Peasy.com is an online marketplace for parking spaces, enabling drivers to search for and book spaces before they leave home, and letting British homeowners monetize unused parking spaces by adding them to the Peasy network.

To rent out a parking space, the owner needs to register and enter all relevant details, including price, when the space is available, and whether it will be rented out daily, weekly, or both. Those who require parking can then search for suitable parking spaces and securely book them online, or first negotiate a better price. To protect the privacy of owners, searchers can't view exact addresses. Instead, they're given the street the space is on, as well as its postcode and location on a map. Once booked, the renter is provided with the exact address. If booking on a weekly basis, renters are also given the owner's contact details, enabling them to introduce themselves and arrange for collection of keys or remote controls if required.

Any off-street parking spaces can be rented out: driveways, garages and secure allocated spaces. Peasy estimates most people will earn GBP 10-30 a week, for an extra stream of income of GBP 500-1,500 per year. In prime locations, spaces can go for as much as GBP 3,000 per year. Listing a parking space is free, and Peasy takes a commission fee of 12% for each rental transaction.

We wrote about a similar initiative last year: in the United States, SpotScout was about to launch a mobile exchange for parking spaces. SpotScout still hasn't officially launched. It plans to begin operating in Boston, New York and San Francisco very soon, and has a database of more than 1 million people who are interested joining up once the service goes live. With no end in sight to the scarcity of urban parking spaces, and consumers increasingly accustomed to using online marketplaces to rent or buy whatever they need, we still see the concept going places.

Website: www.peasy.com
Contact: info@peasy.com

Spotted by: CMC

So, you’re in San Francisco, and you want to do a little sightseeing. But the thought of wrestling with maps, getting herded about with dozens of tourists, or asking random passers-by for directions just isn’t appealing. Luckily for tourists to the City by the Bay, there’s GoCar Rentals, home of the “first ever storytelling car.” The GoCar looks like a tiny yellow two-seater car, but is actually a three wheeled moped. Two people can hop in, and are required to wear helmets.

An on-board computer and GPS (global positioning system) serve as a back seat driver, directing the humans in front to places that few visitors get to see, along with the famous sites. The system provides running commentary in a choice of five languages, allowing tourists to motor along at their own pace, exploring places a tour bus can’t go, and stopping for lunch, photos, or shopping whenever they like. The GPS tour guide will make suggestions for good stops and direct the driver if he or she gets lost. As the company says, the GoCar is “a tour guide, a talking car, a trusty co-pilot and a local on wheels.”

A GoCar rents for USD 44 for the first hour, USD 34 for the second and USD 24 for each additional hour, with no further charges over five hours. GoCar drivers must be 21 or older with a valid driver’s license. This fun concept offers entrepreneurs a great opportunity in any tourist destination. Ready to get started? You can license a GoCar Rentals franchise for USD 50K-USD 100K; the company’s first franchise has already opened in San Diego. A second franchise is scheduled to open in Miami in April and several other locations will open later this year. GoCars also sells new and used GoCars—buy one and launch your own brand of GPS tours. New vehicles run about USD 6,000.

Other business opportunities? Creating tours for regular rental cars, aimed at tourists who would rather blend in with the locals or want to go on longer expeditions. Or walking tours, as provided by Digi-Guide in Paris. If you’d like to focus on the tours and not the technology, Node offers content creators a complete platform to work with: server, software and rugged handheld GPS units. And what about soundtracks/audio-tours for people to download to their own navigation device or GPS-enabled PDA?

Last but not least, there’s also plenty of room for location based media catering to niche audiences, and not just tourists. In Australia, HearHere offers GPS soundtracks for test driving cars. The company's Drivetracks guide the driver around a pre-determined route of any length and location, using challenging driving sections along the way to show off a car's features right when the driver is experiencing them. ("Let’s move across to M mode and give it some acceleration up these hills.") HearHere is targeting automobile manufacturers, enabling them to communicate their key selling messages to journalists at a car's launch, consumers out for a test drive, or dealership teams on sales training.

Website: www.gocarsf.com
Contact: info@gocarsf.com

Spotted by: Leonardo

Travellers have long taken advantage of the convenience and cost savings of swapping residences for leisure trips. So, why not translate the concept to cars? London-based GoGo Britain is capitalizing on the idea, offering customers a simple, reliable and cheap alternative to rental cars.

Here's how it works: customers make reservations through the GoGo Britain website. A variety of vehicles are available based on destination and date. Since travel plans often change, customers are required to confirm reservations within 48 hours of their trips. There are no mileage restrictions, so swappers can drive to their heart's content as they explore the countryside or city. There currently are eight swapping locations throughout Great Britain, where Belgian, French and Dutch swappers can exchange their left-steered vehicle for one that’s accustomed to driving on the left side of the road, and vice-versa for Brits heading over to the Continent.

Both parties can rest assured that every possible step is taken to ensure safety and security. Customers must be 25 or older, have valid driver's licenses and clean driving records for at least five years. All-inclusive insurance must be purchased before driving off the lot, and GPS receivers are installed in each vehicle, but only activated if there's an emergency and a car needs to be located.

GoGo Britain was developed by VisitBritain, the British Tourist Board, with the aim of attracting European tourists to Britain. And therefore will likely remain limited to locations in Great Britain. Catering to travellers who’d rather not swap houses but are willing to exchange cars, this is an idea that could be expanded to most other countries.

Website: www.gogobritain.co.uk
Contact: robin.healy@gogobritain.co.uk

Spotted by: Greg

In trendwatching.com's recent trysumers briefing, navigation is touted as 'the new laissez faire', since it's less risky for consumers to try out new destinations, routes and neighbourhoods if their car is equipped with a Garmin or TomTom device.

According to independent research presented today, personal navigation devices have another important benefit: a positive influence on traffic safety. Part of the research focused on data collected on 115,197 drivers of lease cars. Those without PNDs had a 12% higher rate of damage incidents, and damage costs were on average 5% higher.

Research also showed that drivers with navigation devices were less distracted, ignored fewer traffic signs, felt more in control and less stressful. All of which is being rewarded by Dutch insurance company Delta Lloyd, which co-commissioned the research with Dutch makers of PNDs TomTom. Customers who send in their TomTom product number will receive 10% discount on their Delta Lloyd auto insurance. (Related: Eco-friendly car insurance.)

Website: www.tomtom.com / www.deltalloyd.nl

Aiming to become more nimble, car rental company Europcar is introducing mobile car rental facilities in the United Kingdom. Small rental booths are hooked up to Europcar's rental booking system and are manned by a representative during peak hours. During off hours, customers can drop off keys and make their own reservations over a built-in reservation hotline. A selection of hire cars is available at a location near the booth.

Europcar currently has 130 outlets in the UK and its Europcar City concept will let it expand to wherever potential customers are. In some cases booths will be installed temporarily, for example to cope with increased demand during tourist seasons, major events and exhibitions. Long-term rental points will be installed wherever it isn't feasible to build full-size outlets, like city centers.

The first Europcar City is operating at London's Euston train station, where 90% of rentals during the first month of operation were new London customers. The program will be rolled out to other locations over the next few months. Whether you want to create surprise and buzz (pop-up retail), or want to be where the demand is, following your customers around is never a bad idea ;-)

Website: www.europcar.co.uk
Contact: www.europcar.co.uk/tools/talktous.jsp

Spotted by: ABTN