Going car-free doesn't mean you can never use a car. Carshare services give you access to a vehicle when you genuinely need one — a large supermarket run, a trip to the hardware store, a weekend away — without the cost and hassle of ownership. Rideshare and taxi apps fill in the rest: late nights, airport transfers, or any trip where public transport isn't practical. Together, carshare and rideshare make it possible to live well in Auckland without a car of your own.
Carshare
Carshare is different from car rental — you pay by the hour (or minute), pick up the car from a designated spot using an app, and the cost includes petrol, insurance and maintenance. No paperwork, no waiting at a counter. For occasional car use — a few times a month — carshare is almost always cheaper than owning a car.
💡 How much could you save? The average cost of owning a car in New Zealand — including depreciation, insurance, registration, WOF, fuel and maintenance — is estimated at over $7,000 per year. Even heavy carshare users rarely spend more than $2,000–3,000 a year on carshare trips. The maths generally favours carshare if you're driving fewer than around 8,000km per year.
🔑 CityHop
New Zealand's original carshare — by the hour, fuel and insurance included
CityHop is New Zealand's first and largest carshare service, owned by Toyota New Zealand and operating since 2007. Cars and vans are parked at fixed locations across Auckland and Wellington — you book ahead via the app, unlock the car with the app, and return it to the same spot when you're done. Fuel cards are included in every vehicle, so you never need to pay for petrol.
The Auckland fleet includes hatchbacks, SUVs and cargo vans — particularly useful for moving, large shopping runs or Mitre 10 trips. Several vehicles are EVs. CityHop has pods across the city centre, Ponsonby, Parnell, Mt Eden, Grey Lynn, and near Auckland Airport.
Best for: Planned trips where you know exactly where you're going and returning. Great for van hire — moving flats, hardware store runs, large supermarket shops. Fixed locations make it predictable.
🔑 Mevo
Free-floating carshare — pick up and drop off anywhere in the Flex Zone
Mevo operates a free-floating carshare model — unlike CityHop, you don't need to return the car to the same spot. You can pick up any available Mevo vehicle within the Auckland Flex Zone (covering the city centre, Ponsonby, Parnell, Newmarket and the airport) and end your trip in any approved parking space within the zone. This makes Mevo ideal for one-way trips — for example, picking up a car in the CBD, driving to the airport and leaving it there.
The fleet includes petrol and electric vehicles (including Tesla Model 3 and Polestar 2). Pricing is by the minute, hour or day — all-inclusive with fuel, electricity, insurance and 200km free per day.
Best for: One-way trips and flexible urban use. Great for the airport. The free-floating model means more vehicles are available across the city at any given time, making it well-suited to spontaneous trips.
🔑 Zilch
100% electric carshare — EVs by the hour at fixed city and airport hubs
Zilch is a 100% electric carshare service operating at fixed hubs across Auckland, Christchurch and Hamilton. Every Zilch vehicle is an EV — Hyundai Ioniq 5s, Konas and similar — making it a zero-emission option for your occasional car trips. Cars are booked via the Zilch website or app, and a Zilch card (posted to you after signing up) is tapped on the windscreen reader to unlock the vehicle.
Zilch operates from city centre hubs and Auckland Airport, allowing one-way trips between city and airport locations. It's particularly popular with businesses as a pool car replacement — the business model is well-developed — but public membership is available. Rates start from $26 for the first hour.
Best for: Eco-conscious travellers who want a zero-emission option. Good for airport transfers and city trips. The fixed-hub model makes it predictable. Note: you'll need to sign up in advance and receive your Zilch card before your first trip.
💡 Which carshare should I use? For a planned trip with a van, use CityHop. For a spontaneous or one-way trip in the city or to the airport, use Mevo (when available). For a zero-emission trip, use Zilch. It's worth signing up for all three — each has different vehicle availability and coverage.
Rideshare & Taxis
Rideshare apps connect you with a driver who picks you up on demand — no booking in advance, no fixed locations. They're ideal for late nights when public transport has stopped, airport transfers, or any trip where a door-to-door service is more practical than a bus or train. All apps show a fare estimate before you confirm, so there are no surprises.
💡 Tip: Download all three rideshare apps (Uber, Ola and DiDi) and check prices on all three before confirming — fares vary and one will often be cheaper than the others at any given time. Surge pricing on one app doesn't always mean the others are surging too.
ℹ️ Late nights: Public transport in Auckland generally stops around 11pm–12:30am on weekdays (later on Fridays and Saturdays). After that, rideshare or taxi is usually your best option. Check the AT Journey Planner for the last service times on your route before heading out.