Inflation-Strapped Rideshare Drivers Get Cash Offer from Hyundai and Firefly. This is an IoT-meets-Advertising Startup Backed by Google Ventures. These forms of money presents will propel important EV adoption and development.
Gas Prices and Chip Shortages Push Costs
With fuel costs reaching an all-time excessive and chip shortages pushing the price of autos to stratospheric ranges, the rideshare trade is quick approaching a disaster level. Unfortunately, the disaster’s level is amplified, sarcastically sufficient, by low unemployment ranges, which frequently disincentive drivers with quick access to jobs paying aggressive charges.
The cities most depending on rideshare companies can even really feel this pinch when pulling the digicam again.
Firefly — A Google Ventures-Backed Startup
One attainable answer was simply introduced by Firefly, a Google Ventures-backed startup that’s not truly within the rideshare area. Instead, the corporate creates and manages high-res sensible screens on taxis and rideshare companies working in cities throughout the US.
If you’ve ordered a Lyft or Uber in Los Angeles, New York, and different metro areas, chances are high you rode with a driver partnered with Firefly, seen by the big cartop show display. These screens not solely show advertisements, however as a result of they basically have all of the performance of an enormous iPhone, they’ll serve customizable advertisements.
Having customizable native space advertisements serves all the native space with an viewers that may herald income in the event that they select. In addition, advertisements can cowl present environmental circumstances with related advertisements. For instance, if it’s a chilly and wet day, you would possibly see a cartop advert suggesting you strive a close-by ramen joint.
Firefly is Digital Ads-Meet-the Internet of Things
So mainly, Firefly is digital ads-meet-the Internet of Things. Over the years, rideshare drivers and fleet homeowners have used this selection to earn additional earnings throughout their shifts. This new announcement, a partnership with Hyundai Motor America, takes this performance to the subsequent stage.
“The idea is to leverage the revenue we already share with rideshare drivers to help finance new vehicles pre-integrated with our smart screens,” founder and CEO Kaan Gunay defined in a latest dialog.
Qualified Drivers Lease Options
Dubbed Hyundai Drive-by Firefly, this system provides certified drivers the choice of leasing a brand new Hyundai whereas incomes money advantages that may complete as much as $3,600 a yr on the excessive finish. That’s about sufficient to cowl many of the month-to-month lease price – and greater than cowl the latest enhance in fuel prices. The program additionally covers the automobile large’s EV and hybrid autos line, which could be very a lot by design.
“We’re thrilled that Hyundai Motor America shares our vision to totally reinvent the future mobility while using programs like ours to grow adoption of zero-emission vehicles,” Kaan tells me.
Good for the Environment
While EVs and hybrids are good for the atmosphere, their excessive buy worth might be unhealthy for many individuals’s wallets. State and federal tax rebates considerably cut back that value – on the excessive finish, a California purchaser can get a rebate of as much as $9500 complete from the state and feds – however even essentially the most inexpensive EVs can have a beginning worth between $30,000-$40,000.
Kaan’s imaginative and prescient isn’t just to provide advertisers a brand new means of connecting with shoppers. Ultimately, he desires to assist construct the structure for sensible cities which are sustainably inexperienced, and digital advertisements subsidize public transportation.
To illustrate that objective, Kaan confirmed me slides from a latest imaginative and prescient for the way forward for mobility that Firefly created in partnership with Hyundai. These firms think about cities the place public transportation is powered by autonomous EV autos, which look very completely different from automobiles at this time, architected for consolation and mass transit, backed by dynamic promoting shows that wrap across the total physique.
Optimized Vehicle Traffic in Real-Time
Incorporated right into a community that encompasses a complete city space, location-aware expertise like this might help create sensible cities the place car visitors might be optimized in real-time. This pattern might be additional accelerated when autos attain a degree the place autonomous robotaxis can freely function inside cities.
The Hyundai/Firefly initiative suggests a path the place robotaxis would possibly finally be provided fully free to end-users, totally backed by promoting.
Transforming How We Live and Work
“We’re at an inflection point where IoT, mobility, and ad tech can come together to transform how we live and work,” as Gunay put it. “And the need to experiment with new ways to accelerate EV adoption is more crucial than it’s ever been before.”
While it’s too early to say how effectively this particular program will fare, it’s thrilling to see a longtime automotive firm working with an agile startup on new concepts like this. At the very least, it’s a major check case for different IoT-powered collaborations which additionally search to reinvent how cities can sustainably function sooner or later.
Much Needed Revenue for Inflation Weary Drivers
In the meantime, this system presents much-needed income for inflation-weary drivers and homeowners of rideshare fleets. In this system’s first section, Firefly is enrolling drivers and fleet operators who buy new Hyundai autos by way of this program.
Participants can go right here to request curiosity within the pilot program.
Image Credit: Mike; Pexels; Thank you!