Carro, Asia Pacific’s leading online automotive marketplace, has acquired CarPlace, a leading Australian used car platform operated by Autoleague, one of Australia’s largest automotive groups, giving Carro a physical presence in three of Australia’s four largest markets.
In a statement on Thursday, Carro said the expansion brings its total footprint to eight markets across the region.
As part of the deal, Carro will take over showrooms in Western Australia and Queensland and roll out wholesale operations out of Victoria. Autoleague remains a strategic shareholder of CarPlace and joins Carro as a strategic investor.
Carro plans to deploy its proprietary technologies across vehicle inspections, inventory tracking, asset management, leads management, customer experience, and dealer networks.
Aaron Tan, co-founder and CEO of Carro, said Australia is one of the largest used car markets in Asia Pacific, with annual sales volume of 2.3 million used cars and fast-growing electric vehicle penetration. The market is ripe for a technology and AI-powered platform to transform the used car landscape, the executive added.
Besides, Carro expects to grow its wholesale operations, positioning itself as one of the few Asia Pacific players capable of serving the Japan-Australia import corridor. Tan said Carro’s presence in Japan puts the company in a strong position to bring popular pre-owned and new Japanese models into the Australian market.
Dan Kawai, Managing Director and CEO of Autoleague, said the partnership reflects confidence in Carro’s technology infrastructure, streamlined operations, and commitment to transparency, and that Autoleague is committed to working closely with Carro to support its ambitions in Australia.