Auto industry innovations and new business models

 

 

 

1.  Electric cars are coming.  See the latest innovations from Tesla Motors and more...

 

2.  New diesel engines

3.  flex cars in Brazil  - cars that run on both gasoline and/or ethanol (from sugar cane in Brazil)

4.  alternative fuels for automobiles 

 

 

Green Innovations

 

Khosla keeps betting on combustion engines with Transonic investment. The latest evidence is Khosla Ventures’ increased investment in Transonic Combustion, a company that says it will have a 100 mile per gallon sports car on the road by the end of this year.

 

 

 

 

New Business Models

 

First up: automotive. Enjoy!

1. Person to person parking space rental: Peasy.com is an online marketplace for parking spaces, enabling drivers to search for and book spaces before they leave home, and letting British homeowners monetize unused parking spaces by adding them to the network. More »
2. Stress-free car shopping: American buyers who are in the market for a new car, but don't want the headaches of searching and haggling for the best price, now have an alternative that can help them sidestep the usual dealership woes. More »
3. Integrated auto insurance for teens: A combined package of insurance and a GPS tracking device (the 'Safety Beacon'), Teensurance offers parents the ability to monitor their teenager's behaviour on the road. More »
4. Mobile car rental, wherever it's needed: Aiming to become more nimble, car rental company Europcar is introducing mobile car rental facilities in the UK. Small rental booths are hooked up to the company's central booking system and are manned by an agent during peak hours. During off hours, customers can drop off keys and make their own reservations over a built-in reservation hotline. More »
5. Car dealership catches female fever: Although research finds that women are responsible for the bulk of purchasing decisions, one arena that continues to overlook this important target market is auto dealerships. Not so at Vancouver's Clutch. More »
6. Ridesharing with a social twist: One of the problems with traditional carpool matching sites has been the anxiety most people feel when faced with the prospect of sharing a car with someone they don’t know. The solution? Tap into the power of social networking. More »
7. Insurance discounts for GPS-guided drivers: Drivers who use GPS devices are less damage-prone than their old- school brethren. Which is why a Dutch insurance company is giving them 10% discount on their auto insurance. More »
8. Crowd clout & Japanese auto parts: An Australian start-up is focusing on a 'group buying' niche: parts for Japanese performance cars. Auto Group Buy aims to combine the purchasing power of car owners with a keen passion for modifying, tuning and styling their vehicles. More »
9. Zipcar uses mobile GPS to pinpoint nearest car: Zipcar members can use their GPS-enabled cell phones to find the nearest vehicle and make an instant reservation, making spontaneous car-sharing easier than ever. More »
10. Navigate with your own voice: While most personal navigation devices come with a variety of voices to select from, from soft-spoken to stern, they all get boring after a while and aren't, well, personal. Now they can be: it's possible to have your own voice, or that of a loved one, tell you when to turn right. More »

 

 

 

Hybrids

 

Adura Systems gets investment for stealth series hybrid concept

 

 

Adura Systems, a stealth mode startup developing series hybrid engine technology for the next generation of hybrid cars, has attracted an undisclosed amount of funding in a strategic investment from wind developer New Frontier Renewable Energy.  The series hybrid car has been gaining attention, despite the success of the parallel hybrid engine which is used in the Prius and other current hybrid vehicles. A series plug-in relies entirely on electricity for drivetrain power, while the fuel-burning engine only recharges the battery — a simpler, and therefore cheaper design than the parallel hybrid, which has a drivetrain each for the electric and fuel motors.  The company says it can deliver “near zero emissions and extreme fuel efficiency” for the bus and truck market, and is working with the China Automotive Technology and Research Center (CATARC) in China.  However, Adua isn’t talking about its current progress or specific plans. It’s based in Los Altos, Calif.

 

 

 

 

Targeting Women

 

Car Rental business

 

 

 

We've covered taxis for women in the past, and have noticed that the concept is spreading. The latest incarnation we spotted is Turkey's Pudracar.

 

Instead of offering women lower rental rates, which many mainstream rental companies do, Pudracar provides an upgraded service that's undeniably feminine. A fleet of pink BMW 3 Series cars has been fitted with custom interiors in camel-coloured tweed, dark grey and soft pink, accentuated with twinkly bits of crystal.

 

Besides sex-neutral goodies like DVD players, LCD screens an iPod and wireless internet access, Pudracar also added specially selected snacks, cosmetics and make-up tools. The Istanbul-based service comes with a female driver, in livery to match the car's interior. No word yet on pricing, but rates are likely to be as premium as the offering.

 

The concept, which was developed for Europcar by marketing agency Agras, is clearly going after a subset of luxury-minded women who enjoy indulging their inner Barbie. While other women might object to gender-specific car services, entrepreneurs across the globe, from London and Istanbul to Tilburg and Moscow, seem to have found their niche. For more on creating and adapting products and services for women, check out trendwatching.com's recent Female Fever briefing.

 

Website: www.pudracar.com