We are excited to share that Sustainable Innovation alumnus, Other Way, have launched Climate Wheels - the first-ever UK app for calculating the full climate impact of your switch to an electric car!
South Bank Innovation are very proud to have been a part of Other Way’s business journey, that has allowed them to kickstart the UK's first carbon footprint tool for cars.
Continue reading to find out more about our collaboration with Other Way and how they are revolutionising the green car industry.
Who is Other Way?
Alexander Lewis-Jones is the mastermind behind Other Way. Alex has spent his career looking for "alternative methods" to get from point A to point B. He has a passion for both travel and the environment, believing we can improve the planet’s quality of life by making low-carbon travel options available to everyone.
With eight years of consulting experience, Alex is respected as one of Europe’s leading experts and analysts for the uptake of electric vehicles and charging infrastructure. After years of consulting on electric vehicles, he wanted to help tackle a data gap in how we understand the climate impact of transport. Existing datasets are inaccurate and don't really engage an audience. Other Way was born with the ambition of changing that.
Other Way is the first-ever calculator tool to help people understand the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), or carbon footprint, of their car. The tool offers a personal journey to understand low carbon journey and how to cut it out of transport.
Rather than using emissions factors that explain the "UK's average car", Other Way combined automotive, energy and LCA datasets to provide accurate individual carbon calculations for over 10 million cars in the UK.
How does it work?
In the Other Way app, you start by entering simple data about car model you own or want to purchase. In 30 seconds, you receive a personalised answer to "how green is my chosen electric vehicle (EV) compared to my current car?"
You also get the chance to better understand the carbon footprint of the chose vehicle into different life stages. You can store and save your current results for the future comparison.
Powered by Other Way's software, the team has made it free and accessible for anyone in the UK.
How has Other Way collaborated with our Sustainable Innovation programme?
Other Way joined South Bank Innovation’s Sustainable Innovation (SI) programme in January 2022.
We helped and supported Alex and his team go from a product idea to minimum viable product (MVP) in just six months.
Our SI team collaborated with Other Way and throughout it we:
- Consulted on what the MVP should look like and how to achieve it
- Introduced Alex to a LCA analyst who support the methodology of the research and data collection
- Created the software that the Other Way calculator uses
- Delivered a database for the backend and the user experience of the software
SI and London South Bank University (LSBU) academics worked with Other Way to keep everything on track and deliver a product that will make a difference in today’s sustainability field.
“The work Alex has put into develop this tool is sensational. His sustainability product was innovative and a first in the UK. Sustainable Innovation is proud to be a part of his journey and to have helped deliver his vision. I am excited to see Other Way grow and develop in the future”. - Frazer Levett, Acting Project Manager (SI).
What does Alex think?
[Without SBI and LSBU] “we would have built the idea, but not a working tool. We have since turned the MVP into a working tool on Other Way's website, which has so far been used by hundreds of individuals and consultants to inform the switch to electric”.
What’s next for Other Way?
Launching the app is the first step on Other Way’s journey. This was the perfect boost the business needed to show the power of accurate and engaging climate data.
Other Way’s team built Climate Wheels for drivers, but the next step is developing the app for businesses across a range of modes of transport in many more countries. Other Way aims to make the API available to subscribe to by end of 2022.
“The sooner we inform decisions around vehicles and journeys, the sooner we can bring down carbon emissions in this critical sector.” – Alex Lewis-Jones
Find out more about Other Way on their website: https://otherway.co/
Can we help you with your sustainability business?
If you need support for your sustainable business and do not know where to start, our Sustainable Innovation programme will open its final cohort 5 applications on 15 November 2022.
Do not miss the last chance to be part of SI, apply, and fast-track your business with us!
