For decades, the ability to own a car in Singapore was seen as both an aspiration and a marker of success. But as Certificate of Entitlement (COE) premiums soar to eye-watering highs – above S$100,000, even for Category A COEs, in the latest bidding – more drivers are rethinking whether ownership is truly worth the price of admission.
“Younger drivers today are used to everything being on-demand… they don’t want to be tied down by long-term commitments or unpredictable costs.”
“With the increasing cost of living and fluctuating COE prices, traditional car ownership is becoming a less appealing and less accessible option for many Singaporeans,” says Toh Ting Feng, the man behind Singapore’s newest mobility service, ZipZap. “Younger drivers today are used to everything being on-demand… they don’t want to be tied down by long-term commitments or unpredictable costs.”
It’s a sentiment that captures the zeitgeist succinctly. Toh, 42, who previously co-founded GetGo, Singapore’s largest car-sharing platform, believes there’s a smarter way forward. With ZipZap, his new venture launched in July 2025, he hopes to bridge the gap between short-term rentals and long-term ownership, offering flexibility, convenience, and affordability in one sleek subscription package.
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Photo courtesy of ZipZap
Toh is no stranger to disrupting the way Singaporeans drive. GetGo, which started in 2021 with just 400 cars, has since ballooned into a fleet of over 2,000 vehicles across the island. Its pay-per-use model resonated with occasional drivers who needed access without the headaches of ownership.
But over the past four years, Toh noticed another segment emerging. While GetGo works well enough for ad-hoc trips, there are families or professionals who need cars more regularly – maybe for months at a stretch. And these folks don’t necessarily want to own; they want a hassle-free way to drive without paying for every single hour.
Enter ZipZap, a car subscription service that Toh likens to “Netflix, but for cars.” Members pay a flat monthly fee that covers not just the car, but also insurance, road tax, servicing, and even roadside assistance. Subscriptions start from as little as six months, and customers can choose from a curated fleet that ranges from practical sedans to eco-friendly EVs.
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At the heart of ZipZap is one simple idea: Flexibility. Not every driver needs a car for the long haul. Some just want a slice of convenience for the right moment.
As Toh puts it, “Our subscription terms are much more flexible and shorter than the 10-year COE ownership cycle, solving the needs of segments such as expats on a two-year work assignment who want consistent mobility without the hassle of buying a car and selling it when they leave; or entrepreneurs who need a car for a few months for client visits and business trips.”
But Toh didn’t stop there. Subscribe & Share, ZipZap’s first-of-its-kind beta feature, lets subscribers offset their monthly fees by sharing their cars on the GetGo platform when they’re not using them. It’s bold. It’s clever. And it’s officially a move no traditional leasing company can touch. “It’s our way of empowering our ZipZap subscribers with seamless flexibility,” Toh says.
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Photo courtesy of ZipZap
If GetGo solved the problem of occasional access, ZipZap aims to capture users who sit on the fence between ownership and renting. Toh is quick to clarify that this isn’t about replacing ownership entirely.
Because let’s be realistic, there will always be people who prefer owning their own car. But there’s also a large group who are hesitant to commit. Maybe they’re at a transitional life stage, maybe they’re trying out a different lifestyle. For them, “ZipZap sits in the sweet spot between short-term carsharing and long-term leasing or ownership.”
The model could also nudge more drivers toward sustainable choices. Subscribing to an EV through ZipZap allows consumers to test the waters without the long-term risk of depreciation or resale uncertainty. It’s essentially a low-risk entry point for EV adoption.
(Related: Zachary Wang's vision for smarter, kinder cities)
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Outfit by BOSS
Despite his evangelism for car-light living, Toh is candid about still owning a car himself. With three young children and the logistics of school runs, sports practice, and family outings, he understands the realities that drive Singaporeans toward ownership.
But it’s precisely that lived experience that fuelled ZipZap’s inception, as well as his belief in its potential. Toh knows first-hand how costly and stressful ownership can be. And were he at a different life stage, he believes that ZipZap would absolutely be the smarter choice.
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Looking ahead, Toh envisions ZipZap growing in tandem with GetGo, rather than competing with it. Together, the two services form complementary pillars of a new mobility ecosystem – one focused on convenience, affordability, and smarter use of resources.
“We’ll be taking a demand-driven, user-first approach – just like we did with GetGo,” Toh explains. “As we scale, we’ll continue to monitor feedback, usage patterns, and evolving preferences to guide how we grow our fleet and services.”
Sweater by ZEGNA
In many ways, ZipZap is about giving Singaporeans freedom of choice. Some days users need a car for an hour, some days for a year. Toh’s aim is to make sure that users have a solution for both without the heavy burden of ownership.
It’s an ambitious goal, but Toh believes the timing is right. With Singapore’s transport policies pushing toward sustainability and a new generation that values flexibility over permanence, ZipZap could well occupy that niche between aspiration and practicality.
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