One of the first and most critical decisions you will make as a car sharing entrepreneur is whether to build or buy your technology stack. This choice directly impacts your startup costs, your time to market, and your long-term operational success.
In this lesson, we'll define the core components of a car sharing tech stack and compare the three main paths: building it yourself, buying a ready-made solution, or mixing both approaches.
What is a Car Sharing Tech Stack?
A car sharing tech stack is the entire set of technologies that work together to run your service. From a user's perspective, it's simple: find a car on a map and unlock it with an app. Behind that single tap is a complex system built on three integrated pillars.
Hardware
The telematics unit is the hardware bridge between the physical car and your digital platform. It streams real-time data (GPS location, fuel level, battery charge) and receives remote commands to unlock, lock, and deactivate the immobilizer.
Backend
The software is the central brain managing user registration, bookings, payments, and all data from your fleet.
Frontend
Third is the user-facing app, the digital remote control where customers find, reserve, and unlock vehicles.
A smooth user journey depends on how well these three pillars work together.
Path 1: Building Your Tech Stack
The "build" approach means creating your own car sharing tech stack from scratch. Your team must engineer and integrate all three pillars: hardware, backend, and mobile apps for iOS and Android. You'll solve complex technical challenges like creating offline access methods (Bluetooth, RFID) for underground garages.
This path requires you to run 24/7 technical operations. That's why it's often considered by large, established operators with highly specific feature needs and the significant budget for a long development timeline. You're solely responsible for all monitoring, maintenance, and incident management. If your platform fails, your entire business stops.
After four years of using white-label solutions, MILES Mobility built their own in-house software in 2020 to gain more flexibility and create competitive differentiation.
Pros
- Unique, fully customized features
- Full control over development
- Owned tech stack as a long-term asset
Cons
- Large initial investment
- Slow launch (months or years)
- 100% responsible for all failures
Path 2: Buying a Ready-Made Solution
The "buy" approach means partnering with an experienced technology provider. You launch with a tested platform that already includes all three integrated pillars: hardware, backend, and apps.
This path is ideal for startups and operators who want faster time to market with lower upfront costs. Instead of building software, you focus on integration and configuration. The provider handles all technical complexity, including 24/7 monitoring, incident management, and software updates.
Dutch taxi operator Rentacab is using INVERS CloudBoxx and software from GoodMoovs to digitize their taxi business. This creates a 100% self-service model where drivers can book, locate, and unlock vehicles instantly via smartphone without staff intervention.
Pros
- Fast launch (weeks, not months)
- Lower upfront costs and predictable fees
- Provider manages all technical reliability
Cons
- Less control over custom features
- New features depend on provider's schedule
- Platform is not a unique company asset
Path 3: The "Build and Buy" Approach
The hybrid strategy involves buying the most complex components and building the parts you want to customize. For example, you might buy proven telematics hardware and backend, but build your own custom app. This gives you a reliable foundation while controlling the user experience.
CarlundCarla.de used to build both hardware and software. They decided to outsource telematics, while still developing their own software. This allowed the German van sharing operator to scale up to 1,400 vehicles and reliably operate over 40 cities in Germany.
Source: INVERS Success Story with CarlundCarla.de
Pros
- Mixes proven reliability with custom control
- Focuses resources on unique features
- Faster launch than full "build"
Cons
- Requires a skilled development team
- Complex integration between components
- Custom parts depend on provider's API
Making Your Decision
Your choice depends on four key questions:
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What is your main priority: speed or control?
Faster time to market means buying. Fully customized features mean building.
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Where do you want to focus your capital?
On building a tech team, or on your fleet, marketing, and operations?
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Who will manage reliability?
With a custom build, you're 100% responsible for maintenance, updates, and downtime. With a ready-made solution, the provider handles 24/7 operations.
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What is your core business?
Is it technology or shared mobility? Buying lets you focus on serving customers. Building means you're also running a software development company.
Why Reliability Matters
Regardless of your path, long-term success depends on reliability. In shared mobility, reliability is the foundation of customer trust. When a customer walks to a car, they expect it to unlock every single time.
This reliability becomes more critical as you scale. A platform that works for 100 vehicles may fail at 1,000. A proven technology partner builds for this growth, managing constant software updates, security patches, and 24/7 monitoring so your service remains fast and stable.
Key Takeaways
What is a car sharing tech stack?
The complete, integrated system of hardware (telematics), backend software (management platform), and user-facing software (mobile app) required to operate a shared mobility service.
Why would I build my own tech stack?
For fully customized control. But expect large upfront investment, long development timeline, and total responsibility for 24/7 reliability.
Why would I buy a ready-made solution?
For faster time to market, lower upfront costs, and proven reliability. Trade-off: less control over custom features.
As a new car sharing operator, should I build or buy?
For most startups and new operators, buying a market-ready solution is the safer and faster path. It lets you focus on fleet management and customer growth, rather than becoming a software development company.