In Lyon, the carshared will be a Car2go service with hynrid Smarts manufactured by Daimler-Benz). © DR - Click to enlarge
"The huge advantage is that future users will not have to bring back their car to their starting point. They may park in any legal, free or paid, parking lot," told AFP Gilles Vesco, vice-president of Grand Lyon in charge of travel and soft modes.
Announced April 21, 2011 to the regional daily Le Progrès by socialist mayor of Lyon, Gérard Collomb, Car2go is offered by the rental company Europcar and the manufacturer Daimler-Benz, which owns Smart.
"A website, a call center and an application for smartphones will enable the user to locate Smarts available for rent. He will be able to unlock the vehicle by scanning an electronic card, compatible by then to the use of public transport", added the mayor of Lyon.
As for Vélo'v, the system of self-service bicycles in Lyon, no need to leave the Smart where it was taken. This is a "One Way" model, and in Ulm, where the Car2go carsharing service is already in place, 90% of users do not bring back their car at the starting point. The system is also already in Hamburg, in the United States in Austin, and soon in Amsterdam.
24 and 30 cents per minute
The driver will then dial his personal code on the dashboard of the Smart car to start. He will also have a gas card inside the vehicle for refueling.
The fare of the Car2go service will be between 24 and 30 cents per minute and 15 euros an hour with first an online subscription of 29 euros.
In early April, the urban area of Nice Côte d'Azur has also launched its carsharing service of electric cars, the "Autobleue", and Paris is about to launch its "Autolib" in December 2011.
Carsharing has 25,000 followers in France, for an estimated turnover of 12.5 million euros in 2010, according to research firm Xerfi.
Nathalie Arensonas 
