German geek humor? – ‘chark’ stands for change the why you park.
Today, chark (sic), a Daimler pilot project of the delivery service also starts in Berlin. Drivers of Mercedes-Benz passenger cars and the V-Class of model year 2015 and newer – can use the Mercedes me connect service to have parcels or purchases delivered directly to their parked vehicle in the German capital. Chark stands for change the why you park. It makes no difference whether the car is privately owned, leased or a company car. Orders can be placed with any online shop worldwide.
The customers were satisfied with the in-car delivery service during the pilot in Stuttgart. They positively highlighted the personal convenience, the greater ease in daily life as well as the speed of the delivery. All in all, more than 1000 parcels were delivered in the greater Stuttgart area to date.
Prerequisites for using chark is the Mercedes me connect ability in vehicles as of model year 2015 and the associated app, which is available free of charge from the App Store (iOS). Another premise is that the delivery service is available in the included zip code area. The delivery area in Berlin extends from Reinickendorf over Steglitz-Zehlendorf, Köpenick to Pankow.
Chark is working on an “ecosystem of services that goes beyond parcel deliveries.” The aim is also to be able to eventually handle grocery purchases, laundry services and vehicle return as well washing. The Corporate-Start-up is working on chark together with Last-Mile Logistics Liefery.
chark is for Mercedes me connect ability in vehicles my 2015 and up with an app added.
Anyone looking to participate in chark, can apply at www.chark.app for the second pilot phase. Around 250 participants will be enabled for the beta test in Berlin by email. Other German cities will follow after Stuttgart and Berlin.
How It Works
Every participant can learn more about the delivery service via the chark app or the website www.chark.app. Online purchases are ordered and paid for directly in the respective online shop as usual. The chark service can be tested free of charge for 30 days.
- The user temporarily gives the digital vehicle key of the parked car to a service provider he/she has previously booked.
- The vehicle can only be unlocked and locked once and cannot be moved.
- If a customer wishes to have an online purchase delivered directly to the boot of the car, he or she enters the address of the chark hub as the delivery address when ordering, and his or her personal chark ID as an address supplement.
- The user can decide the time window and parking location in which the service provider is permitted to open the vehicle. As soon as the delivery service is within a range of 500 meters of the indicated parking location, it is able to locate the vehicle by GPS and unlock it once.
To ensure that the logistical partner can perform their service, the user must confirm the following points are covered:
- The vehicle must be within a 500-metre range of the indicated parking location within the agreed time window,
- The vehicle must be correctly parked and freely accessible,
- The windows and doors must be closed and locked,
- The vehicle must be in a parked condition,
- There must be good connection with mercedes me (sic) or an adequate mobile radio connection, and
- There must be no valuables, animals or persons in the vehicle.
The process is transparent, and the user is always notified when the delivery is under way. When the delivery order is completed, the user receives a delivery report including photos. All Daimler guidelines covering IT security, data protection and product liability also apply to chark.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
Daimler Tries Deliveries Directly to Parked Cars in Berlin
German geek humor? – ‘chark’ stands for change the why you park.
Today, chark (sic), a Daimler pilot project of the delivery service also starts in Berlin. Drivers of Mercedes-Benz passenger cars and the V-Class of model year 2015 and newer – can use the Mercedes me connect service to have parcels or purchases delivered directly to their parked vehicle in the German capital. Chark stands for change the why you park. It makes no difference whether the car is privately owned, leased or a company car. Orders can be placed with any online shop worldwide.
The customers were satisfied with the in-car delivery service during the pilot in Stuttgart. They positively highlighted the personal convenience, the greater ease in daily life as well as the speed of the delivery. All in all, more than 1000 parcels were delivered in the greater Stuttgart area to date.
Prerequisites for using chark is the Mercedes me connect ability in vehicles as of model year 2015 and the associated app, which is available free of charge from the App Store (iOS). Another premise is that the delivery service is available in the included zip code area. The delivery area in Berlin extends from Reinickendorf over Steglitz-Zehlendorf, Köpenick to Pankow.
Chark is working on an “ecosystem of services that goes beyond parcel deliveries.” The aim is also to be able to eventually handle grocery purchases, laundry services and vehicle return as well washing. The Corporate-Start-up is working on chark together with Last-Mile Logistics Liefery.
chark is for Mercedes me connect ability in vehicles my 2015 and up with an app added.
Anyone looking to participate in chark, can apply at www.chark.app for the second pilot phase. Around 250 participants will be enabled for the beta test in Berlin by email. Other German cities will follow after Stuttgart and Berlin.
How It Works
Every participant can learn more about the delivery service via the chark app or the website www.chark.app. Online purchases are ordered and paid for directly in the respective online shop as usual. The chark service can be tested free of charge for 30 days.
To ensure that the logistical partner can perform their service, the user must confirm the following points are covered:
The process is transparent, and the user is always notified when the delivery is under way. When the delivery order is completed, the user receives a delivery report including photos. All Daimler guidelines covering IT security, data protection and product liability also apply to chark.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.