General Motors and RelayRides, a peer-to-peer car-sharing service that allows private car owners to rent their vehicles, announced a partnership and possible investment this week. Under an exclusive two-year agreement, RelayRides users will be able to unlock G.M. vehicles that are registered with the car-sharing service and subscribed to OnStar, the automaker’s communication service, with a mobile phone app. In this post for The New York Times Wheels blog, I explain the deal and why some people see the growing amount of computing power in cars as a “natural fit” for car sharing. Read the full story here.
Tag Archives: General Motors
Reimagining Auto Retail for Electric Cars
For independent electric car companies, it’s so long, automobile row. Some electric vehicle manufacturers have jettisoned the old model of franchise auto dealerships in an effort to change not only how we drive, but also how we buy cars. Continue reading
Rev Up Your Motors, Electric Cars Zip Into View
The earliest plug-in car buyers will contend with high price tags, limited charging infrastructure, uncertainty about long-term durability and resale values, and insecurity about hitting the road without being able to refuel at just any convenient gas station.
But automakers have devised different strategies for tackling these challenges and, they hope, for winning over thousands of customers in the years ahead. For an overview of the strengths, weaknesses and cool facts about 11 electric and plug-in hybrid models from car companies large and small, check out this photo-rich piece I wrote for National Geographic Daily News.
Posted in Auto, Transportation
Tagged Chevy Volt, Electric cars, General Motors, National Geographic, Toyota
Light Is the Bright IDEA for Transport
Bright Automotive, which recently scored the first investment from General Motors’ new venture capital arm, aims to help steer commercial fleets toward more efficient options by decoupling size from efficiency. In other words, it lets customers have their cake (sip less fuel) and eat it too (carry more stuff). To accomplish this, Bright is developing a plug-in hybrid van called the IDEA with advanced materials that could shave thousands of pounds off the weight of conventional counterparts. I’ve written a profile of Bright for National Geographic News, covering the company’s accomplishments so far and challenges ahead as it pursues government funds on the road to commercialization.
GM’s $100M Venture Fund on the Hunt for Car Sharing Play
When it comes to car sharing, General Motors’ new venture capital arm wants to get some skin in the game, GM Ventures President Jon Lauckner told me this week in San Jose, Calif. Asked to elaborate on what type of car sharing play might attract GM’s investment, he commented that Zipcar and GoLoco are two “interesting models.” You can read the full scoop in this piece I wrote for Earth2Tech.
Image courtesy of Flickr user Andrew Currie
Posted in Auto, Finance, Transportation
Tagged Breaking News, Car Sharing, General Motors, GoLoco, Venture Capital, Zipcar
Electric Vehicle 101: Know Your Warranty
When it comes to warranties, it’s helpful to think of plug-in vehicles in two general categories: all-electric models with zero tailpipe emissions (such as the Tesla Roadster and Nissan LEAF), and hybrid models that use electricity but also have an internal combustion engine (as in General Motors’ Chevy Volt and Fisker Automotive’s Karma).
For this Earth2Tech article, I’ve explained how California emissions regulations factor into green car makers’ warranty decisions, and reported the scoop that General Motors aims to get what’s called enhanced AT-PZEV designation for the 2013 model of the Volt. The first-generation model of the car won’t carry that status (which can open the door for certain purchase incentives), partly due to the battery warranty.
Posted in Auto, Energy Storage, Policy
Tagged Batteries, CARB, Chevy Volt, Earth2Tech, Electric cars, General Motors, Hybrid Cars, Nissan LEAF, Tesla Roadster
