Photo by RcktManIL
Daimler is starting an interesting car sharing project in Ulm, Germany.
“Carmaker Daimler is set to start testing a new kind of car sharing service in the city of Ulm that the company says it hopes to export to the U.S. Daimler is calling the new service car2go, and it represents not only a new approach to car sharing but also a foray by the German automaker into the service business.” (BusinessWeek)
As it seems the team has done some good work at finding the cruel spots and tasks that need to be addressed when convincing people to switch to an agile and shared car usage.
Frictionless signup
According to BusinessWeek Daimler won’t charge anything for signing up for the service lowering the sign-up-barrier as low as possible.
Frictionless checkout
As it seems they’ve had some good thoughts on the checkout process which is one of the cruel tasks when grabbing a car you don’t own. They’ve come up with frictionless solution.
“According to Daimler, car2go customers will be able to spontaneously rent a Daimler-made Smart car using a microchip card that gives them access to the vehicle. They can drive the car as long as they like, then leave it anywhere in the designated metropolitan area. Daimler also plans to maintain reserved parking spots at train stations and other heavily trafficked areas. Customers can reserve vehicles if they prefer.” (BusinessWeek)
Adequate pricing
The pricing seems to be quite adequate. Basic rate is 19 euro cents a minute and a whole day will cost 49 euros. This seems like a key aspect from a Daimler perspective as this will be the guideline for subsequent projects.
“The price also sounds right. The basic rate is 19 euro cents a minute, or about 25 U.S. cents, which includes fuel and insurance. That’s probably less than it costs you to talk on your mobile phone. The maximum hourly rate for car2go is 9.90 euros ($12.75) and a whole day will cost 49.90 euros ($64).” (BusinessWeek)
The right time
So this idea is not new after all. But it seems like the right time to give it kick-start. The rent-a-bike service by Deutsche Bahn has made customers sensitive to this kind of services. Additionally the ongoing public debates about the oil price, hybrid cars, climate change etc. had an impact on people’s mind. So it seems like there is small but growing demand for alternatives ways of being mobile.
The bottom line
Living in Stuttgart-West where it is just impossible and frustrating to find a parking lot I can tell you that I would love to see that service coming to my hometown. I’m really looking forward to see how the design of interactions, experiences and interfaces with the service will support the overall idea to make the service as frictionless as possible.
We’re excited about the innovations, findings and outcomes of this project.
i already upgraded my family car to Hybrid to help the environment.’:.