environment | Transfercar Blog

AAA picks 10 best new vehicle technologies, thinks green

It’s no secret that automobiles get more technologically advanced every passing year. A good deal of these vehicular innovations have a lot to do with saving gas, reducing emissions, and, more recently, teaching the driver to pilot the vehicle in a more efficient manner. If you feel like you need help in choosing which bits of techno-geekery are the best, AAA has just created a list specifically for you.

Included in AAA’s top 10 tech picks are solar roof panels and “green” driving assistance aids. Rooftop solar panels are pretty self-explanatory and can help keep an vehicle’s battery charged up or help keep the cabin cool in the hot sun. The 2010 Toyota Prius is probably the best-known example of this technology. So, what’s a green driving aid?

Honda’s new 2010 Insight hybrid uses what the automaker calls an Eco Assist dashboard that changes colors from green to blue to teach the driver to be more efficient. Ford uses something similar in the 2010 Fusion Hybrid called the SmartGauge cluster, which uses dual 4.3-inch LCDs and a graphic that shows leaves growing on a tree when you are driving efficiently. We tend to like them, but whether or not these are desirable features is definitely up to each individual driver.

Read the full article thanks to greenautoblog.com

For a free car or campervan, check out transfercar.co.nz for New Zealand or transfercar.com.au for Australia!

Carpooling at a whole new level.

Who would have thought that the humble carpooling idea would emerge into a fully fledged, environmentally conscious transportation alternative.

Meet Jayride: the website that allows vehicle owners to put their spare seats up for rent. Well not so much as rent but short term lease.

With its humble beginnings in Auckland, New Zealand some 2 short years ago, Jayride is now the place to go to find a cheap, spare seat in vehicles travelling between towns and cities all over New Zealand and Australia. Continue reading Carpooling at a whole new level.

Lucky Alice: The next aircraft boneyard!

Lucky Alice Springs? Not so sure if the locals feel that way.

ALICE Springs has been selected to be the first aircraft “boneyard” outside the US.

Functioning in the same way as Pinal Airpark in Arizona, it will cover an area of 110ha and will house 300 planes in the Northern Territory, taking planes being decommissioned from service, that have been stripped of all their parts like engines, electronics and wiring to be re-cycled.

It will also be a place where aircrafts as big as the A380 can be stored when they are not being used.

According to Alice Springs Airport general manager Katie Cooper the initiative is ‘ground-breaking’ for this part of the world, but I wonder how ground breaking the locals and environmentalists think it is.

If you’re interested in checking it out, try one of our free cars and campervans! Transfercar.com.au & Transfercar.co.nz

Volcanic ash disrupts NZ flights

New Zealand flights look like they could be disrupted for days as ash from the Chilean volcanic eruption drifts across the country.

The Puyehue-Cordon Caulle volcano in Chile began erupting on June 4, with the ash plume drifting thousands of kilometres across the South Atlantic, South Africa, Indian Ocean, Tasmania and now across New Zealand.

More than 60 New Zealand flights have been cancelled and over 7000 passengers have been stranded at Airports over the weekend.

Air New Zealand will continue to fly but at lower altitudes however Jetstar and Quantas have both cancelled a number of flights as the ash cloud drifts closer.

If you are one of the unlucky travellers stuck at an airport right now, visit Transfercar or give us a call as we may be able to find you a free car or campervan to drive!

A new landing pad for Spaceships and accommodation for wayward travellers

On the wake of the massive earthquake that hit Christchurch in recent weeks, many families and companies were forced to evacuate and abandon their premises, unable to return indefinitely. As business ground to a halt, accommodation has become a big issue as hotels and backpackers etc were also forced to close their doors.

One of Transfercar’s valued partners, Spaceships Rental Campervans, were one of the unfortunate rental companies to be hit hard and have now relocated to a new depot that they call “The Castle”:

Continue reading A new landing pad for Spaceships and accommodation for wayward travellers

Tough time for rental car companies as Christchurch earthquake takes its toll

Rental car companies are feeling the aftershocks of the Christchurch earthquake in branches nationwide. Entire schedules were disrupted as vehicles went missing due to drivers being unable to drop vehicles off at central city depots.

A number of prominent rental agencies have only just been able to access trapped and damaged stock; relocating vehicles to depots outside of the central city. Issues arose as vehicles that would normally be returned with a full tank of gas came back empty as petrol stations were closed and inaccessible.

A representative from one company mentioned that such a simple thing as cleaning the campervans was impossible as power and water shortages covered most of the city leaving vehicles unable to be groomed for the next occupant. Phone lines and internet access are down leaving companies unable to operate and functioning on mobiles.

Continue reading Tough time for rental car companies as Christchurch earthquake takes its toll