Does teaching children to drive make them better drivers as adults? Mercedes-Benz thinks so. This summer saw the launch of its Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy in the UK, which teaches anyone over 10 years and 1.5 metres tall the basics of manoeuvring a car.

With packages tailored to different age groups, the Academy aims to show young people the ins and outs of driving, rather than the minimum needed to pass a test. Children aged 10–14 are taught the basics of road safety and car handling, taking an A Class out for a half-hour spin for GBP 40. The 'Pre-Road Sessions', meanwhile, are targeted at 15–17 year-olds and delve a little deeper into the theory of driving, the traffic code and dealing with emergency situations. Prices start at GBP 75 for a one-hour track session. A 3-hour, GBP 205 'Parent-Partner Package' is designed to improve parents' confidence and patience when teaching their child how to drive, no matter how hair raising the experience may be. Last but not least, those over 17 are also catered for: there's a full driving test package available to assist with passing the theory and practical test.

Mercedes-Benz isn't alone in offering a service like this: we spotted BMW and Audi offering driving lessons a while back as part of the status skills trend. However, the Mercedes scheme adds a clever twist by engaging kids with its aspirational brand. With a bit of luck, they'll lust after MB cars throughout their teens and twenties, purchasing one when they can afford to do so. Or else cajole their parents into buying so they can happily travel in a Merc back seat.

Website: www.mbdrivingacademy.com
Contact: www.mbdrivingacademy.com/useful-info/contact

Spotted by: David Licona

Now that the US Cash for Clunkers program has come to an end, it's a safe bet that many auto manufacturers are racking their brains for ways to sustain the sales levels they enjoyed while the program was underway. For bankruptcy-beleaguered GM, the solution is apparently a new marketing effort called May the Best Car Win, a key part of which is a 60-day money-back guarantee on many of the cars it sells.

Aiming to give budget-weary consumers the confidence to spend their hard-earned cash on a GM vehicle without fear of regrets, GM now offers its 60-day guarantee on 2009 and 2010 model year Chevys, Buicks, GMCs and Cadillacs, with the exclusion of medium duty trucks. Consumers who purchase and take delivery on such a vehicle before Nov. 30 can then simply try the vehicle out for 30 days. If they're not satisfied—and they've put fewer than 4,000 miles on the vehicle—they then have another 30 days to return it. GM will then refund the price they paid plus sales tax, but less any rebates or the cost of add-on accessories.

Bob Lutz, the company's vice chairman for marketing and communications, explains: "We know that we’ll need to work very hard to get people’s attention and encourage them to give Chevy, Buick, Cadillac and GMC a try. We think the ‘May the Best Car Win’ campaign and the satisfaction guarantee offer should help re-instill confidence in the excellence of our products. We’re putting our money down that if people buy one of our vehicles and don’t absolutely love it, we’ll take it back. We will stand behind them both in the short-term and over the long haul.”

Tryvertising can make good sense even during the best of times, but when economic conditions are rough—and when a company is seeking to restore weakened confidence in its products? Nothing short of imperative, we'd say. Other auto makers—or any hard-hit company, for that matter: how about you...? (Related: Fertility device offers money-back pregnancy guarantee.)

Website: www.gm.com/guarantee
Contact: www.gm.com/utilities/contact_us/contact.jsp?evar24=60DayGuarantee_sitelet&deep=contact

Spotted by: Katherine Noyes

Car-sharing enterprise Zipcar is relentlessly innovative. Since we first covered them, they've grown to 325,000 members and 6,500 vehicles in the United States and Britain, and they continue to add new products and services to their offerings. The latest? Last week, the company announced that two dozen Subaru Imprezas and Outbacks in Seattle and Portland have been fitted with complimentary bike racks for autumn, while several dozen other Zipcars now include free passes to state and national parks.

By adding perks like these, Zipcar not only builds brand loyalty, but also shows potential customers that car-sharing isn't just a good alternative to car ownership, but comes with extra benefits, too. This specific add-on will no doubt win over a few Seattleites and Portlanders who've been holding on to their cars specifically for the easy access it gives them (and their bikes) to the Northwest's great outdoors. What can you add to your own product or service that will delight, attract and retain customers? (Related: Zipcar's iPhone app will find and unlock cars — Zipcar and Zimride join forces on college campuses — In Paris, a city-wide scheme to share electric cars.)

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

Regular Springwise readers may remember Vélib‘, the citywide bike-sharing scheme in Paris that we covered back in 2007. Buoyed by the success of that effort, the city is now apparently planning another ambitious initiative—this time involving electric cars.

Paris actually already has a car-sharing scheme in place with some 5,000 members, but it's privately run and uses traditional cars. Autolib', on the other hand—from automobile + liberté—is a large-scale, city-backed effort that will provide only clean, electric vehicles. Planned for launch late next year or in early 2011, Autolib' will place some 4,000 electric cars at 1,400 self-service rental and recharging stations in and around Paris for short-term, temporary use. The USD 14 million initiative will likely be operated as a public-private partnership, according to a BusinessWeek report, with oversight by an intergovernmental council. Drivers will not need to make reservations to use a car through Autolib'. Rather, two- and four-seat cars will be available for rent at stands by simply swiping a card in a reader; users will then be able to return the cars at any stand that's convenient. Prices haven't yet been decided, but they'll likely be in the vicinity of USD 6 to USD 9 per half-hour, with monthly subscription fees of USD 22 to USD 29, BW reported.

French environmentalists are apparently protesting Autolib's potential to encourage driving and worsen urban congestion. Advocates, on the other hand, say it could reduce carbon emissions by 22,000 tons a year while improving congestion, since fewer Parisians will feel the need to own a car. Either way, there's no doubt the city-backed approach will give the effort a prominence that would be difficult to achieve otherwise, and its similarity to Vélib‘ could make gaining acceptance considerably easier. One to watch! (Related: Parking operator launches car-sharing service — Hertz launches global car-sharing service.)

Website: www.paris.fr
Contact: service.presse@paris.fr

Spotted by: Rick Elders

Rental cars need to be transported between offices. And travellers love freebies. Combine the two, and you get free rental cars, organized by Transfercar.

The New Zealand startup works with major car rental companies including Europcar, Apollo and Ace. Each rental company has a host of 'relocation cars' that need to transported to different branches. These are listed on Transfercar's website, along with the dates they're available, and interested customers can book online after registering with Transfercar. Drivers can also request to be notified by text message when cars are available for routes they'd like to travel. Most vehicles include basic insurance as well as ferry tickets between the North and South island, so no hidden fees. Rental companies often throw in a full tank of gas, too.

Although some rental companies already offer transfer cars at little or no cost, they rarely publicize the fact, and Transfercar is the first venture we’ve spotted that aggregates vehicles from a range of agencies, making the process far easier for consumers. Everybody wins: travellers with flexible schedules can drive for free, and rental agencies reduce their transfer costs. One to set up elsewhere? (Related: Car swapping for the holidays — Hertz subsidiary cuts frills and prices.)

Website: www.transfercar.co.nz
Contact: www.transfercar.co.nz/contact

Spotted by: P.J. Heta