HPR1830: How Holland Works: GreenWheels




Hacker Public Radio show

Summary: No longer owning a car of our own, we use the car-sharing service GreenWheels, which for a subscription of €5 per month, we are allowed to rent any of the hundreds of cars confidentiality parked all around the Netherlands. How it works Subscribe Once you subscribe you get mailed a credit card sized RFID card and a PIN code. Booking Go to the website and enter in your location using ZIP/postcode or town name. You specify the times range you want to use it for and then press find to list the available options. A Google Map will appear with the availability of the cars displayed green for available and red for booked. Pick the one you want, login and confirm. Pickup Go to the car location and then open the car by placing the RFID card next to the RFID reader located just above the steering wheel. The central locking will open the doors allowing you to get in. Take the controller out of the glove compartment and enter your pin code to unlock the ignition system. You can confirm that there is no damage, or log any damage that has occurred. Take the regular key and use that to start the car. Refueling If you need to refuel then go to any [gas|petrol] station and refuel. Make note of the current distance travelled on the Odometer, and take the fleet refuelling card from the glove compartment. Instead of paying yourself, the bill will be charged directly to GreenWheels. Return the refuelling card and receipt to the glove compartment. Drive Loads to see in the Netherlands. Returning When you are finished, return the car and after checking that you have all your stuff, answer yes to the question "Have you returned to the start point ?". Then leave and use the RFID card to lock the car. Links https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenwheels https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio-frequency_identification