Rewarding consumers who drive less

As if the emissions reduction and gas savings weren’t enough to entice people to carpool, NuRide rewards users for doing their bit. After registering with NuRide, members can connect with neighbours, friends and coworkers to organize ride shares and log their non-driving efforts. Akin to frequent flyer miles for mindful commuters, members earn points every time they share a ride, cycle into town or skip their commute by telecommuting. Regular NuRide users can receive around USD 350 per year in rewards, which can be exchanged for retailer discounts, gift cards, and tickets to shows and attractions The service addresses safety issues by only accepting users with email addresses issued by reputable employers, schools or universities. Users can specify particular criteria for those they wish to share with, and can blacklist people they don’t want to ride with. Proving that carsharing can achieve critical mass, Nuride has almost 40,000 users, who have been rewarded with over USD 1.5 million in return for cutting out 2 million car trips. Since members specify their trip origin, destination, travel preferences and vehicle information, sponsors—the companies that provide rewards—can target highly specific sets of consumers, both nationally and locally. NuRide currently operates in eight regions in the US, with many other areas left to be serviced. For more inspiration: our sister site’s latest trend briefing includes an introduction to eco generosity.