Ride-sharing to subscription

Amber Mobility hopes to eliminate the time cars spend idle with the release of the Amber One, says TechCrunch. The model is not available for purchase, instead customers subscribe to a service for NZ$50 per week which will let them use any available Amber One models nearby. The all-electric concept car has a range of just over 400km, a top speed of more than 149kph and a 0 to 100kph time of seven seconds. Amber Mobility says the model is designed to be modular, so that it can be upgraded throughout its life, which is expected to be longer than that of the average car as it doesn’t need to be completely redesigned when new technology or improvements come out. The Amber One is also designed a connected car from the group up, with tight integration across software and hardware which will help reduce operating costs. Eventually, the model will have semi- and full autonomous driving capabilities built in, which the company says will lower costs associated with accidents and damage. Amber Mobility hopes to reduce the time the car will spend idle, while retaining the convenience factor, with a “guarantee” that an Amber One will be available “within walking distance at any time” to users of its service. The model is due to enter production in 2018, with prototypes due to hit the road next year. The service will initially be available to corporate partners in limited trials at the end of the year, and consumer roll-out of the service is forecast to start in 2018 in the Netherlands.