Ford has teamed up with the Limehouse Holiday Inn Express in London as part of the expansion of the GoDrive car-sharing scheme in London.
GoDrive, Ford’s on-demand car-sharing pilot, has been expanding its reach since it was launched in London in May. The pilot offers Londoners and visitors to the capital a more flexible, practical and affordable car-sharing service.
The new Limehouse hub will give hotel guests easy access to GoDrive – which delivers one-way trips with guaranteed parking. Drivers have access to a car for 17p-a-minute pricing covering all fees – including congestion charges, fuel, insurance and parking. Cars can be booked and accessed via the GoDrive smart phone app, without any membership fees. More information, and joining details, is available at www.go-drive.com
The new GoDrive hub at Holiday Inn Express joins a network of over 20 hubs across central London. Guests will be able to choose from a zero-emission Ford Focus Electric, or the multi-award-winning Ford Fiesta 1.0-litre Ecoboost. Drivers are given a five minute ‘grace’ period free of charge for vehicle familiarisation, and running costs are displayed via their app.
Scott Rankin, General Manager at Holiday Inn Express London, Limehouse, said: “Many of our guests are here on business, so having easy access to a car can be a huge help in getting around the city. For those guests on holiday having the option to put the children in the car, or carry their shopping bags is a huge plus.”
“GoDrive is one of the most exciting car-sharing services out there. We’ve been impressed with how the GoDrive team is listening to its customers and adapting the service. We’ll be watching closely to see what our guests think and whether the same offer can be transferred to other hotels.”
Alicia Agius, project lead of GoDrive, said: “We’re focused on working with Londoners to understand their mobility needs. We’ve found that car-sharing can complement existing transport systems – and give people a valued option for moving around the city. This new hub will let us explore how visitors to the city can benefit from access to flexible car-sharing. In particular we think it has huge value to people visiting London on business.”
Earlier this year Ford unveiled its Smart Mobility plan to help change the way the world moves through innovation in connectivity, mobility, autonomous vehicles, customer experience and big data.
The London-based research experiments include GoDrive, designed to help understand what is needed for a high-quality, more flexible, and integrated car-sharing, Data Driven Insurance, which involves monitoring individual vehicle use with the potential to create a personalised insurance quote and reduce insurance costs, and a Dynamic Social Shuttle, providing one-way, point-to-point journeys on-demand.
Original source: Ford
