Green Tomato Cars: Difference between revisions
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Revision as of 15:47, 4 April 2018
| Industry | transportation / taxi service |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2006 |
| Founders | Jonny Goldstone and Tom Pakenhamte> |
| Headquarters | London , United Kingdom |
| Products | Mobile App |
| Website | https:www.greentomatocars.com |
Green Tomato Cars is a taxi service based in London, whose main focus is to be environmentally friendly and ethical. Customers are able to order a taxi by phone, through the company’s website, or by using the GPS-based smartphone app. The app is available on both Apple and Android platforms.[1] [2] They are the first car service in London to operate the Toyota Prius as their flagship car, and the first to use the Toyota Mirai – a zero emissions vehicle [3]. As of 2016, Green Tomato Cars now runs a fleet of more than 700 Toyota Priuses [4]
History and Growth
Green Tomato Cars was founded by two Cambridge University lawyers – Jonny Goldstone and Tom Pakenham in 2006. They started the business in West London with just four cars [5],[6]. Upon its inception in 2006, it was the very first environmentally friendly private hire company in London. Sean Sauter, performance director at Green Tomato Cars stated to BusinessGreen that, "At that time people thought green products were quite expensive, they were politically very charged, and typically thought to be of a lesser quality. They [the founders] were keen to show that this was not the case."[4] The company started to undergo notable growth, when SKY came on board as a corporate client and made a loan to the company allowing them to add ten cars to their fleet[7]. In 2010, Transdev, the world’s largest ground transportation company, acquired Green Tomato Cars[4]. In 2012, they were asked by the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) to supplement the remaining empty spaces they had in their transportation sector.[8] In May 2014, Green Tomato Cars made their U.S. debut. in Washington D.C.[9] and launched in Paris [10]. They currently have the largest hybrid – and (proportionately) lowest emissions – car service in London [11]. In 2017, Jonny Goldstone, one of the original founders, returned to the business as Managing Director, when previous Managing Director, Julia Thomas, was relocated within Transdev to Chicago [6], [12].
In 2018, GTC plan to upgrade their taxi fleet to exclusively zero emissions and hybrid vehicles.[12].
Services & Vehicles
A customer can book a Green Tomato Cars car on the web, over the phone, or via their app (both iOS and Android versions are available) [1] [2]. Technology Green Tomato Cars’ cars are equipped with telematics, which are small electronic devices that measures how a car is driven. By having the device installed in the car, it's possible to review and isolate speeding and other driving issues. Green Tomato Cars use this technology to track their drivers’ performances, safety and driving style. Since implementation, they have seen a 33% improvement of their driver’s telematics scores[13]. Green Tomato Cars provide a 24/7 call centre for cash and account clients[14].
Controversies
Toyota’s recall of its Prius cars worldwide over brake fault at the end of 2009 and the beginning of 2010 has caused a big blow to Green Tomato Cars as Toyota’s eminent client in the UK. The issue surrounded an accelerator pedal problem affecting seven of Toyota Prius models. Toyota recalled 180,865 units of the Prius from the UK from the total of eight million recalls worldwide to update the vehicle’s braking-system software [15]. In 2012, Green Tomato Cars agreed a deal with a Chinese electric car manufacturer to deploy a fleet of 50 BYD E6 pure electric vehicles. However, 2 years later in 2014, Green Tomato Cars pulled out of the deal, saying that the two companies “mutually decided that we will not pursue this venture further”. It was speculated that it was due to the lack of compatible charging stations in London at that time. [16]& [17]
Charity Affiliation
Polar Bear Initiative – Green Tomato Cars takes part in WWF’s ‘Adopt a Polar Bear’, by adopting a polar bear for every 5000 app bookings [18] Trees For Cities – Green Tomato Cars has been working with this international charity to plant almost 200 trees a year in London’s parks. They also claim that in the event of transporting a woman in labour to the hospital, they will plant and name a tree after the baby.[5]
Awards & Accreditations/Milestones
Green Tomato Cars were the first operator to be ISO 14001 certified.[9] Furthermore, they were also the first company to add electric vehicles to their fleet [19], and the first to operate the Toyota Mirai Hydrogen fuel cell powered vehicle [20] In 2007, Green Tomato Cars was awarded the Fleet of the Year Award, and in 2014, they received two 3rd place awards at the QSI Industry Awards 2014 [21] - Private Hire Company of the Year [22], and Environmental Company of the Year[22] . At the same awards event, Green Tomato Cars’ longest-serving driver, Eric Bonful was awarded Professional Driver of the Year Award for his high standard of service and for how he uses his earnings to fund a community school in his home country, Ghana.[23]Green Tomato Cars also won a Silver Environmental Award at the Professional Driver QSi Awards 2017, as a result of its innovative use of telematics and commitment to a new fleet of hydrogen-powered Toyota Mirais [24].
References
- ^ a b "Green Tomato Cars on the App Store". App Store.
{{cite web}}: no-break space character in|title=at position 29 (help) - ^ a b "Green Tomato Cars – Apps on Google Play". play.google.com.
- ^ "London's First Hydrogen-fuelled Minicabs Take To The Streets - Hydrogen London". www.hydrogenlondon.org.
- ^ a b c https://www.businessgreen.com/bg/feature/2468227/green-tomato-cars-racing-to-stay-ahead-in-a-low-emission-world
- ^ a b "Interview with Jonny Goldstone MD & Co-Founder of Green Tomato Cars". 15 January 2018.
- ^ a b "Green Tomato Cars' fleet to be 'exclusively zero emission or hybrid' by end of 2018". www.fleetnews.co.uk.
- ^ "How to crack the taxi trade? Go green - Features - LondonlovesBusiness.com". www.londonlovesbusiness.com.
- ^ "How to crack the taxi trade? Go green - Features - LondonlovesBusiness.com". www.londonlovesbusiness.com.
- ^ a b "What is ISO 14001:2015? - Environmental Management Certification - ASQ". asq.org.
- ^ "greentomatocars, VTC green à Paris, installe ses ruches solidaires ! - Transdev".
- ^ "Uber sees rivals swoop to pick the bones of its London business". londonbulletin.co.uk.
- ^ a b "Green Tomato Cars founder returns to London". 4 April 0280.
- ^ "Safety: Three ways telematics can improve safety". www.fleetnews.co.uk.
- ^ "Cordic and greentomatocars collaboration bears fruit with Apple". Cambridge Network.
- ^ "Toyota in global recall of Prius". 9 February 2010 – via news.bbc.co.uk.
- ^ Bursa, Mark. "Green Tomato Cars pulls the plug on Chinese electric taxi deal". www.prodrivermags.com.
- ^ Gibbs, Nick (17 February 2014). "Britain's largest electric taxi deal collapses" – via www.telegraph.co.uk.
- ^ "Lola in polar campaign for green taxis - Fieldmarketing".
- ^ Wallace, Tim (11 February 2014). "First fleet of electric minicabs starts work on London's streets".
- ^ "Taxi firm creates cab that only emits water and no harmful fumes".
- ^ "Home". www.prodrivermags.com.
- ^ a b Bursa, Mark. "This Years QSI Award Winners (2014)". www.prodrivermags.com.
- ^ Bursa, Mark. "Eric Bonful of Greentomato Cars is Professional Driver of the Year 2014". www.prodrivermags.com.
- ^ "QSI Awards". www.prodrivermags.com.