Uber is always the first thing you think of when you need a ride from one place to another. But in the Netherlands, Uber is one of the costliest modes of transport, when compared to other countries in Europe.
Apart from the expense, some consumers don’t want to get into the mess of aggressive drivers or delayed arrivals, and they expect more personalised service. Some of them even like to self-drive from one location to another, after all, its way cheaper than Uber.
To meet these evolving demands, many startups in the Netherlands have come up with unique transport-sharing services which are great alternatives to Uber, they’re dependable, geeky and cost-effective. Take a look!
#1 TaxiElectric
Based in Amsterdam, TaxiElectric carries the credits for being the first electric taxi service to operate in Europe. The startup aims to make the taxi market more sustainable. A little expensive, but the cars offered by the startup are fully powered by green electricity. Founded by Ruud Zandvliet, the company offers taxis that are powered electrically for a cleaner, more comfortable and quieter experience. The green electricity helps in realizing maximum environmental benefits.
#2 MyWheels
Founded in 2016 by Henry Mentink, MyWheels believes in the power of communities and neighbourhood car sharing. It was started with an intention to create a smart and sustainable idea and the same progressed into one of the largest and most affordable car-sharing platforms.
Currently, MyWheels connects over 50,000 members and owners of shared cars. The idea of MyWheels is to offer a cab at a fair price and at the nearest location.
#3 Amber Mobility
Founded in 2016, Amber Mobility is a flexible platform ensuring that you are always in walking distance of a car. The Eindhoven-based self-driving car startup is an intelligence platform that offers you a customizable, autonomous and modular electric car designed to be shared. So far, the startup received a seed funding of €500k in November 2017 from Jan Scholt, a prominent investor.
#4 Greenwheels
Another car-sharing service, Greenwheels lets users share cars with each other, as the team is focused on being more environment-friendly. The startup gives you all the benefits of using a car without actually handling the expenses of owning one. Founded in 1995, Greenwheels is building a nationwide network of eco-friendly cars. This company lets you borrow a car only when you need it. So, their cars will always be less expensive and easy to reach.
#5 car2go
Founded in 2008, it is one of the most common car-sharing services in Amsterdam. With the car2go app, the user can book a car whenever and wherever without any hassles or cost of owning a car or dealing with the strict reservation times. The user can also park the car in public places for free and can get access to a car at less than €0.5 per minute without any additional insurance or fuel costs. Basically, you will have to pay only for as long as you use the car.
#6 Snappcar
Snappcar was founded in 2011 and is a peer-to-peer car sharing platform with its headquarters in Utrecht. Snappcar was launched by Victor van Tol and Pascal Ontijd to let car owners render their vehicles. Snappcar acquired Germany’s number two peer-to-peer car sharing firm Tamyca thereby strengthening its presence in Europe and taking it closer to the market leader Drivy. Notably, the car sharing platform has received a total funding of €15 million to date.
#7 Felyx
If you do not want a car, then there are several e-scooter and bike-riding platforms. You can take a quick, affordable and carefree ride all through the city with the e-scooter hailing service. Felyx will charge you €0.30 per minute without any hidden charges. You can park these Felxy e-scooters anywhere you want and the parking is free of cost. An app is used to locate, reserve and activate the nearest e-scooter. This startup was founded in 2016 and has gained €3.4 million funding on the whole.
For more updates in the tech startup world, stay tuned to Silicon Canals.
