Cincinnati, OH – A new ride-share service in Cincinnati is changing the way people get a ride from Point A to Point B.

Oggo is a service that uses electric cars to move people around downtown Cincinnati, Newport and Covington, Kentucky.

The service launched in early November with five electric cars and 12 drivers.

  • Free ride because of in-car and out-of-car sponsors
  • Immersive in car app allows riders to check out hot spots, other items
  • Riders have no obligation to sponsors

Did we mention the ride is free?

Oggo secures deals with sponsors for both inside and outside the vehicle. The company was founded by three friends Dustin Grutza, Michael Palmer, and Joe Creighton.

The three have invested their own funds into getting the company off the ground.

It works similar to ride-sharing services Uber and Lyft, except that part we mentioned earlier – it's free. An Oggo app user hails a ride at their location, enters a destination, and waits for the driver.

The electric cars are climate controlled and have large windows for optimal viewing. The electric cars are wrapped in the sponsor's logo and another app inside the car allows for an immersive experience, if the rider desires.

“We're not trying to do stuff that's invasive or overbearing,” Palmer told Spectrum News 1.

If a ride wants to interact with the app, they may find certain hot spots around downtown or a place to grab lunch.

“By adding that extra layer we wanted to be a full service for people,” Grutza said. “They have a true concierge to show them around.”

In addition to the app, the electric car driver is knowledgable about city history, destination hotspots, and other information that may be useful to a local and certainly to a tourist.

“The pride we have in Cincinnati, we wanted Oggo to be this thing that when people came in from out of town that this is really cool and Cincinnati has it going on,” Creighton said.

Creighton's experience as a business owner allows him to understand the needs of businesses around downtown Cincinnati. Palmer knows that the ecosystem of the Oggo brand, the electric car, and the sponsors can be whatever people want it to be.

“We care about our brand,” Palmer said. “We really really care about our community.”

Eventually, riders may get incentive from sponsors in the form of coupons and admission deals to various Cincy attractions.

For now, Oggo has five electric cars and 12 drivers who operate the vehicles from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday.

Grutza, Palmer, and Creighton worked with city officials on a Cincinnati ordinance for the proper safety and operation of the vehicles. The low-speed electric cars are fully equipped with seat belts and lights and can travel on most roadways.

While the Oggo ride is free, Grutz, Palmer, and Creighton encourage tipping drivers which can be done through the Oggo app.