TLM1010 - Technical Communication Assignment 1 - Product summary & review (Final Draft)
Product summary of ‘Bluesg’ car
hiring service
‘Bluesg’ according to is a new company
formed in Singapore to support our public transport system in the form of a car
sharing service. (Bluesg.com.sg, 2020)
About one thousand electric cars
were deployed all around Singapore since its launch in 2017, sprinkled across the
country from public housing areas, downtown and commercial areas. The point-to-point
car hiring service meant that patrons do not have to return it to the starting
point. Neither will they have to pay for maintenance or insurance. ‘Bluesg’
belonged to the Parisian Bollore Group which also owned ‘Autolib’, an established
car sharing company in Paris. Making Singapore the world’s second largest car
sharing company. The Economic Development Board and Land Transport Authority tendered
an open bid and Bollore came out a successful candidate from thirteen other
companies for having quality service and great track records.
The car sharing service is supported
by a network of charging stations for its EV (Electric Vehicles), where they
can be returned and borrowed. The ‘Bluecars’ are equipped with high-quality
Lithium Metal Polymer (LMP) batteries which can power the car for almost 200kilometers
in a single charge. (Blue-solutions.com, 2019)
Analytical Evaluation
‘Bluesg’ is a new company setup by their
French parent company Bollore Group to solve the short-term car rental service
problem faced by Singaporeans. Before their entry to the market, often people
must endure the packaged car rental service provided by traditional car rental
services, which is renting the car for the entire weekend even though only a
short rental is needed. The main attraction to this service is that high
quality rental cars can be picked up from and returned at any nearby charging
stations across its ever-growing, nation-wide network of charging stations. The
‘Bluecars’ Bluesg provide are equipped with their Unique LMP (Lithium Metal
Polymer) Batteries which are fully recyclable and manufactured by Bollore
Group. (Bluesg.com.sg, 2020) These long-lasting batteries allow the car to
travel for up to 200km on a single charge. The LMP batteries consists
of thin films of materials, holding the high-density charges while still being
safe for consumer use. Another feature of the batteries is that they are
completely pollution free and can be reused or recycled at the end of their
lives. The ‘Bluecar’s on-board computer handles GPS navigation, user interface
for simple controls (changing radio stations, carpark reservation) and system
status reporting to server. (Remaining mileage, battery temperature, system
errors, etc.) ‘Bluecar’ did not neglect the safety of its passengers despite
the comfort and spacious interior. There is ABS braking system for rainy
weather, airbags for the front two passengers, power-steering and sensors to
provide audible warning to pedestrians. The backseats take three passengers and
can be folded down for more storage. Child-seats can be mounted with the compatible
ISOFIX mount. In case of breakdown or emergency, there is a ‘BLUE’ button to connect
to the ‘Bluesg’’s call-centre via the communication system in the car to get
assistance. This simple but feature-packed electric car gives patrons the
confidence they needed.
I
have found the service to be extremely convenient and reliable when I need to
perform several errands in a jiffy. There is a charging station near my home,
which allows me to book my “Bluecar” and I can be on the road in under 10mins. In
a recent incident, the rental status did not change to “parked” in the app
after parking my car. However, the issue was resolved quickly by calling the
‘Bluesg’ call-centre and their friendly and helpful customer service agent was
patient in resolving my case.
Besides providing car rental service,
‘Bluesg’ also allows private electric car owners to recharge their cars at
their charging stations for a fee. (Neo, 2019) This is encouraging to electric
car owners since it will be easier to look for charging stations. The rapid
increase in subscribers in recent years has led to the one millionth rental service
in August this year. (Straits Times, 2020) This means that ‘Bluesg’ is heading
in the right direction and will likely see even more subscribers in the coming
years, as more prospective car owners will look to greener and more affordable
solutions as owning a car in Singapore is quite costly. Renting short term makes
more sense. Over the years, ‘Bluesg’ has revised its price plans and features
in its car-rental app. Their basic plan is as low as $8 per month without usage
limit, and other premium plans include 45minutes of usage. ‘Queue-pop’ feature
in the app will place the user in a virtual queue when either a car or parking
space is not available. The user will be notified when their turn is up,
reducing user anxiety.
‘Bluesg’ is not without criticism. The
downside to this service includes long wait times for cars during the morning
rush hours, and vice versa during the evening hours since the cars have been
taken up by commuters to get to work. The destination of a user may not be
close to a charging station, taking a taxi or grab might be a cheaper
alternative. The balance between installing new charging stations in the
heartland and common work areas or other popular destinations is a hard
challenge for ‘Bluesg’ and the government as not all carpark locations are
managed by JTC or Capitaland. There is also the fact that Bollare Group has
withdrawn their service from three cities in the past two years. Paris, (their
home ground!) being the first to go. So, whether Bollare Group will continue to
direct resources in tiny Singapore to expand their services remains to be seen.
(PY Ho, 2020)
In conclusion, the writers from various sources
coincide with my opinion that with concerted efforts from the government and
‘Bollare Group’, ‘Bluesg’ will continue to grow in Singapore as it is a great alternative
to owning a car.
References
1. Channel
News Asia – Elizabeth Neo
2. Straits
Times – Shabana Begum
3. Asiaone
– Joanne Poh
https://www.asiaone.com/money/bluesg-car-rental-singapore-are-their-prices-really-worth-it
4. Asiaone
– PY Ho
https://www.asiaone.com/digital/2-years-bluesg-has-electric-vehicle-car-sharing-improved-singapore
5. Eco-business
- Bluesg
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