When we wrote about Volkswagen UK's Beetle Art stickers for cars a couple of years ago, we noted that allowing consumers to design their own decals would mesh even better with the customer-made trend. Lo and behold, one of our spotters recently came across a site that takes a crowdsourcing approach to consumer-created sticker designs.

San Francisco-based Infectious, which launched earlier this year, offers a range of car stickers designed by artists from around the world, but it also lets consumers submit their own designs. Those interested can first get an informal critique from the community on the site. Once they're happy with their design, they can submit it either through Infectious's open submission process, or through one of its themed contests. (The first contest, which just ended, sought submissions on the theme of Barack Obama.) Designs are then posted for voting on the site. Creators of those voted into production get USD 100 and 5 percent of net sales; the Infectious team's favourite of the month also gets an additional USD 400 and up to USD 400 in Infectious product. Infectious Car Art is designed to last 12 to 24 months. Prices range from roughly USD 35 for an icon to USD 389 for a full kit.

There's no stopping Generation C(ontent) and its content-producing proclivities, and increasingly these creative consumers are demanding rewards for their efforts. Generation C(ash) is here to stay--now that's a trend that will stick! ;-)

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

Spotted by: Anita Windisman

When the Democratic National Convention descends upon Denver later this summer, a fleet of vehicles provided by General Motors for the event won't be using just any ordinary fuel. Instead, the flex-fuel cars will run on clean-burning ethanol derived from waste beer produced at Molson Coors' Golden, Colo., brewery.

Whereas most ethanol is based on corn, Coors produces about 3 million gallons of the stuff each year from beer that gets lost during packaging or is deemed below quality standards, for one reason or another. Coors says it is the nation's first major brewer to convert its waste beer into ethanol, having begun the practice back in 1996 using a facility owned by Merrick & Co. Turning the waste beer into ethanol eliminates about 70 tons of VOCs (volatile organic compounds) from Coors' emissions annually, it says.

At the convention, the GM fleet—which includes vehicles with biofuel capabilities and hybrid technology—will run on a mixture of fuel combined with ethanol from the Coors facility. The cars will provide transportation for numerous delegates, staff, members of the media and other special convention guests. Of course, in addition to the ethanol sponsorship, Molson Coors will also provide real, drinkable beer for select convention events—perhaps just as important as powering its cars... ;-)

Website: www.molsoncoors.com
Contact: gminvestorrelations@molsoncoors.com

Spotted by: Flemming Birch

Today's high gas prices are already forcing changes in the way many consumers live, but it's a pretty safe bet they won't look so bad in a year or two. A new service from MyGallons.com lets consumers prepurchase gas and lock in today's gas prices for the future.

Consumers who sign up for a MyGallons Card begin by paying an annual membership fee of USD 29.95. Up to three cards can be linked to one account, and the membership fee is backed by a 100 percent money-back guarantee if the consumer doesn't save money on at least one redemption during the year. Members can then monitor their current MyGallons price—a fluctuating quote that's good for purchase of unleaded gas at a particular point in time, including estimated local taxes—and prepurchase gas when they deem the price worth locking in. Purchasing gas is simply a matter of visiting a participating gas station, where the MyGallons Card is accepted much like a debit card, complete with four-digit PIN. The number of gallons pumped is deducted from the consumer's MyGallons account balance, with adjustments automatically made for more expensive grades or types of fuel and price differences caused by tax discrepancies or other local variations. If the consumer pumps fuel from a filling station for less than the lower end of the MyGallons range on that day, he or she will receive a credit, in gallons, to his or her account.

More than 80 percent of the prepurchase money consumers spend through MyGallons is placed in an escrow account and invested in money markets and US government-backed notes; the remainder is used for financial transactions to accommodate gasoline price changes, MyGallons says. There are no time limits on using the prepurchased gas, so consumers can save it for as long as they want, provided they maintain their MyGallons membership.

After a pilot program beginning in April, MyGallons.com just recently underwent a public launch. Due to an unexpected, last-minute pull-out by US Bank, it is in the process of negotiating with other payment networks to allow the MyGallons Card to be accepted at most stations in the US that already accept credit cards. Nevertheless, the service promises to be a taste of what's to come.

Website: www.mygallons.com
Contact: www.mygallons.com/contact_us.html

Spotted by: Ozgur Alaz

Sähköautot–Nyt! (Finnish for Electric Cars–Now!) is taking an innovative approach to getting more electric-powered vehicles on the road. The Finnish not-for-profit group, which calls itself an open-source electric vehicle community, wants to sign up 500 or more buyers for its first proposed model. Instead of building a car from scratch, they’ll retro-fit existing Toyota Corollas. At a volume of 500+, the cost of acquiring and converting used, petrol-powered vehicles to run on rechargeable lithium batteries will be on par with the cost of purchasing a standard internal combustion engine Corolla off the lot, and saves the energy needed to manufacture a new hybrid or electric car.

More facilitator than manufacturer, Sähköautot–Nyt! is inviting suppliers to offer components for a prototype conversion kit. Once the conversion kit has been developed, it will use its website to assist customers in ordering a Corolla and a kit, and in choosing a local auto shop that can handle the conversion. While the group says that for the time being its kits will only be available in Finland, its founders are willing to share their knowledge with similar organizations in other nations, as befits the open-source movement.

To be sure, competition will come from the plug-in hybrid vehicles that major auto makers hope to launch over the next several years. Those models will come with warranties and a network of repair facilities, which no start-up organization could hope to duplicate. Still, plenty of early adopters would likely sign up for a vehicle that helps them fight back against the rising cost of fuel. Sähköautot–Nyt! shows how the open-source model could become a powerful tool for (social) entrepreneurs who want to tackle pressing issues sooner rather than later. (Related: Battery-powered trucks — The going is green, and electric.)

Website: www.sahkoautot.fi/eng
Contact: ecarsnow@gmail.com

Spotted by: Antti Kaiponen

We've written on several occasions already about online exchanges for parking spots on both sides of the Atlantic. But while most of those have focused primarily on short-term parking needs, a new one serving Canada and the US serves as a virtual marketplace for long-term parking.

Parkingspots.com connects those who have parking spots to rent out with those who need them on a monthly basis. Launched earlier this year, the Toronto-based company gives spot holders a way to list their off-street spots, along with the price they want to charge. Powered by Google Maps, spot seekers, meanwhile, can see what's available and choose one based on location and price. Exact addresses are kept confidential until a match is made. Once that happens, renters and owners negotiate directly to set a final price and arrange for payment; commercial transactions are handled through PayPal. The service is free for both renters and owners with just one or two spots to rent; commercial lot owners with more than two spots at a single location must pay a one-time listing fee equivalent to roughly a month's rent.

Parkingspots.com currently serves a limited number of cities in North America, but judging by the rapid spread of this concept already, expansion can't be far away. One to bring to a concrete jungle near you!

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

Spotted by: Richard Lane