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

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/bluesg-opens-charging-points-to-private-electric-car-owners-11472242

 

2.      Straits Times – Shabana Begum

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/transport/electric-car-sharing-service-reaches-its-one-millionth-rental

 

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

https://www.eco-business.com/press-releases/bluesgs-electric-vehicle-car-sharing-announced-the-opening-of-its-1000th-charging-point-across-253-charging-stations-island-wide/

 


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