Springwise - Automotive

Eco-iconic license plates for green vehicles

2009-11-20T13:53:01Z

Electric and hybrid vehicles are typically eco-iconic in their own right, but a new program from Ontario's Ministry of Transportation aims to give them additional recognition via special license plates as well.

The Canadian province hopes to have one out of every 20 vehicles driven in Ontario electrically powered by 2020. As part of that effort, it is encouraging the purchase and use of electric cars via several incentives. First, vehicles purchased after July 1, 2010, can qualify for rebates of between CDN 4,000 and CDN 10,000. Even more eco-iconic, however, is that drivers of such vehicles will be given special, green license plates from the province starting next year. Said license plates will qualify them to use Ontario's High-Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes until 2015, even if there is just one person in the vehicle; give them access to provincial recharging facilities; and allow them to use designated parking spots at the University of Toronto and private companies such as Wal-Mart Canada. Particularly interesting from a crowdsourcing perspective is that the province's green license plate design was chosen through public voting from among four competing alternatives.

If there's anything more gratifying than simply reaping the benefits of an environmentally friendly vehicle, it's having that ethical purchase decision recognized and rewarded, for all the world to see. How long before every DMV under the sun has its own version of the green license plate...?

Website: news.ontario.ca/mto/en/2009/11/new-green-licence-plate-selected-by-ontarians.html
Contact: nicole.lippa-gasparro@ontario.ca

Spotted by: Monica Watkins

App delivers location-based info from drivers to drivers

2009-11-03T08:04:40Z

Aha Mobile is an iPhone app that offers drivers location-based information and entertainment. A personally tailored audio stream not only provides up-to-the-minute traffic info, but also features "shouts"—15 second snippets recorded through the application by other drivers in the area. The idea is that drivers can help each other out by sharing reports on road conditions, extending the real-time connectivity that people have on Facebook or Twitter. Furthering the social element, drivers can belt out tunes in the Caraoke Room, or vent their road rage in the Bad Driver Shout Room.

Aha Mobile's on-screen information is designed to be easily navigable and digestible at a glance; although for safety reasons, people should of course keep their hands off their iPhones while driving. Roadside services can be located with the help of Yelp and SitOrSquat by answering simple on-screen questions: "Hungry?" "Need coffee?" "Need a bathroom?" Drivers can also get alerts when they're approaching red lights or speed cameras.

Aha Mobile's service is available across the US, with special emphasis on the most heavily trafficked urban areas. One to bring to highways and byways in other parts of the world?

Website: www.ahamobile.com
Contact: support@ahamobile.com

Spotted by: Cecilia Biemann

Marketplace for consumers willing to wrap their cars in ads for cash

2009-10-29T20:00:37Z

Carvertising has been around for years—both the kind focused on rental cars, which we've covered several times, and the kind that lets sellsumers earn a little extra cash wrapping their own cars in ads. Setting its sights on the latter, cashURwheels is an Australian firm that serves as an online marketplace connecting drivers directly with companies interested in vehicle-based ads.

Whereas carvertising agencies ask drivers to register their vehicles in the hopes of eventually being one of the few selected to be part of a large campaign, cashURwheels connects drivers directly with potential advertisers. Drivers begin by creating an online account and then browsing the available opportunities. They can create a profile including photos along with information about their driving habits and commute patterns, and then bid on ad campaigns or request contact with advertisers directly. Auctions for advertisers include a deadline, the number of vehicles required, and a reserve price, if any. Upon winning a bid, drivers and advertisers communicate to work out the details. Ad campaigns are conducted via car wraps—large vinyl ads applied to cars on a temporary basis, similar in many ways to the sticky car art we've covered before—that transform them, temporarily, into four-wheeled promotions. Currently, participation for both drivers and advertisers on cashURwheels is free.

