Electric Car Sharing Hits the Streets of Paris

Electric Car Sharing Hits the Streets of Paris:

The City of Paris has begun an electric car-sharing program modeled after the French capital’s popular bicycle rental system. Called Autolib, the program is in the trial stages, with a full roll out planned by the end of the year. The fleet of vehicles consists entirely of the Bollore Bluecar, a homely 3-door hatchback that looks very little like the futuristic concept first shown during the 2008 Paris Auto Show.

A lower price and increased longevity likely meant sacrificing some of the show car’s style for substance – or at least a pair of bulkier bumpers, something I learned was essential during five years living (and parking) in Paris. Top speed is limited to 80 miles per hour. The Bluecar’s driving range is approximately 155 miles, which compares favorably with cars like the Nissan Leaf and upcoming Mitsubishi i.

A yearly Autolib membership will cost approximately $190, with vehicle rental fees (ranging from the equivalent of $5.27 to $7.91) added for each half-hour of usage. The pricing system is meant to encourage shorter trips within the city limits. There is room for four onboard and, in case you care about such things, the company building the Bluecar is none other than famed Italian design house Pininfarina.

Most Autolib drivers will likely be more concerned with getting their Bluecar to one of 33 charging stations presently in Paris. By the end of 2012, the plan is to have 1,000 charging stations and 3,000 vehicles (up from 66 examples during the trial period). Questions remain as to whether the system might encounter the same problems experienced by Paris’ Velib bike rental system.

Bike vandalism and higher than expected maintenance charges put Velib in serious jeopardy at one point. Based on personal experience, many Velib locations were routinely empty. Or even worse, arriving at a location often meant finding all available Velib spots full of bikes, which meant pedaling to the next closest location (or the one after that!).

What happens if the Autolib recharging station/parking lot at your destination is already full? There are certainly some kinks that will need ironing out as the program looks to gain traction in the City of Lights.

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Source : Google Reader