Best car sharing in Singapore: GetGo, BlueSG, Tribecar prices (2023)

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.

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: Tribecar, Car Club, DriveLah, BlueSG, Whizz Car, and GetGo.

1. At a glance: Car sharing prices in Singapore (2023)

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-commitment or lowest-commitment membership tier and the cheapest economy sedan car available.

Let's assume I want to book the car for 7pm to 11pm (four hours) on a Friday to drive about 60km. The weekend prices are going to be similar to Friday night's, and weekend surcharges apply to Friday night too.

* Note: Tribecar and Car Club come with a $100 security deposit, although this will eventually be returned to you.

At first glance, the cheapest looks to be Tribecar's Super Economy car. However, this is before you add in the cost of fuel. Drive Lah may be the most affordable at about $44+ for a four hour, 60km Friday night drive.

Having said that, cost isn't everything. Here are our recommendations if you have specific requirements in mind:

• For sustainability: BlueSG and GetGo offer electric vehicles.
• For driving to Malaysia: Tribecar allows you to drive up to West Malaysia. Drive Lah may also be a possible choice, depending on the car owner's rules.
• For young drivers: Tribecar's age requirement is 18 years, while GetGo's is 19 years with one year of driving experience.
• For driving with pets: GetGo is your best bet, followed by Drive Lah (depending on the car owner).

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

1. Apply for membership online for free — there's no membership fee!
2. Reserve a car online.
3. Collect your car, unlocking it via the Tribecar app.
4. Drive around as you like. Note that costs of fuel usage are on you.
5. Return car to original parking site, making sure the petrol indicator is not blinking.

Tribecar rates (2023)

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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 for peak, off-peak, and super off-peak timings:

Tribecar payment, cancellation charges, and deposits (2023)

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We're not gonna lie, paying on Tribecar is pretty 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, or $200 into your account e-wallet and use it pay for bookings.

For each wallet top-up, you'll be charged a "Payment Gateway Fee" of $1 for $20 and $50 top-ups, and $2 for $100 top-ups, and $3 for $200 top-ups. And after you get through all of that, you better use up everything you put in — loaded credits are non-refundable even after you terminate your account.

Booking on Tribecar isn't the most convenient if you need to make booking changes-because you can't. Instead, you have to make a new booking and cancel the existing one. That means incurring cancellation charges:

Tribecar is one of the most accessible car rental services in Singapore. Unlike many other car rental services in Singapore with an age limit of 22 or 23, Tribecar lets you rent a car from as young as 18 years old as long as you have passed your driving test. However, there are some drawbacks to renting a car at this age:

• Tribecar will consider you a "new driver" if you've been driving for less than two years, and/or are below 23 years old.
• New drivers must fork out an additional surcharge of 30 per cent per booking. Yikes!
• As a new driver, you have to pay Tribecar an additional security deposit of $100 (Singaporeans), $200 (Singaporeans/PRs) or $600 (Foreigners). Tribecar will hold on to this cash until your probationary plate (P-plate) comes off, after which they'll put it into your e-wallet for you to spend on more vehicle rentals.
• Speaking of the P-plate, do bring your own if you're still on probation. Tribecar won't provide this for you,
• You can't drive up to Malaysia as a new driver.

Where do I return my Tribecar vehicle?

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.

Speaking of returning the car, let's look at Tribecar's fuel policy. Tribecar states that 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 this — if the next person who gets behind the wheel proves to Tribecar that the fuel reserve light is lit up, they'll charge you a penalty of $35 the first time, and $65 if it happens a second time.

3. Car Club by Tribecar - review

Car Club step-by-step guide:

• Apply for membership via the Tribecar website or app-not the Car Club one. Tribecar sunsetted the Car Club website on March 31, 2022.
• Reserve a car online or via the Tribecar mobile app.
• Collect your car and drive wherever you want to go.
• Return car to original parking site with minimum one quarter tank fuel.

Car Club is the oldest, most established car sharing operator in Singapore. They've been in the business since 1997. Tribecar acquired Car Club in March 2022, and started charging existing Car Club users an additional $100 deposit to "join" the Tribecar group — a move that wasn't well-received.

While Car Club's registration was pretty straightforward in the past, it's changed since Tribecar acquired it. There is no longer a Car Club website, nor a clear sign up button for Car Club on the Tribecar website. Instead, you'll have to sign up as a Tribecar member and select the Car Club plan. On the Tribecar website, green denotes Car Club vehicles while blue denotes Tribecar ones.

Car Club prices and rates (2023)

Car Club by Tribecar charges both by time and distance, in the form of an hourly charge and a $0.39/km mileage fee (for fuel), respectively. This is quite the standard pricing rubric that car sharing companies like GetGo, DriveLah, and Whizz Car have adopted. However, like Tribecar, Car Club charges an additional $0.50 to $2 per hour weekend surcharge (before GST), which can really add up.

Here are hourly rates for Car Club's standard car category, Car Club Select:

The rates above will get you a Toyota Altis, Mazda CX-5, or something similar. If you want a more premium ride, Car Club also rents out Lexus RX270 and Toyota Vellfire cars under their Car Club Prime range at $10-12 per hour.