Now serving Australia, cashURwheels aims to expand globally soon. One to emulate or partner with regionally? And since the system will likely appeal to small and medium businesses with small and medium advertising budgets, it can't hurt to throw some crowd-sourced graphic design into the mix ;-)

Website: www.cashurwheels.com
Contact: www.cashurwheels.com/contact_us.php

Spotted by: Cecilia Biemann

Deluxe golf carts as neighbourhood transportation

2009-10-06T21:50:20Z

There's been plenty of lip service paid to electric vehicles in recent years, but the fact remains that in many communities, they're still more frequently discussed than actually seen. Not so in several U.S. neighbourhoods, however, where golf carts and other diminutive electric vehicles are part of the very fabric of community life.

With many of the same gas-free benefits offered by larger electric vehicles—but considerably lower price tags—neighbourhood electric vehicles, or NEVs, are the transportation of choice for residents of several large retirement communities, an article on Wired.com recently reported. Golf carts are a common sight on the streets and specially designed paths of The Villages community in Florida, for example—and not just the ordinary, plain-vanilla variety. In fact, many of the community's 77,000 retired residents "pimp their rides" to look like fire trucks, 1930s roadsters and stretch limos, Wired reported, spending as much as USD 20,000 in the process of swapping in bigger tires or hacking engines to surpass the traditional golf cart's maximum speed of about 20 mph. Similar sights are apparently seen in other communities around the country, including the retirement mecca of Sun City, Arizona, and the all-ages suburb of Peachtree City, Georgia. Accessories are sold by companies like GoNEV.

Driver's licenses are not typically required for most golf carts, but full-fledged NEVs—which are street-legal in most states—require insurance and registration, Wired reported. Either way, such vehicles offer not only eco-benefits and credentials, but apparently also those of the more neighbourly kind: "If your neighbour is in his yard, you can't drive by in your golf cart without waving and saying hello," Gary Lester, VP of community relations for The Villages, told Wired. Chrysler's Global Electric Motorcars is one major maker of NEVs, selling its vehicles for as low as USD 3,644 with tax credits.

Lower prices, fewer emissions and social benefits on top of an eco-iconic appearance and government tax incentives? Legal and insurance issues notwithstanding, sounds like a potential winner to us. Who will put golf carts at the forefront of *your* community's next planning venture...?

Website: www.gemcar.com — www.gonev.com
Contact: www.gemcar.com/contact — www.gonev.com/index.php?main_page=contact_us

Spotted by: Katherine Noyes

Smart use of the Smart brand: car-sharing by Daimler

2009-10-05T21:50:08Z

Aiming to grab a share of the growing car-sharing market, Daimler created car2go, which enables customers to order and pick up a Smart car within minutes. The service was rolled out in the German city of Ulm last October, and is expected to launch in Austin, Texas sometime in early 2010.

Cars can be reserved online or over the phone up to 24 hours in advance, costing a maximum of EUR 9.90 per hour or EUR 49.00 for a day. A text message informs the customer of the car's exact location, which, in the urban area of Ulm, is usually no further than 3 minutes' walk away. Once the driver reaches the car, he or she can unlock it with a PIN code provided during registration. As well as being simple and flexible, car2go's use of diminutive Smart cars makes the system more environmentally friendly than most other car sharing systems. Having enticed almost 10% of Ulm's driving population to use the scheme, we're waiting with interest to see how car2go will fare in the US, where it faces tough competition from ZipCar. An obvious advantage for car2Go is its access to cars without having to pay a mark-up. And besides tapping into a new source of revenue, Daimler could benefit from the brand exposure of having its Smart cars in heavy rotation on city streets. (Related: Half-price parking for half-sized cars.)

