking lot, which means it only makes sense if you were coming home right after your trip out anyway.
Also watch: Renting a Car – How Costly Is It Really?
Have you tried car sharing with Car Club, Tribe Car, Whizz Car, GetGo and BlueSG before? Share your experience with us!
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