MyCarma London Participation Q&As

Transcription

1 MyCarma London Participation Q&As Q: Do I have to pay to borrow the data logger? A: No. This one-week borrow period is FREE of charge. Q: How do I receive the data logger? A: You can sign up before your Home Check-Up at our registration website, or sign up on the spot during the Check-Up with help from the administrator. Either way, the administrator will bring a data logger to the visit and can help you plug it in on the spot. Q: How do I plug in the data logger? A: The data logger has been pre-programmed so all you have to do is plug it into your car s on-board diagnostics (OBDII) port. It plugs in and out similarly to a USB key. Click here to find the port on your vehicle. Q: Should I participate in the MyCarma London program even though I don t drive very much? A: You can drive as much or as little as you usually do during the rental period. There is no minimum amount of driving required. Anyone can participate in the MyCarma London program as long as: You are legally authorized to drive the vehicle You agreed to MyCarma and the City s terms and conditions You are able to drive with it for at least seven days as you usually would Q: Why should I participate if I m not planning on buying a new car any time soon? A: You can still learn a lot from the driving behaviour assessment, such as how much you idle, how fast you accelerate and more. You can use your results to be more conscious of your everyday behaviour, and possibly make changes which will save you money and benefit the environment.

2 Q: What if my driving habits aren t so good? A: This is a learning opportunity and the Environmental Programs team will not judge you negatively. We want to help. Do know as well that your information will never be released to third parties with your identity attached. Q: Can I use the data logger in more than one car? A: Yes - the data logger should stay in the same vehicle for a minimum of seven days to get the best results. However, at the end of the participation period you can register a second time. You must return the data logger so that the data is cleared and the report is made, and a freshly registered data logger will be sent. Or, if available, you can book two data loggers you will still need to make two separate reservations so we can program the data logger for the type of car it will be used in. Q: How long do I have the data logger for? A: A typical borrowing period is for 9 days. That allows 7 full days for having the data logger in your car, and 2 for receiving it and sending it back. If you need to have it for longer, say if you go on a weekend trip and want to take it out for those days, you can make arrangements with City staff and they ll be happy to give you an extension if possible. Q: What if I don t know all the information about my current vehicle that the registration website asks for? A: Many people are unsure about the number of speeds or engine size of their vehicle. Simply provide as much information as you can and we will apply the data logger to the closest matching model. Q: After registering, will I receive further instructions on how to use it? A: One day prior to the borrowing period or on the day of the Home Check-Up, an with detailed instructions will be sent. Feel free to send questions to activeandgreen@london.ca. Q: What happens if I forget to take out the data logger? A: We will send you an reminder on the last day of your borrowing period and make arrangements with you for when to pick it up.

3 Q: Will there be a follow-up to the program? A: About a week after you receive your personalized report, a survey will be ed to collect feedback. Q: What will happen if I accidentally remove the data logger too early? A: If accidentally removed too early, you can plug it back in and it will continue to record as if nothing happened. Q: Why do I have to select three other vehicles? A: After information from your current vehicle is used to calculate your actual fuel costs and efficiency, the driving behaviour can also be applied to other vehicles so that you can compare the fuel costs of your vehicle and others of your choice. An electric vehicle choice is made so that you can also see whether an electric vehicle can meet your weekly driving needs, and see how much money you could save from driving electric. This is helpful for making an informed decision if you are looking to buy a new vehicle or will be in the next few years. Q: Can I choose any kind of vehicle I want? A: MyCarma has an extensive vehicle library including most common vehicle companies, but the library does NOT have a complete list of every vehicle available today. It includes pick-up trucks, SUVs, sedans, hatchbacks, luxury vehicles (including Tesla) and a few minivans, ranging from 2011 to 2016 models. Most common car companies are available with the exception of Honda. There are hybrids, electric models and conventional fuel models. It is required to choose at least one electric model so that people can learn more about electric vehicles and see if it can fit in their lifestyles. Q: Can I participate regardless of what kind of vehicle I currently drive? A: Yes, nearly. The MyCarma system does not accept all minivans, but users have done the program by entering similar vehicles for comparison. Also, in the case of drivers with diesel engines and a Honda Fit, the personal fuel economy value for your current vehicle will likely be higher than what it actually is. However, the calculations for your Daily Distance, Idle Percentage, Eco Route and Eco Driver. You will still get accurate estimates for annual fuel costs of your three new vehicle options, but the savings accrued will appear higher than they should be.

4 Q: What kind of information will I find out about my driving behaviour? A: You will find out if you are an efficient driver or not, what areas you can improve on to save money and burn less fuel, how efficient your vehicle is and what vehicles could save you fuel money if you chose them for your next vehicle. Your report includes: Real-World Fuel Consumption: How much gas you consume in liters per 100 kilometers on average Eco Driver: How aggressively you accelerate and decelerate Eco Route: What kind of route you take (ex. It is more efficient to drive on a route with fewer starts and stops) Daily Distance: average per day and if it is high, moderate or low Idle Percentage: fraction of time your vehicle is on but not moving. If it is high, you would benefit from a hybrid or electric vehicle. Annual Fuel Cost in your vehicle Annual Fuel Cost in three other vehicles Savings that would be incurred in more efficient vehicles Q: Who will be able to see my results and how is my privacy protected? A: Other than you, the Environmental Programs team can see your results, but they only see what you see; how you perform on average, without all of the hard numbers, and how you compare on a scale of high to low. On MyCarma s system, we are only providing them with your first name and the initial of your last name so that your personal report we send you will have your name on them. Your personal results and information will not be shared with third parties. Your information will be eliminated from the registration website (Planyo.com) when the project is completed and the website is deleted. Q: What is my personal information used for? A: The program registration website collects: Your name and work address, so that the data logger can be sent through interoffice mail. An address, for sending notifications such as instructions and reminders to return the data logger. A phone number is collected in case there are problems contacting you via . The postal code is collected so that in the future it might be possible to look for trends based on vehicle type and behaviours from people in similar neighbourhoods. Information about your current vehicle is collected in order to program the data logger for your type of car in order to calculate accurately how much fuel is consumed. The MyCarma website retains only your first name, what vehicle you drive, and your driving results; therefore, it cannot be traced back to you except by the City admins.

5 Q: What information does the data logger collect? A: The data logger records: Fuel consumption in liters per loo kilometers of your vehicle and three vehicles of your choice. Pedal control (how aggressively you accelerate and decelerate) The type of route taken (city or highway), based on speed, frequency of starts and stops Daily distance in kilometers Percentage of time the engine spends idling (including at traffic lights) Q: Does the data logger record where I drive, what time of day, and/or whether I am speeding? A: No, the data logger only records information about your vehicle s engine operation. There is absolutely no way that this information can be used by anyone to figure out when and where you were driving. Q: What do I do when I m done with the data logger? A: Pull the data logger out and bring it to the designated drop-off location at your workplace. Alternatively, you can always drop it off between 8:30-4:30 weekdays to the Environmental Programs team at 520 Wellington Street Centennial House Unit 1.