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Creating a New Vehicle Model

When HOURCAR acquires a new vehicle model, IT must create this model type in the Vulog Back Office before the vehicle can be added to the fleet. This is a one-time process per model and is done infrequently, so follow these instructions carefully.

New Vehicle Creation in Back Office

1. Create Model in STAG

Path: Configuration > Vehicles and Models > Models

  1. Click Add New.
  2. Fill in the model specifications:
    • Number of seats
    • Fuel type
    • Transmission type
  3. Click Add Energy Capacity to set the tank/battery size:
    • For gasoline vehicles, convert the tank size to liters and round to the nearest full liter.
    • For electric vehicles, enter the battery capacity in kWh, rounded to the nearest full kWh.
  4. For fuel vehicles, estimate the range by multiplying the combined city/highway MPG by the tank capacity in gallons.
  5. Save the new model.

2. Upload Damage Template in STAG

Path: Configuration > Vehicles and Models > Damage Template (one tab over from Models)

  1. Set the template image using the standard damage report image from the HOURCAR media library:
    • https://hourcar.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/MODEL-NAME-Damage-Report-Image.png
  2. Label the damage areas on the template. Refer to existing templates for guidance. Common areas include:
    • Front bumper
    • Hood
    • Windshield
    • Front driver door
    • Rear driver door
    • Rear windshield / trunk
    • Rear bumper
    • Front passenger door
    • Rear passenger door
    • Roof
  3. Save the template and confirm on the popup.

3. Notify Vulog

Create a Trello card for Vulog letting them know the model has been created and the damage template has been uploaded to STAG. Include a .zip file with the required app images.

Image requirements:

  • Stock images of the model: 420 x 288 px, transparent background
  • App map pins: selected and unselected versions for each service the model will be available on
  • Use Bulk Resize Photos to resize if needed

Required .zip directory structure:

\-- mobile_resources_{brand}_{model_name}
    \-- carsharing
        \-- vehicles
            \-- {Brand and Model Name}
                \-- ca
                    \-- 4.0x
                    +-- img_general_car.png
                    +-- img_mapscreen_selectedcar.png
                    +-- img_mapscreen_unselectedcar.png
    \-- models
        \-- {Brand and Model Name}
            \-- ca
                \-- 4.0x
                    +-- model.png
                    +-- vehicle.png

4. Validate Model Images in the App

Once Vulog has deployed the images, verify they display correctly on the following screens:

  • Vehicle selection screen
  • My trips screen
  • Key screens

Also confirm that the damage report is populating correctly and transferring information to the Back Office.

5. Confirm Pricing in STAG

Test pricing using an emulator vehicle in STAG.

Hub-based (HOURCAR) testing:

  • Test an hour trip, day trip, and multi-day trip on each rate plan.
  • Emulators are not reliable for mileage but work for time-based tests. Start and end trips immediately to expedite testing.

Free-float (Evie) testing:

  • Test per-minute and per-hour rates by booking an emulator vehicle and pausing the trips.
  • For per-day or multi-day trips, set up fleet use for testing or coordinate with the Fleet Manager to take a test car for 1-3 days.

6. Repeat Configuration in PROD

Once images, the damage template, and pricing are confirmed in STAG, repeat all the above configurations in the production environment. Confirm pricing on the business account to ensure everything is correctly set up.