Website: www.car2go.com
Contact: www.car2go.com/portal/page/community/feedback.faces

Spotted by: Adele Morten

Mercedes launches driving academy for kids & teens

2009-09-29T14:21:29Z

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

GM cars come with money-back guarantee

2009-09-22T18:41:00Z

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

Zipcar perks: bicycle racks and passes to national parks

2009-09-09T14:53:48Z

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

In Paris, a citywide scheme to share electric cars

2009-08-17T17:06:18Z

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

Free rental cars in New Zealand

2009-07-27T08:42:48Z

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

Photo tarpaulins transform garage doors

2009-07-24T16:54:31Z

On even the most tastefully appointed of houses, garage doors tend to be drab and monochrome eyesores, designed apparently without even the smallest nod to aesthetics. A German company aims to change all that, however, with large-scale posters that transform the doors through highly realistic 3D images.

Style-your-garage.com's photo tarpaulins are available with a variety of motifs and images that are sure to cause neighbours, friends and passers-by to stop and stare. A photographic version of trompe l'oeil, some are designed to give the impression that unusual contents can be found in the garage, such as an airplane, race car or monster-sized kitty. Others aim to provide a glimpse of the world beyond the garage door, such as a Tuscan landscape or what seems to be the home's very own golf course. Another series, meanwhile, aims to give the garage door itself another look altogether, such as through a rustic wooden appearance. Consumers can also upload the digital image of their choice and have it turned into a customised photo tarpaulin. In fact, Style-your-garage.com invites consumers to submit ideas for new designs as well, and promises a share of the profits if their idea gets accepted. The company's posters are designed primarily for up-and-over garage doors but can be adapted for sectional or wing doors as well. Crafted from material similar to that used for truck tarpaulins, they are rip-proof, weather-proof and even come with a fire safety certificate. Special promotional pricing through the end of this month is EUR 169 for all but the customised styles.

Coming soon from Munich-based Style-your-garage.com are Style-your-window.com and Style-your-door.com. One—or two, or three—to get in on early...? (Related: Parking garages transformed by large-scale ads — Sticky car art with a crowdsourcing twist.)

Website: www.style-your-garage.com
Contact: info@style-your-garage.com

Spotted by: Katherine Noyes

Free car charging at new, green(er) McDonald's

2009-07-13T16:26:35Z

Late last year we wrote about the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport's pilot program to offer free car charging in its parking garage, and now a brand-new McDonald's restaurant about to open in North Carolina will be the chain's first in the nation to offer the same thing.

The new restaurant in Cary—opening this week—will be North Carolina's first "green" McDonald's, and it aims to become gold-certified under the LEED standard. Both the interior and exterior of the restaurant have been designed with sustainability in mind. More than 95 percent of the wood used in construction, for example, comes from forests certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, while tables and decor incorporate rapidly renewable materials such as sunflower seed board, wheat board, bamboo and kirei board. Solatubes inside provide quality natural light, while lighting fixtures automatically adjust to changing light conditions. All components used inside are free of urea and formaldehyde, while vinyl is PVC-free and all paints, adhesives, coatings and sealants are low-VOC. The kitchen and bathrooms, meanwhile, are designed to minimize the use of water. Perhaps most interesting of all, there will be preferred parking spaces for hybrid and fuel-efficient vehicles, along with ChargePoint stations offering free electricity for plug-in cars. Two such stations will be available at the restaurant's launch, according to The News & Observer.

It's not entirely clear whether a 30-minute meal offers enough time to charge a vehicle adequately, as HybridCars points out. Nevertheless, plans are afoot to install charging stations at McDonald's locations in Sweden as well, the publication reported, and there seems little doubt that as adoption of electric vehicles increases, there will be demand for charging stations in convenient spots around the globe. Embrace such technology early, and you boost your eco-credentials; offer it as a free perk, and you could win eco-minded consumers' hearts, minds and dollars! ;-)

Website: www.mcnorthcarolina.com/7501/
Contact: www.mcnorthcarolina.com/7501/contact/comments

Spotted by: HybridCars.com via Judy McRae

Europcar teams up with Nissan for electric rentals

2009-06-22T13:28:06Z

Europcar is teaming up with Nissan to offer electric vehicles for hire. Low emission rental vehicles are nothing new for Europcar (or many other rental agencies, for that matter); models such as the Toyota Prius have been part of its 225,000 strong fleet for years. However, it seems to be the first time that a rental company and car manufacturer are jointly offering a design that’s not just low emission, but no emission.

