Hotels and car-sharing are a natural fit, as we've already seen in Zipcar's partnership with AKA. Whereas Zipcar's effort targets extended-stay residents, however, GreenCar Hawaii aims to give hotel guests of all kinds an alternative to traditional rental cars when they visit the Aloha State.

Rather than scrambling to arrange and pick up a rental car at the airport, customers of GreenCar Hawaii simply take a taxi to their hotel. Later, when they need a car, they can easily reserve one of the company's hybrid electric Ford Escape SUVs. Reservations can be made online, by phone or at the hotel kiosk, which then gives customers a voucher; that, in turn, is shown to the hotel valet, who brings a car right to the consumer, complete with a complimentary gas card. Pricing on GreenCar Hawaii's hybrid vehicles is USD 15 per hour, including mileage, free gas and roadside assistance. Alternatively, consumers can rent them for a full 24 hours for USD 115. Currently, GreenCar Hawaii is available at the Grand Hyatt Kauai.

There seems to be little doubt that car-sharing is taking hold around the globe — including the peer-to-peer versions we've recently seen — so using the concept to relieve hotel guests of the burden of a full-time rental car makes good sense. Who will bring similar benefits to transumers at the hotels in your part of the world...? (Related: In Paris, a citywide scheme to share electric cars — Parking operator launches car-sharing service — Zipcar and Zimride join forces on college campuses — Smart use of the Smart brand: car-sharing by Daimler.)

Website: www.greencarhawaii.com
Contact: info@greencarhawaii.com

Spotted by: John Rankin

Sellsumers can already earn cash in exchange for wrapping their cars in ads via sites like Australian cashURwheels, but recently we came across an example in Singapore that offers a slightly different twist. Through a new carvertising campaign from local shopping magazine Chic and Chevron's Caltex gas brand, Singapore drivers can earn SGD 50 worth of gas.

Consumers begin by registering their car with the GottaGetGas site, including license plate, model, colour and type of gas used. If selected, they're then invited to get an advertiser-provided decal affixed to their car at the nearest Caltex station. In exchange, they're rewarded with a SGD 50 GottaGetGas card, which can be used to buy gas at any Singapore Caltex station.

Consumers are clearly motivated by cash, but a brand-sponsored reward like gas could be just as compelling while providing benefits for yet another partner in the equation. For the magazine, meanwhile, it's a nice way to connect with readers while expanding advertisers' options. A model to emulate on the roads near you...?

Website: www.gottagetgas.com
Contact: mailus@chicreaders.com

Spotted by: Donna Tang

Where Luscious Garage helps keep green vehicles operating smoothly on the road, Green Garage focuses on helping vehicles on the road be more green.

Launched earlier this year, Colorado-based Green Garage specializes in “green-tuning” cars to run cleaner, greener and cheaper through sustainable, energy-saving automotive maintenance and repair products. The full-service company begins by bringing the garage to the customer's front door with a valet service whereby it picks up a client's car, green-tunes it and then drops it off again. For corporate clients, Green Garage's Corporate Mobile Service Truck pulls into business parking lots with its mobile lift and is able to service many cars throughout the day. Either way, Green Garage's “Carhugger” technicians use auto parts that save money by improving fuel efficiency and by reducing the frequency of services. Included in the garage's services are an “Energy Intervention,” including preliminary diagnostics to see how to get the best out of the engine, as well as a 53-Point Systems Inspection that proactively identifies any preventive issues that may require maintenance.

Green Garage has amassed a line of more than 60 sustainable products, chosen for their superior performance at solid waste reduction, CO2 emission, toxicity, water conservation, use of natural resources and social impact; included among them are non-leaded wheel weights and bio-diesel engine conversions, for example. Pricing for a basic “Drive Good” oil change package—including Green Garage's High Performance Dual Stage Oil Filter, which is 10 times more efficient than regular oil filters and lasts 6,000 to 10,000 miles—is USD 69.95. That may be higher than average, but it will also save customers about USD 175 over 24,000 miles, the company says. Not only that, but drivers need only change the filter four times and the oil once during that 24,000-mile time frame. Customers who choose Green Garage also use 70 percent less oil, it says.

Given where the automotive industry began on the sustainability spectrum, it seems safe to say there's plenty of room for improvement, and that's just what we're beginning to see. Green Garage has launched in Boulder and Fort Collins, with plans to expand nationwide in 2011. One to partner with toward that end...? (Related: In-car 'coach' helps Ford drivers save fuel — Greener driving with Fiat and Microsoft.)

Website: www.greengarage.com
Contact: customerservice@greengarage.com

Spotted by: Travis Eagles-Soukup

Enabling customers to make the most of their time while their car is being serviced, independent Porsche dealership Autofarm recently began offering a complimentary travel service to and from a nearby luxury outlet mall.

Rather than waiting out the four-hour car service at the garage, Autofarm will arrange for customers to be driven the four miles to and from Bicester Village to enjoy its outlet boutiques and restaurants. According to Autofarm, the service is designed to cater to the growing number of female Porsche owners, especially mothers. Autofarm’s Workshop Manager, Robin Bartholomew explains: “Getting the car serviced often falls to the lady of the house. Children understandably get bored waiting, but this provides an opportunity to go somewhere suitable, rather than being trapped in a car showroom or workshop waiting room.”

It takes little tread off Autofarm's tires to offer the service, which provides a substantial value to their customers and is a great example of what our sister site would call a brand butler offering—something extended to consumers that helps make their lives easier and more enjoyable. How can your brand drive customers to new heights of satisfaction...? ;-) (Related: Hotel perks for Mercedes drivers – Fiat offers electric bikes as loaner vehicles — Volvo dealership loans bikes instead of cars.)

Website: www.autofarm.co.uk
Contact: porsche@autofarm.co.uk

The internet may have already brought new transparency, accountability and ease to myriad aspects of consumers' lives, but auto repair is not typically among them. Aiming to provide an alternative to the time-consuming process of driving from shop to shop collecting estimates, DentBetty is an online system that lets users upload photos of the damage to their car and receive competing bids from local repair shops in return.

Structural damage typically requires a physical inspection for a realistic estimate, DentBetty notes; for that reason, it focuses on dings, dents, scrapes and scratches instead. Users begin on the free system, which is currently in beta, by simply entering their ZIP code and uploading at least two photos of the damage to their car. Local auto body shops can then examine the photos and come up with bids for getting the repair done. Whenever a shop makes an estimate, DentBetty notifies the user by email; all estimates received so far (up to the maximum of seven) are presented together on a personal DentBetty page. The DentBetty Quality Scoreboard, meanwhile, keeps a running record of consumer feedback and other information about the various vendors involved to help consumers evaluate their reliability. When the consumer selects a bid, he or she then contacts the shop directly to schedule an appointment.

There are currently more than 100 shops nationwide in the DentBetty Network, each prescreened against DentBetty’s rigorous standards. Such members get notified every time a new consumer within driving distance requests an estimate. Since some repairs are difficult to estimate by photo alone, shops can indicate a level of confidence along with their bid. DentBetty's staff also prescreens every photo to make certain that it's from a legitimate consumer—“not just some teenager having fun with his camera.”

Of the USD 36 billion spent each year in the US on collision repair, some USD 3 to 5 billion takes the form of out-of-pocket expenditures for cosmetic damage. One to partner with or emulate in other parts of the world? (Related: Home-repair bidding site prescreens contractors — Premium tire chain focuses on transparency.)

Website: www.dentbetty.com
Contact: thebetty@dentbetty.com