Project Driveway
In 2007, General Motors launched their Project Driveway program
with the help of the Gongos Research group. Project Driveway is
both a technical and marketing research effort on the part of
GM.
The idea is to rollout 100 Chevy
Equinox Fuel Cell SUVs to average consumers living in zip
codes close to hydrogen fueling stations. Or, in other words,
consumers lucky enough to live in Los Angeles and Orange County,
California, New York and Washington DC can sign up to be part
of Project Driveway.
Not all individuals selected for the Project
Driveway program will get to drive a Chevy Equinox FC for
2 or 3 months. Part of the criteria is how active they are on
the Gongos message board and that they be enthusiastic evangelists
for the product.
In addition, Project Driveway participants are expected to report
problems to engineers that will help GM improve the product. Also,
participants will interact with one another online, at specific
events and interact with engineers on the message board. The marketing
end of the Project Driveway programs involves participants giving
their opinion on the Gongos message board to specific inquiries.
Project Driveway is the first large scale consumer test for hydrogen
fuel cell cars with real drivers operating the vehicle under real
world conditions. General Motors, like the other major automakers,
have stated they intended to rollout a large number of hydrogen
powered vehicles in the year 2015.
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The countries for the rollout will likely
include Germany, Japan and the United States.
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As of March 2010, their have been five car crashes
by Project Driveway members in the Chevy Equinox Fuel Cell and
no one has been injured. As of April 2010, MBA
marketing students at the University at Buffalo School of
Management have been asked to assist GM with a marketing plan
for the vehicles.
September 2010 update: Project Driveway has moved their Gongos
message board to Facebook where you can interest with other Project
Driveway members and General Motors directory. Here is a link
to the Project
Driveway Facebook page (you have to logon first or you can
logon and then do a search for GM Project Driveway to be taken
to the page).
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