Few things please us more here at Springwise than seeing a good idea spread, and recently we had occasion to observe just that. Similar in many ways to RelayRides, which we covered earlier this year, DriveMyCar is bringing the P2P car-sharing concept to Australia.

DriveMyCar is an online rental marketplace that facilitates private car rentals for a weekend, a week, a month or even a year. Car owners begin by listing their car online—the fee is AUD 25 per car per year, and each listing can include up to 5 photos as well as specifying the minimum acceptable driving history for prospective renters. Those seeking to rent a car, meanwhile, can join for free and immediately begin browsing through the hundreds of options available throughout Australia. When a prospective renter books a car, the owner receives a booking notification via email and SMS; he or she can then view the driver's profile—which includes a record of their driving history—and accept or reject it. If the request is approved, DriveMyCar automatically generates a lease-out agreement. Renters pay an AUD 20 booking fee when their request is accepted, while owners are responsible for a 15 percent commission on the total rental value, which varies with the make, model and year of the car; that commission and the cost of DriveMyCar's motor fleet insurance are both included in the advertised rental price. Renters pay owners directly for use of the car, but DriveMyCar is available to intervene in cases of accidents or nonpayment. Owners can also rate drivers following the rental period; the better a driver's track record, the lower the insurance rates he or she gets charged next time.

Sellsumers have already begun looking to their other possessions as sources of income, so it makes perfect sense to see their cars included. Who will be first to establish peer-to-peer car-sharing in *your* neck of the woods? (Related: Site helps neighbours share tools & equipment — Parking operator launches car-sharing service — More ways for consumers to rent out unused space.)

Website: www.drivemycarrentals.com.au
Contact: www.drivemycarrentals.com.au/enquiries.asp

Spotted by: Jeremy Colless

Electric scooters may be increasingly popular as an emissions-free transportation option, but charging them can be a hassle. With that in mind, UK-based Econogo has come up with the Yogo, a scooter whose battery is designed to be removed for easier charging.

Most electric scooters are powered by built-in batteries. One result of that fact is that recharging them typically involves running a cable from a building to wherever the vehicle is parked and then waiting several hours for a full charge. That may work fine for those with easy access to a garage; for urbanites and apartment-dwellers, not so much. Econogo's newly launched solution: a scooter with a Lithium battery that can be simply lifted out, brought inside and charged within an hour. With a top speed of 30 miles per hour and a battery life of 22 miles, the Yogo is priced at GBP 1,999.

Econogo currently sells its scooters though its London showroom; one to partner with for scooter fans in other parts of the world? (Related: Lightweight electric bike targets urban commuters — Folding electric two-wheeler offers new take on urban cycling — Emissions-free motorcycle taxis.)

Website: www.econogoelectricscooters.co.uk
Contact: james@econogo.co.uk

Spotted by: Gemma Massey

For supercar fans, there's already écurie25. Private jet users have long had NetJets. Now high-end motorcycle aficionados have a fractional ownership club of their own through Columbus Club, based in Cannes, France.

In exchange for an annual membership fee, Columbus International's Columbus Club provides priority access to a "dream garage of exceptional motorbikes." Members need not worry about depreciation, insurance, servicing, maintenance or storage—the company takes care of all that. Rather, they simply pick a membership level and enjoy riding a variety of high-end bikes. Three membership levels cost EUR 2,000, 3,000 and 5,000 per year, respectively. In exchange, members are granted a corresponding number of credits for use on riding the bikes of their choice. A variety of models are available--all less than a year old, including the Ducati, BMW, Triumph and Hollister's brands--with daily rates ranging from EUR 195 off-season to EUR 385 during the peak of the summer. Cannes-based Columbus also offers chauffeur service to and from Nice airport, camera-equipped helmets and personal guided riding tours, among other extras.

With its focus on transumers—who would rather experience products than own them—Columbus Club's concept is one that could do well in any temperate, motorcycle-friendly part of the world. One to partner with or emulate on the scenic highways and byways near you...? (Related: Motorcycle hearses offer a (life)stylish final ride.)

Website: www.columbus-international.com/columbus-club/
Contact: discover@columbus-international.com

We've seen bicycles used to deliver a variety of products in recent months, including groceries, farm produce and laundry. The latest spotting? Organic soup, made from locally grown produce and delivered each week to subscribers.

Three soups are typically on the menu in any given week at SoupCycle. Consumers who live or work in the Portland, Ore., company's delivery area begin by checking out the selections for the following week and placing their order by midnight on Friday; rustic bread, salad and dressing are also available. With a list of subscribers in hand, SoupCycle then buys the necessary produce from local farmers. On Monday it cooks up those ingredients into delectable soup, and then on Tuesdays it begins its weekly deliveries, with a different delivery day for each area. Pricing ranges from USD 18 for a quart of soup plus bread and salad, which will serve one or two people, to USD 45 for quantities that can serve six; items can also be ordered a la carte. A USD 3 delivery charge applies for orders under USD 18; otherwise, delivery is free. Each of SoupCycle's trailers can carry some 40 soup containers, 40 bread loaves and 20 salads at once, it says.

Since SoupCycle first launched about a year and a half ago, it has delivered more than 10,000 orders of soup, spent USD 33,000 with local farmers and saved 3,000 gas-powered miles by using bicycles instead. Some 300 subscribers now enjoy its weekly deliveries. One to emulate locally for some piping-hot profits of your own...? ;-) (Related: Sustainable baked goods by weekly subscription.)

Website: www.soupcycle.com
Contact: yesplease@soupcycle.com

Spotted by: Anna Brones

Just as EUclaim and Miss Refund help travellers claim refunds that are owed to them, so Tube Refund helps consumers get compensated for the 40 or so delays that occur each week on the London Underground.

Each time a train is delayed by more than 15 minutes, riders are entitled to a full refund of a single-journey fare. Many underground commuters aren't aware of that fact, or don't want to go to the trouble of submitting a claim, which is why LB Media created a Tube Refund application for the iPhone. Priced at GBP 0.59, the app can be used to register where and when a delay occurred and how long it lasted. Tube Refund then submits that information to the London Underground website, which generates a refund voucher for the user.

Tube Refund currently supports only Oyster and Travelcards, but National Rail tickets will be included soon; so, for that matter, will Blackberry support. What consumer pain points or little-known regulations could you turn into a profitable app of your own...?

Website: www.tubeticketrefund.co.uk