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Bertrand Delanoë, mayor of Paris
Bertrand Delanoë, mayor of Paris
France to Introduce Electric Car-Sharing Program
June 26, 2008 07:57 AM
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by
Liz Colville
Paris plans to put 4,000 electric cars at 700 access points by the end of 2009. City residents can pay to use the cars on a one-time or annual basis.
30-Second Summary
Bertrand Delanoë, the Socialist mayor of Paris, announced an initiative June 24 that would allow Parisians to “pick up and drop off [electric cars] anywhere in the city,” writes the Guardian.
The plan comes less than a year after the city launched its Vélib’ bicycle-sharing program, which has proven to be very successful. Montreal recently launched its own program with sleekly designed bikes and solar-powered bike stations. Europe is at the forefront of bike-sharing programs, with dozens of cities relying on private companies like JCDecaux to initiate them.
The car program targets those who cannot afford to buy cars, such as young families, and others who want a vehicle for spur-of-the-moment travel. The model of the car has not yet been decided, but it could be a French model like Le BlueCar, which debuted its prototype in 2007.
Members of the city’s Green party are arguing that the plan will only encourage people to use cars unnecessarily, may steal citizens away from the Vélib’ bike program and risks “crowding roads and changing habits.”
The plan comes less than a year after the city launched its Vélib’ bicycle-sharing program, which has proven to be very successful. Montreal recently launched its own program with sleekly designed bikes and solar-powered bike stations. Europe is at the forefront of bike-sharing programs, with dozens of cities relying on private companies like JCDecaux to initiate them.
The car program targets those who cannot afford to buy cars, such as young families, and others who want a vehicle for spur-of-the-moment travel. The model of the car has not yet been decided, but it could be a French model like Le BlueCar, which debuted its prototype in 2007.
Members of the city’s Green party are arguing that the plan will only encourage people to use cars unnecessarily, may steal citizens away from the Vélib’ bike program and risks “crowding roads and changing habits.”
Headline Link: ‘Paris plans help-yourself green car hire’
Initially proposing to make 2,000 cars available in the area of Paris’s main ring road, Delanoë upgraded the plan to 4,000 cars and a more extensive set of access points. The Autolib cars will use a computerized system that allows passengers to plan drop-off points and have a parking space ready at their destination.
Source: The Guardian
Background: The electric car and green transport initiatives
So far, the most popular city transport initiatives in cities involve bicycles. Montreal, Washington, and dozens of European cities also have on-street bicycle rental programs. Montreal in particular was praised by incorporating other green technologies into its plan: the bike stations employ solar power to fuel antitheft and payment technology.
Source: Treehugger
Private companies have played a major role in instituting city bike programs. For example, street furniture company JCDecaux has created programs in Vienna, Austria, as well as the Spanish cities of Cordoba and Gijon. In the United States, Clear Channel Outdoors recently won a bid to start a Washington, D.C., program, with other cities to follow. The companies make money via advertising and rental costs.
Source: MSNBC
Car-sharing programs exist in many countries around the world, including Singapore, Germany and the United Kingdom. But few rely on electric or hybrid technology. According to a 2006 study available on the U.S. site CarSharing.net, the hoped-for benefits—reducing pollution and car ownership, among others—are becoming a reality, particularly in Europe, which dominates the market.
Source: CarSharing.net [PDF]
Opinion & Analysis: Bringing electric cars into the mainstream
FindingDulcinea reported on a new, California-based electric car, the Tesla, in May, and discussed the history of the electric car in the United States and plans to revive the technology after its brief, politically charged heyday in the 1990s.
Source: findingDulcinea
The model of electric car Paris will use is still up for grabs, but it could go to a native auto maker. In 2007, the blog AutoblogGreen reported on a prototype of a French electric car called Le BlueCar. It runs on lithium batteries, the technology used in cell phones, laptops, and other portable electronic items. The lightness of the battery makes the car lighter and therefore able to travel a greater range—up to 200 kilometers—and to fully recharge in six hours.
Source: AutoblogGreen
Mass use of electric cars has been slow to take off. However, an initiative in Israel involving European car maker Renault and Project Better Place, a Silicon Valley-based program, is hoping to bring subsidized electric cars to Israelis, who would buy the cars and lease mileage on a monthly basis. CNN reported May 28 on this program and several other recent developments in the electric car industry.
Source: CNN
© 2010 Dulcinea Media, Inc.