After introducing electric versions of existing models, Nissan plans to develop entirely new models that will be made available through Europcar. The company hopes to offer a wide range of zero-emission vehicles at all the usual rental locations like airports, train stations and local kiosks by the end of 2010. Besides helping Europcar stand apart from other rental companies and providing Nissan with a guaranteed market for a large number of electric vehicles, the alliance will give consumers the opportunity to try out an unfamiliar product in a real-world setting. (Related: Europcar lists CO2 emissions on customer invoices.)

Website: www.europcar.com
Contact: www.europcar.com/EBE/module/render/Contact-Us

Spotted by: Raymond Kollau

Europcar lists CO2 emissions on customer invoices

2009-06-19T07:38:31Z

Showing customers the environmental impact of driving, French car rental company Europcar now lists CO2 emissions for its rental cars. The information can be found both on the company’s website, and on customer invoices, allowing conscientious drivers to take emissions into account when choosing a rental car, as well as reminding them after the fact. Customers are also offered the chance to offset their emissions via a collaboration with Climate Care. Instead of planting trees, Climate Care assists with the development of renewable fuel sources and more efficient systems—arguably a more effective way of tackling carbon emissions than planting trees.

Europcar’s CO2 information is currently available to customers in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, the United Kingdom and New Zealand, with Australia to follow soon. An easy improvement would be to add a quick guide to help users put those emission numbers into context. As consumers become more aware of their impact on the environment, they’ll increasingly demand information that will help them make better choices. More on that from our sister-site trendwatching.com—check out their thoughts on eco intel.

Website: www.europcar.com/CO2-Emissions
Contact: www.europcar.com/EBE/module/render/Contact-Us

Spotted by: Raymond Kollau

Zipcar's iPhone app will find and unlock cars

2009-06-10T06:46:10Z

If ever there's been a company we've enjoyed watching evolve over time, it's fast-moving Zipcar, whose frequent innovations since we first covered it back in 2003 have warranted fresh coverage on our pages on numerous occasions. The latest? Just announced on Monday, Zipcar now has its very own iPhone application.

Created through a partnership between Apple and Zipcar, the new application will allow users of Zipcar's car-sharing service to use their iPhones to find, reserve and unlock vehicles. Specifically, the application puts the iPhone's GPS to work in locating the closest Zipcars, indicating them with coloured pushpins on a map; users can then use it to reserve the vehicle they want. Once they're close to their vehicle, the technology will even beep the horn of the reserved Zipcar and unlock it. A video on CNET from the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference, where the technology was announced, demonstrates the application in action. The software will be available as a free download from the Apple App Store later this summer, Zipcar says. (Back in 2007, Zipcar launched a less fully-featured application for GPS-enabled cellphones that helps members pinpoint the nearest available car.)

More than 25 percent of Zipcar members say their "life is on their iPhone," according to Zipcar CTO Luke Schneider, so tapping the brand clearly makes good sense from a practical perspective. In addition, however, it's also a prime example of what our sister site would call a brand butler offering—something extended by a familiar name, that helps to make consumers' lives easier and more enjoyable. How can *your* brand "drive" customers to new heights of satisfaction...? ;-)

Update 29 Sept 2009 | The free Zipcar App is now available from the iTunes app store. "Like so many urban dwellers today, more than 25 percent of Zipcar members live their life from their iPhones," said Scott Griffith, Zipcar chairman and CEO. "The new Zipcar App is a simple, fun and self-service technology that now allows millions of iPhone and iPod touch users to have on-the-go access to Zipcars around the globe."

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

Spotted by: Ruben Feith