On October 1st 2014, a new public car sharing scheme, using solely compact electric vehicles (EVs), will get under-way in Grenoble, France.
The three year trial project, called “Citélib by Ha:Mo”, will be supported by Japanese car manufacturer Toyota, who are contributing 70 i-Road and COMS ultra-compact personal mobility electric vehicles (EVs) to the city.
Run in partnership with Cité lib, the local car-sharing operator, the EV project hopes to follow in the footsteps of similar successful systems run in Tokoyo City, Japan.
From 1 October, anyone 18 or older who holds a valid driving licence can register with Cité lib to gain access to the Toyota EVs. Once subscribed, they can download an application on their smartphone, tablet or computer to see the real-time location of charged vehicles, ready-to-use.
People will be able to pick up their EV and drop it off at any of the 27 charging stations, installed by SODETREL, in the greater Grenoble area. When the electric vehicle is finished with, it is plugged into the charging point to be recharged for the next customer.
The i-Road is most interesting and innovative of the two EVs Toyota has supplied. It uses a clever Active Lean technology that steers in a similar way to the movements of a skier. It has the manoeuvrability of a scooter or small motorbike, whilst providing the comfort of a car.
The service will be modestly priced, with citizens paying no more thana few euros to use the EVs. What’s more, customers can make further savings by subscribing to annual membership.
Takeshi Uchiyamada, Chairman of Toyota Motor Corporation, said: “This project came to fruition because all of its partners have the same aspiration — to be a part of creating a future urban mobility.
“Urban mobility solutions will be a key growth area for Toyota in the future. We are very excited to be working alongside the people of Grenoble in solving urban traffic problems,”
During the trial, the project’s partners will gather data on technical issues and user behaviour to help shape future mobility initiatives.
Toyota
