GoCar announces €1 million investment as part of national expansion

Kenneth Fox

Ireland’s leading car sharing service GoCar, announced an investment of over €1 million in the expansion of its car sharing fleet across new locations nationwide this year.

They said the investment will primarily fund the provision of a new fleet of cars and vans in line with growing demand for GoCar car sharing services among the public since the pandemic.

By the end of 2022, the company forecasts a 15 per cent increase in car sharing locations throughout Ireland compared to 2020.

In total, GoCar will have more than 700 car sharing locations nationally this year, with more than 900 vehicles available to rent by the hour and more vehicles expected to be added in line with rising public demand.

Over the past two years, GoCar has been growing beyond its traditional urban centres in Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Galway.

They said it is part of their strategic commitment to make car sharing more accessible to drivers across Ireland as a sustainable and flexible alternative to private vehicle ownership.

The car sharing service has already begun its regional location rollout with car sharing now available in multiple locations throughout counties Kilkenny, Wexford, Waterford, Kildare, Meath, Louth, Mayo, Wicklow, Westmeath and Kerry.

Demand for car sharing services remained buoyant following the pandemic outbreak in 2020 and public interest began to rise last year with GoCar expanding its fleet of vehicles by almost 10 per cent in 2021, with a total of 860 vehicles available to users across the country.

The company also experienced a 5 per cent increase in car sharing trips booked in 2021 compared to 2020.

Speaking about the investment, Paul McNeice, head of country for GoCar, said: “It’s fantastic to see demand for car sharing among the general public on the rise and as a result we are determined to make it as accessible as possible for consumers across the country.

“National preference and attitudes towards private car ownership and sustainable transport are constantly evolving, and now, more than ever before, people are re-evaluating their individual transport requirements and considering flexibility, cost and importantly, environmental impact."

GoCar enables customers to rent cars and vans from €10 an hour, with corporate customers using the service to meet work-related transport needs and reduce fleet costs.