UCAR, a recently introduced program started by Shenzhou Zuche, CAR Inc., or zuche.com, is a new service competing against the likes of Uber and Didi Dache, where users request rides from private drivers using a specialized mobile app. In the case of quality and service, UCAR certainly stands out against the rest and may very well be the best. Trying to quickly build up its brand and draw its line in the market, UCAR is heavily promoting its new service and offering discounts to draw in new customers. Let’s go over the company and what it’s like to use the service and its promotions.
Shenzhou Zuche, otherwise known as CAR Inc., was established in Beijing in late 2007 and is China’s largest car rental service provider. In less than three years, it has built an outstanding reputation and recognizable brand, winning accolades and market share due to its commitment to superior customer service and development of its car rental brand. Today, it has partnered with a multitude of automakers, banks and insurance companies to ensure a wide-ranging portfolio and even greater growth in the future. With an easy to use user interface and recognizable Hertz affiliation, it’s easy to see from just the surface how it has found success in the Chinese market.
If you’ve been riding the subway in Beijing lately, you may have noticed the advertising campaign being heavily promoted in the inside of subway cars, featuring a caricature version of a suave David Beckham in a suit promoting the UCAR service. Along with touting its limousine-grade cars, drivers, sizeable insurance and nationwide network, the ad campaign also heavily promotes its “deposit 100 RMB, get an additional 100 RMB” promotion (runs until June 1) as well as a free 50 RMB credit for new users. These offers make it incredibly affordable to try for the very first time at least.
To use the service, you should first download the correct UCAR app for your compatible device. Once installed, users will need to set up a new account and sync their mobile number via receiving a text once you register. With the app, you can see available cars in your vicinity and can request different types of vehicles (from respectable models like the VW Passat, to the Buick GL8 for up to 7 passengers, and to more exclusive models like the Audi A6 or BMW 5 series). Select a particular type of car and you will receive the ride estimates (ex. 16 RMB base fare/0.5 RMB a minute when stopped in traffic/2.8 RMB km; 21 RMB/0.7 RMB/4.5 RMB; 24 RMB/0.8 RMB/4.6 RMB). You can even book these cars for 4 and 8 hours at a time for half and full day excursions. Before doing anything else, make sure to load up on credit under your account. Using Alipay, it’s the same process as online orders.
When you are ready to use the service, you can either make a reservation in advance or request a car and driver right away. You will enter your pickup location (preset with your GPS location) and destination, and will even get a rough estimate of the fare. Your request gets sent to nearby drivers and soon a driver will contact you about the estimated time of arrival to pick you up. At the moment, only a small number of drivers are able to communicate in English, so either call and request if you need to reserve one or hopefully be tech-savvy enough to use your phone to communicate if your Chinese is lacking.
The drivers are very professional and courteous. Upon arriving at your pickup location, your driver will personally come out of the car to greet you and lead you to the backseat, as a professional chauffer should. After entering the car, you will notice the fleet of cars in service are new and in excellent shape. Some may even still have the new car smell. Each car has a comfortable and luxurious interior cabin. If you’re in need to be connected to the internet, each car is also a mobile 4G LTE hotspot. Just ask, or the driver will introduce the service. At the beginning of the trip, the driver will indicate to you which route will be taken and the current odometer reading. Upon arrival at the destination, this figure will be compared to the new odometer reading and your fare will be calculated. The drivers are well-trained, having professional manners while driving the cars at a safe speed. Transactions are cashless, made entirely through the UCAR app.
Right now is an excellent time to try the service with its promotions. Remember, new customers automatically receive a 50 RMB credit and all users will be able to take advantage of the “deposit 100 RMB, get an additional 100 RMB” promotion. So if you’re thinking of treating yourself to an elevated service the next time you need to get somewhere, consider using a service like UCAR.
