Self-shared, the association was born

Audio 02:30

Citiz station, Place de la République in Strasbourg. CC0 / Wikimedia / Kevin B

By: Marina Mielczarek

My first is mainly rented in town and à la carte: for 1 hour, 1 day or 1 weekend. My second is ecological since it runs on electrical energy. My third is much more in Canada, Spain or Germany than in France. But my fourth should have a bright future there. Who am I ?

Publicity

The shared car! This beginning of the year saw the birth of a group, the AAA, the Association of Car Sharing Actors. This new collective of companies is targeting the municipal elections in March. Encourage mayors in a practice that reduces traffic jams and therefore, air pollution.

For an idea of ​​the differences in carsharing in Europe, take for example Spain and France. In Madrid, carsharing has become the usual rank while in Paris, the practice is still very little ... too little known! François Denis, is the co-founder of this new AAA, Association of car sharing stakeholders. He also runs the company Ubeeqo, one of the pioneers of the shared car market with races starting at 9 euros per hour rental.

" You see it's very simple, once you have downloaded the application you open it and there, depending on your position, we show you the vehicles available nearby, " explains François Denis. And to add: “ Rentals are made from one hour until unlimited time. The prices change according to the type of vehicle and decrease if you rent longer. Our goal with our new association Association of Car Sharing Actors is to publicize this new profession. We are still little known in France compared to our European neighbors and with the approach of the municipal elections, we will try to put pressure on the town halls of the big cities of France to get involved. It is in their interest because this formula is ecological. The purpose of carsharing is to unclog city centers. With car sharing, city dwellers will spend less since they will no longer need their own car. "

Convince mayors to give more car-sharing parking spaces

The personal car in town is a bit like a cigarette. The more expensive the parking price, the more we abandon it. In its latest issue, the magazine of the Federation of Transport Users demonstrates this. Regardless of the continent of the world, wherever the price of parking increases, the number of cars decreases.

And the height is that withdrawal can even be painless, as Marjorie, a 35-year-old Parisian biology teacher and driver, says.

A car in Paris, it was becoming hell ! You had to turn and turn for hours to find where to park. In addition, add insurance and checks, it is expensive. Selling my personal car was a huge relief. Today I am doing very well with public transport. I sometimes rented for a weekend or asked for my family's car. Says Marjorie.

From 163 to 167 hours of traffic jams per year, it's a whole week of waiting behind the wheel !

If the pollution argument is put forward, another interest should convince drivers: traffic jams! Over the 12 months of last year, Parisians spent an average of 167 hours in queues, or an entire week!

Renault, Peugeot, Volkswagen ... the big brands are also doing it

Because it is fast and light like a simple finger on a phone, carsharing is a trend in Europe which will be more and more ... trendy. It is therefore not a paradox, the big manufacturers like Renault, Peugeot, BMW launched on the market. All of them have their own fleet of vehicles for hire at times of their choice from their phones. Last January, Volkswagen announced its entry into the French, German and Czech market.

Car sharing or trip sharing : the collaborative economy

Produce less and share rather than always adding more vehicles. It is on this concept that was born this new economy called collaborative economy. Rent or share as needed to reduce pollution.
Fabien Tahon founder of Bla bla lines, a service for shared journeys between home and work:

Today in France, 16 million people go to work every morning with their car. On average, they are often only one driver per trip. We are in the movement of sharing, but by distinguishing ourselves from the rental of carsharing. Unlike carsharing companies such as Citiz or Ubeeqo which offer rentals according to a specific need, we, BlaBla Lines, offer sharing of short trips : home, work. But the strategy remains the same, reduce the number of cars. The benefits are ecological and sociological. Everyday links are created between people who would never have met in life ! "

Paris promises 1,200 places available

In Paris, however, things are moving. For 2020, the town hall has just announced the sixfold increase in places reserved for shared cars on the streets of the capital. From 200, the municipality would increase to 1,200. For the moment, most of the park remains in underground parking so probably not visible enough to arouse desires.

A still confidential urban market

Among other constraints, the lack of places to park your vehicle after your race. But also the sizes of the cars which some still find too small (despite a clear improvement in the offer). As a result, many car-sharing customers end up choosing more flexible transport such as electric scooters or bicycles when the cycle paths are fitted out.

A brake in the heads

But one of the most important brakes is even more invisible, of the order of feeling. For some drivers, leasing piecemeal seems more expensive than buying a used car. However, all studies show that between insurance, cleaning, fuel, mechanical maintenance and parking, one-off rentals are more economical.

An urban and educated clientele and perhaps soon without a license

86% of carsharing users today live in cities. Only 4% live in the countryside. But the future of carsharing could revolutionize and appeal to young people who no longer need to pay for the permit. If the arrival of autonomous vehicles occurs in downtown areas, the younger generations could find a good way to combine two of their major concerns, the eradication of the price of the permit and the preservation of the environment.

Ten times more cars shared by 2025

Pending vehicle autonomy, public transport studies predict a good prospect for car sharing. At the Association of Car Sharing Actors, the most optimistic even speak of a multiplication by 10 in France, the number of rental requests by 2025.

Newsletter With the Daily Newsletter, find the headlines directly in your mailbox

subscribe

Download the app

google-play-badge_FR

  • France
  • Transport
  • Economy