SEVERAL companies are trying to take a share of the time-share car rental market in Shenzhen, but supporting facilities and services for their app-based rental cars still need to be improved, the Southern Metropolis Daily reported yesterday.

    The car-sharing app TOGO has made a name on social media after the app’s operator launched the car rental service in Shenzhen, which allows users to rent Smart microcars as easy as renting a bike on their phones.

    Actually, the car-sharing platform Car2Share, operated by Daimler Group, launched its car rental service in Shenzhen in 2013, but is only available for corporate users such as Tencent, so the public isn’t familiar with it.

    Another company, I-Go, which was founded in Shenzhen last year, is still adjusting its car rental service after a trial run in May. The company will provide new-energy rental cars from BYD and BMW to users next year, according to Tao Chuankai, the company’s spokesperson.

    Tao said that the company is trying to improve its supporting services and figure out solutions to parking problems and traffic violations before launching a large-scale advertising campaign like TOGO did.

    Another car-sharing app called Ponycar has put more than 100 rental cars on Shenzhen streets. Both Ponycar and I-Go are reaching out to parking lots and property management companies to cut deals to provide free parking spaces for their users.

    Ponycar’s cofounder, Lin Zhongjie, said that the company has made agreements with 211 parking lots across the city. Meanwhile, another time-share car rental company has partnered with Yitingche, a roadside parking app in Shenzhen.

    A senior investor, Wan Kai, said that app-based rental cars will be in huge demand in first-tier cities like Shenzhen because of the user-friendly service. “But it will be hard to meet the demand if app operators can’t solve parking, refueling and charging problems for users,” he said.

    To find their place in the market, app operators also need to distinguish themselves from others, according to the report.

    TOGO wants to attract young users with its Smart microcars, while Ponycar provides cheaper two-seat e-cars manufactured by a local carmaker and I-Go will target businesspeople by offering BYD and BMW e-cars.

    (Zhang Yang)