Draft #3: Product Summary & Analysis

According to BlueSG’s website (2019), BlueSG is Singapore's 100% electric self-service car sharing operator, which provides environmentally friendly electric vehicles (EVs). BlueSG, a subsidiary of Bolloré Group, offers point-to-point service across 1000 charging points located island wide, with parking lots that can be reserved beforehand. With the EVs operating on Lithium Metal Polymer (LMP) batteries, using one of BlueSG’s cars does not contribute to environmental pollution and consumes zero petrol or diesel.

The BlueSG EVs have an on-board computer that transmits information about the vehicle and interfaces with an operating system for navigation which can track the locations of the cars, including the charging points and parking lots. This function not only enhances usability but also enables BlueSG personnel to identify the cars immediately should there be any accident or emergency occurrences, which in turn acts as a measure for maintenance and identifying drivers who misuse the EVs.

For the following reasons, while there are many car sharing operators in the market, BlueSG is a practical product that can stand out from its competitors as it provides unique advantages: rental convenience, affordability and environmental friendliness.

One advantage of BlueSG is its rental convenience. With a planned fleet of 1000 cars and 1000 charging points at more than 300 locations island-wide, including tourist spots such as RWS and neighbourhood regions, drivers can simply reserve a car in advance through the app. Upon arriving at the location, drivers only have to tap their EZ-link card to unlock and utilise the car (The Alpha Lion, 2018). Comparatively, conventional car rental companies require drivers to head down to their location to go through the paperwork process. Moreover, their cars are situated at one location, which not only slows down the rental process, but also makes it inconvenient for drivers due to its inaccessibility and incurrence of extra costs to get there. Furthermore, BlueSG operates 24/7, giving them an edge over their competitors in terms of convenience for their drivers as it significantly reduces the hassle to rent a car given its superior accessibility and ease of rental.

Another advantage of BlueSG would be its affordability. While many may argue that its rental cost for an hour is significantly higher than other car sharing companies, however its overall cost is not. While most of BlueSG’s competitors require a minimum of 6-hour rental, BlueSG only requires a minimum of 15 minutes rental (Imran, n.d.). Apart from that, car sharing companies require drivers to fork out parking and petrol charges as well as to return the car with a minimum petrol of half-tank full.

Additionally, car rental operators typically charge driven distances that exceed maximum allowed mileage. As such, drivers need not worry about incurring extra charges on excess mileage as compared to their competitors (Tay, 2019). Unlike conventional car rental companies, BlueSG works on a one-way rental system where drivers only pay for their usage as no charge is incurred when the car is being parked. Despite its significantly high hourly rate, BlueSG does not come with any hidden or additional costs that may put drivers at a disadvantage.

The key advantage that gives BlueSG an edge over its competitors would be its green mode of transportation. BlueSG is the first 100% electric car sharing service in Singapore operating with LMP batteries, which offer high energy density and safety. In addition, this clean mode of transportation greatly contributes to smart energy management for the environment. On a more personal level, drivers of BlueSG will be unperturbed by potential pollutants to the environment, since BlueSG cars emit zero carbon dioxide and odour pollution compared to conventional car sharing services.

As such, the unique advantages provided by BlueSG which include rental convenience for drivers, affordability as well as providing a green mode of transportation, make the EVs a practical product. These advantages aid in value-added usability and environmental friendliness, which contribute largely in making the society and environment a better place to commute.


References
Andria Tay (2019). Guide to car sharing options in Singapore: BlueSG, Tribecar, Car Club, SMOVE,
Whizzcar, CarLite. Retrieved October 17, 2019, from       
https://dollarsandsense.sg/guide-car-sharing-options-singapore-blue-sg-tribecar-car-club-smove-whizzcar-carlite/

Azlan Imran (n.d.). BlueSG: Reducing the need to own a car. Retrieved October 17, 2019, from
               https://carro.sg/blog/bluesg-reducing-need-personal-car/

BlueSG. (n.d.). The Technology. Retrieved October 17, 2019, from
               https://www.bluesg.com.sg/technology

The Alpha Lion (2018).  Review – BlueSG Electric Car Sharing in Singapore. Retrieved October 17,
   2019, from
                https://www.thealphalion.com/review-bluesg-electric-car-sharing-in-singapore/ 



(Edited on 02/12/19)






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