Paris opts for sharing elecric cars

The Mayor of Paris has announced a doubling of the proposed number of electric cars for a service known as Autolib ‘, which will now use 4,000 vehicles against 2,000 originally planned.

The establishment of operational Autolib ‘should take place at the end of next year
The city will launch a tender for 4,000 cars 2,000 to be used in the city of Paris and 2,000 more for the suburban areas.

Like most big cities parking is a nightmare and expensive in Paris and with the ever rising cost of petrol many Parisian’s are very exited about the prospect of being able to use an electric vehicle for free.

The new car sharing system is seen as a natural progression from the free bike sharing implemented by the city last year which has proved very popular. The Mayor believes that the new four wheel version of the system will be a winner for both locals and tourists.

The 16,000 silver coloured bikes that zip around between the 1200 parking stations have proved to be a huge hit in the city with nearly 30 million rentals in its first year.

Users of the Autolib’ vehicles would be able to take an electric vehicle from one of around 700 parking spots spread throughout the city, drive it around and then drop it off at any other lot.

There are still lots of unknown factors, such as how the purchase of so many vehicles will be financed by the city, and even if any one manufacturer could cope with such a huge order. There is no indication as to cost of renting the vehicles, or just how the new system will be monitored.