Staff Report
Continuing updates on the global car wash industry:
German car wash provides an immersive tourism journey
Strict regulations in Germany prohibit washing cars at home to protect rivers from runoff, which sends many residents to car washes to keep their vehicles clean.
Destination BC – a provincially-funded Crown corporation that promotes tourism in British Columbia – has launched “The Great Wilderness Car Wash” in Hamburg.
Working with production company Unit9, the activation transformed a car wash into an immersive journey through the Northern BC wilderness, combining precision engineering with advanced sensory technology, including 3D projections and high-definition visuals.
Inside the car wash, 3D renderings and high-definition imagery bring BC’s outdoor beauty to life, drawing in elements of Indigenous cultural symbols and stories. Kinetic projection screens replicate the lighting effect of the Northern Lights on the windshield, while rotary brushes, designed to mimic towering evergreens, moved in harmony with landscape visuals.
A rainforest-inspired downpour rinsed the car, mirroring the intensity of BC’s iconic storms, then vehicles are dried in a volcanic wind area made to look and feel like a desert.
Kärcher International wins sustainability award
Kärcher International, a family-owned global leader in cleaning technology, has been awarded the German Sustainability Award for 2025.
The jury honored the company as a “pioneer and role model in the German economy” and selected its sustainable solutions as the winner twice in the two award categories “Household Appliances” and “Mechanical Engineering.”
This is the second time that the cleaning specialist from Winnenden has received the award.
Kärcher has defined measurable goals in its sustainability strategy and is implementing them in the three initiatives “Zero Emissions,” “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” and “Social Hero.” The Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) recently confirmed that the targets set by Kärcher help to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius and thus correspond to the Paris Climate Agreement.
Car washes for buses in India
The Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has introduced an automatic car wash system for cleaning buses.
The first automatic bus washing unit is now operational on a trial basis at the Pappanamcode depot in Thiruvananthapuram, a city in Kerala, India.
The new automated system is designed to clean buses in just three minutes. However, it only washes the sides of the bus, with the front, back, and interior still requiring manual cleaning by bus employees.
The system consists of water-spraying nozzles and polythene brushes attached to two poles that move parallel to both sides of the bus. The poles move from the front to the rear of the bus. The bus is washed after moving through the system twice.
New tech debuts in Saskatoon car wash
A new car wash featuring more environmentally friendly cleaning options recently opened in Saskatoon, the largest city in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan.
The owner of the Orange Car Wash says the technology used inside his touchless auto car wash – which features oscillating nozzles – is the first of its kind in the province. The wash also utilizes about 43 gallons of water per vehicle.
The wash recycles much of its water and utilizes biodegradable products.
Repsol Klin launches an innovative subscription model in Spain
Repsol revolutionizes the car wash market in Spain with a new subscription service for its customers. Repsol Klin, one of Europe’s largest car wash networks, is launching an innovative subscription model in Spain.
Subscribers will be able to wash and vacuum their vehicles daily at any Repsol Klin network location for €7.95 per month. In addition, depending on the Energy Plans they have contracted, they will receive a balance of up to 10% additional savings.
Repsol Klin has completely digitalized the washing process through Waylet, Repsol’s free payment and loyalty application, which has more than 8 million registered users. Customers can activate washing equipment directly from Waylet, without the need to use tokens, coins or go to the cash register.
Repsol currently has more than 350 service stations in Spain with this new model of car wash areas and has set itself the target of ending the year with more than 450.
