Taiwan’s car rental market booms with sharing services

TAIPEI (TVBS News)—The sharing economy is growing in Taiwan, and car-sharing services are becoming popular. Service providers are now promoting platforms that connect their car markets and resources to attract more users.

Miss Chen uses a car-sharing service. She lives in Linkou and works in Xindian, requiring a 90-minute commute by public transportation. To save time, she drives two to three times a week. "Sometimes, I drive to work to save time; it only takes around 40 minutes. Many service sites are near my place, so I can try different cars daily," she said.

LINE GO has introduced an enhanced platform to meet diverse transportation needs, adding options like car rentals and airport pickups to suit passenger preferences. "We hope to help people with mobile service needs. They may need to change two or three carriers in the process of moving, but on the platform, they can get the services they need at once," LINE GO Chief Commercial Officer Eric Wang said.

Scholars suggest that the core value of sharing services is dealing with the economic surplus, creating more value by utilizing unused resources. Hou Sheng-tsung, Feng Chia University Master’s Program of Culture and Innovation Distinguished Professor, is optimistic about the developing sharing economy. 

"In the era of shared mobility, cabs are not just cabs; they can also be used for other services and car delivery platforms. For example, Foodpanda and Uber Eats combine two different industries: logistics and passenger transportation. They are now integrated together, and in the future, there will be a more diverse range of services to join," Hou said.

Taiwan's car rental market is booming. According to WeMo Scooter, Taiwan's first electric scooter-sharing company, users' consumption grows 20% to 30% annually. Over 7,000 sharing scooters in Taipei, New Taipei, and Kaohsiung serve over one million members.