EcoCabs gears up to reduce carbon emissions

The wheels were really turning for one advertising company that has found a way to benefit consumers, companies, the city and the environment all in one swoop. Yes, it’s yet another company with a green marketing claim, but hey, if it means getting a free cab ride and possibly a free drink, what could be the harm in that?

The new EcoCabs, which debuted on May 1, will be available for downtown Toronto commuters looking to go short distances around the city. The pedal-powered taxis are essentially billboards on wheels, sponsored by companies who want to provide people with an interactive brand experience while giving back to the community. Oh, and they also claim to reduce the city’s carbon footprint.

The emissions-free taxis will be operated by specially-trained drivers. With a rechargeable electric battery lurking under the hood, they can reach speeds of up to 12 kilometres per hour. The cabs, which are encased in an outer shell with a sunroof, have been safety tested, are appaently easy to navigate in congested streets, and are said to provide a unique and memorable way to navigate the city.

“The concept is simple,” says Will Kozma, president of Go Mobile Media. “The city wants to reduce congestion, the brand gets some great exposure but not just traditional one dimensional advertising, and then you also have Joe Public who gets a ride after work to the train station.”

Each individual cab will be branded, providing advertisers a chance to interact on a personal level with consumers. For example, if you hop into a Lipton Green Tea cab, you might even get a free sample drink (presumably in a recyclable bottle) while you enjoy a free cab ride to the gym, work or wherever. With the amount of advertising exposure people are subject to each day, what better way for a company to make a memorable impact on consumers?

Some people might see this is yet another hollow green claim. After all, what chemicals are used in hard plastic shell? Where are the parts being shipped from? Are there measures being taken to reduce the environmental impact of sample packaging? How much are emissions actually reduced?

But in the case of EcoCab, there’s more than just a green claim – the free service has a lot of potential to benefit the community and the economy. Whether its environmental overtones are truly altruistic or just plain good business sense, it should be refreshing to see its eco-friendly claim actually in motion on city roads. I guess the real point is that even if an environmental claim has little measurable impact, it still reflects well on our society that companies would find the need to incorporate the cause into their marketing. If anything, a new paradigm in advertising should be one in which there is an intersection of corporate, community and environmental interests – even if each is met in varying degrees.

The first fleet of 28 EcoCabs will be available until September as part of the trial cycle. If everything rides smoothly, the fleet will be expanded to cities like Montreal, Calgary and Vancouver. Let’s hope it does. Because everyone could use a free drink, a free ride and a free reminder to reduce our carbon foot…er…wheel prints.