Download an app. Launch it. Log in. Fill in your vehicle info and chose a time. In five minutes, you can make an appointment for on-site car washing services! And the cost can be crazy low: 1 RMB! This has attracted a lot of early adopters. And this is not only cheap compared to washing stations (15-30 yuan), but it can allow you to save a lot of time, as you don’t need to queue at the car washing station.
If you live in Beijing, you have probably noticed these blue pads around cars and an electric tricycle nearby. If you drive in Beijing and you own a car, this is definitely a must-try service!
How does it work? In accordance with the agreed time, a car wash worker driving electric tricycle will reach the agreed location. The car wash equipment is all set in the electric car: vacuum cleaner, cleaning agents, water tanks and other tools. In less than half an hour, the car will been washed perfectly. The mobile car washing stations also recycle the water and they can wash up to 10 cars with a tank of water. However, some sources report ongoing investigation to understand from where the workers take their water and where they release the used water. There is also unfair competition, as car washing stations have to pay higher prices for water (up to 160 RMB / ton) than residents (4 RMB / ton). We trust that Beijing Water Authority will quickly find a way to address this issue!
China Chain Store & Franchise Association made a research on auto after-sales market in 2014: the report says that China’s after-sales auto service industry was worth 600 billion RMB. That number could reach 1 trillion yuan by 2018. It is a huge opportunity for Online-to-Offline (O2O)apps.
Since the beginning of the second half of 2014, on-site car washing services have been flowering everywhere. However, the competition is fierce and some businesses already closed. In 2015, we can still count over 50 apps offering on-site car washing service and many WeChat numerous public accounts also offer the possibility to book car-washing appointments using the users’ GPS location.
We provide here a list of companies offering onsite car washing services – not exhaustive of course and we will be glad to add more based on the recommendations of our blog readers!
Quack washing 呱呱洗车 (GuaGuaXiChe)
Founded by a German team in September 2014, the 呱呱洗车是鸿叶软件(北京)有限公司 is one of the leading company in Beijing, being one of the most convenient and efficient onsite car washing service. Visit their website to download the app. You may need the help of a Chinese friend if you can’t read Chinese.
The staff receives high incentives, as they are required to wash 150 cars per month and receive extra money if they reach 300 cars / month: 3000 RMB basic salary doubled if they clean 300 cars!
Website: http://www.guaguaxiche.com/
Selling points:
– Dedicated cleaning towels
– Use patented and high quality imported car brushes
– Imported cleaners and car care-agents
Process: in their website, they share the following details
1) visit the agreed spot
2) check the model, the color and the plate number of the vehicle, as well as eventual crashes and breakage. The staff will upload the pictures.
3) install the sewage pad, around the car (in order to recycle the water)
4) first wash the wheels with a dedicated brush and cleaning product, then rinse
5) then wash the car body with dedicated brush and cleaning agent
6) wipe the body using a special towel, then clean the car glasses using special cleaning agent and towel
7) clean in the interior, using vacuum cleaner and dedicated towels
8) collect water (for environmental concerns as stated in the website)
Yueyangche
This Tongzhou based onsite car washing service enterprise claimed 30,000 customers last June 2015. The company started to operate in January 2015.
Website: http://yueyangche.com/
Selling points:
– most convenient (using Wechat platform)
– fastest
– most extreme: the site claims that the company offers “most extreme car wash services” and that their technicians have to undergo rigorous training and examination, following dozen of washing procedures to achieve perfect quality
– online payment (no waiting time), supporting Alipay payments
– promotional activities allowing you to get free washing services
Xiche Ganji
Available not only in Beijing. You can book from their website or using the APP.
Website: http://xiche.ganji.com/
Selling points:
– no need to queue at the washing station
– punctuality
– high quality standards
– if you need to clean the interior of the car, you need to provide the keys to the worker
– 25 tools included three imported washing agents
Xiangmabang
Website: http://xiangmabang.com/
Selling points:
– can do in depth inside car cleaning
– car body waxing
– environmental claim: 3L water per vehicle, 30% -50% than the water used for traditional car washing
– use new car towels
– can provide sewing thieves to protect your car from dust
Sources:
https://beijingtoday.com.cn/2015/08/car-washers-the-latest-biz-in-o2o-scramble/
http://www.cheyun.com/content/6613
http://m.didown.com/news/16938.html
http://epaper.ynet.com/html/2015-05/11/content_131944.htm?div=0
http://newseed.pedaily.cn/201508/201508241321223.shtml
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