Tribecar vs Car Club

How does Tribecar measure up to Car Club? 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 (the "normal" car category is called "Car Club Select"). Hourly rates range from $10 to $13, and mileage fee is $0.52/km.
• Minimum fuel: Car Club quantifies the minimum amount of fuel you have to return the car with: 1/4 tank. That also means you start with a 1/4 tank of fuel when you collect a Car Club car. Comparatively, Tribecar just states that the reserve fuel indicator shouldn't be lit up when you return the vehicle, so you are probably going to start with much less on a Tribecar vehicle.
• Service guarantee: Car Club cars are generally held to higher service standards than Tribecar ones. All Car Club clubs are guaranteed to have functional aircon, IU, radio, exterior lights, and tyres.
• Age and driving experience requirements: Youths as young as 18 years old can rent a Tribecar vehicle, even if they're still stuck with a probationary plate (P-plate). Comparatively, Car Club drivers need to be at least 22 years old with at least two years of driving experience.

4. Drive Lah - review

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Drive Lah step-by-step guide:

1. Create your account online. You may also need to provide additional details such as driving license and NRIC.
2. Find your preferred car online and make a booking.
3. Car owner contacts you via app messaging.
4. Collect your car and drive around.
5. Pump petrol to original fuel level if you opted to exclude Drive Lah's fuel package.
6. Return car to car owner.

Drive Lah is a car-sharing platform, not a car rental service. That means you aren't really renting a car from Drive Lah, but from a stranger who's listed their car on their website for sharing. Drive Lah functions as the middle man and earns some money from the whole process.

Since it's actually someone else's personal car that you'll be driving, you'll have to be pretty responsible in keeping the car clean. So, if you were planning to drive your university OG out for a messy late night prata and ECP trip, Drive Lah is not for you.

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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.

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 to $15 per hour.

Compared to other car rental operators, Drive Lah's sign up process is pretty troublesome since it requires you to upload all your documents manually (vs syncing with SingPass).

5. BlueSG - review

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BlueSG step-by-step:

1. Apply for your membership online or via mobile app.
2. Link a credit or debit card to your account.
3. Reserve a Bluecar online or via the BlueSG mobile app.
4. Go to the designated collection point and find the Bluecar you booked. Tap your card at the kiosk and unplug the Bluecar.
5. Drive around Singapore. Book a BlueSG parking lot to park your Bluecar.
6. Return the car to any BlueSG parking site. Tap your card on the kiosk to end the booking, then lock the Bluecar and plug it in.

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By now, you've probably come across those cute BlueSG cars humming along on our roads. BlueSG has perhaps the most unique concept-they have a full fleet of electric cars (called Bluecars) for sharing.

This means that the cars are charged at their designated lots, so you don't have to worry about petrol. Plus, you're making a better choice from a sustainability standpoint compared to renting a car that uses fuel.

Worried about how long a fully charged Bluecar can go for? Don't worry, it's a far cry from the battery life of your phone. According to the BlueSG website, a Bluecar's average range is about 250km. That's enough for almost seven trips between Jurong Point in the West and Changi Airport in the East.

BlueSG rental rates and cost (2023)

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You may think that use of electricity instead of petrol translates to savings, 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. That's $25.20 per hour!

If you intend to use BlueSG for a few months, you should consider the six-month Premium membership. You pay $10 more per month in membership fees to get 40 minutes free monthly that would have otherwise cost you $16.80. That means you save $6.80 per month, and $40.80 in the six-month period.

BlueSG pros and cons - is it worth it?

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At $0.42/min or $25.20 per hour, BlueSG doesn't look like an affordable option. Could it still be worth it if we consider other factors? Here's a summary of its pros and cons:

If price is your main concern, BlueSG isn't going to be your top pick. However, if you're environmentally conscious, want to try your hand at driving an electric vehicle, or like that you can drop the car off at any parking site, BlueSG is worth considering.

6. GetGo Car Sharing - review

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GetGo step-by-step guide:

1. Create your account on the GetGo mobile app.
2. Find your preferred car online and make a booking.
3. Unlock the car with your mobile app.
4. Drive around as you wish.
5. Top up car fuel if it's below 1/4 tank with the Esso card provided.
6. Return car to original parking lot, and end your trip on the mobile app.

GetGo prices (2023)

GetGo strives to be fuss-free. That means no membership fee, sign-up fee or any deposits. Instead, costs comprise only a time charge and mileage charge. The mileage charge is $0.39/km for cars running on fuel, and $0.29/km for electric vehicles. Here are the time charges for GetGo's Economy car category:

Additionally, GetGo will also cover the cost of fuel. Each car comes with an Esso fuel card that you can use to refuel the car. All you need to do if open your GetGo app and generate a PIN. Not only will GetGo cover the cost of the petrol, but they'll also reward you with a $2 to $6 promo code you can use on your next booking.

If you don't want to have to refuel at all, you can also rent their Standard Electric car for an hourly rate of $4 (off-peak), $7 (normal), or $10 (peak).

One thing that GetGo has that the other car rental services on this list don't is being pet-friendly. GetGo will allow pets in their cars as long as you keep them in carriers. The only other car rental service that (kinda) allows pets is Drive Lah — for their cars, it really depends on the car owner.

The one downside to GetGo rental is that you have to return the car to its original parking lot. That's not very convenient, but is true for almost all the car rental and sharing services on this list anyway (with the notable exception of BlueSG!).

7. What happened to WhizzCar?

You know how Car Club got acquired by Tribecar? We hope you remember that story, because pretty much the same thing has happened with WhizzCar.

WhizzCar was under the local car rental company Popular Rent A Car. In October 2022, Tribecar acquired Popular Rent A Car, also gaining its car-sharing service WhizzCar and the 400 cars in their fleet. Whizz Car members got their deposits and credits ported over, and have now joined the Tribecar tribe.

ALSO READ: Car rental vs car sharing vs GrabCar: Which is the most cost-effective?

This article was first published in MoneySmart.