German startup offers electric van rental for free
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Electric vehicles (EV) are becoming increasingly popular, with one design even taking electricity so far as to power a flying car. Springwise has also covered innovations designed to further integrate EV into everyday life, such as this intelligent charging system. Now a German startup from Aachen, known for its e-mobility industry, is integrating electric vehicles with an unusual business plan.
UZE Mobility, an open-source platform for e-mobility, are offering van rental of their electric StreetScooter fleet completely free to their customers. This unusual approach is possible due to their adoption of other forms of revenue. The sides of the vans feature digital screens that act as mobile billboards. UZE aims to sell enough advertising to fund their electric van rentals.
The screens are adaptable, and so advertising clients can choose whatever they would like to display for themselves. UZE prides themselves on their fast process, claiming the application can be done with just three clicks. Such flexibility also lends itself to rapid-fire adverts, meaning that an advert can be bought for a van whilst it is in motion.
Alongside this advertising revenue, UZE is also collecting data to sell as the vans drive around. For example, local authorities have expressed interest in buying information to do with road quality, such as potholes or regular traffic jams.
UZE Mobility’s trial of 50 StreetScooter electric vans will start in December 2018 in Germany’s Rhineland. Users will be able to book their free rental via a blockchain-based app.
Takeaway: UZE Mobility also have hopes of fostering emission-free cities by 2025. Their push towards electric vehicles starts with these free electric vans, but the aim is to spread throughout automotive transport. There are increasing amounts of anti-carbon emission initiatives in Germany, such as various cities banning diesel cars, with Hamburg being the most recent. Could Germany lead the way forward to clean transportation?
Website: www.uze-mobility.de
Contact: [email protected]
Source: New feed 1