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Category: shared mobility

do cars still belong in the city?

Posted on by Sébastien Besançon
LEVEL UP

do cars still belong in the city?

Fueled by climate concerns, cities are undergoing a transformation. And, quite frankly, cars don’t always seem to fit into the equation. This is primarily due to decarbonisation goals, which make internal combustion engines incompatible with European ambitions. Also, the surge in sustainable mobility options means there’s a need for a redistribution of traffic space among various modes of transportation. So, how can we find a new role for the car? The answer in three steps…

  • electric vehicle
  • shared mobility

★ ☆ ☆
scrapping the most polluting vehicles

The issue with cars primarily revolves around greenhouse gas emissions, which contribute to climate change, and the release of fine particles, which the World Health Organization associates with respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. So, it’s the type of engines that needs to be addressed rather than the vehicles themselves. Implementing ‘Zones à faible émission‘ (LEZ) in France, ‘Low Emission Zones’ in the UK, or ‘Zona a Traffico Limitato‘ (ZTL) in Italy has proven to be an effective regulatory response. By excluding the most polluting vehicles, city centers can breathe easier. In historic city centers where cars often struggle to navigate, multimodal solutions offer alternatives like biking, walking, or using small electric vehicles in place of cars. For instance, in 2007, banning cars from the city center of Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, led to a remarkable 70% reduction in carbon emissions1 and restored the pleasure of leisurely strolls through its charming streets. In this context, every initiative is worth exploring, and cities should remain open testbeds for experimenting with innovative mobility solutions.

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encouraging urban space sharing

Cars need to adapt to sharing the road with other modes of transportation like public transit and bicycles. As a result, cars are becoming more tailored to specific uses. The key is to foster harmonious sharing of space while keeping in mind the unique characteristics of each city. For example, a hilly city like Zurich can hardly be compared to Amsterdam. Implemented in countries like Switzerland, Belgium, France, Luxembourg, and Austria, the concept of a ‘zone de rencontre‘ (meeting zone) reconciles all modes of transport by sharing the road at a limited speed for vehicles. Other systems, like ‘zones 30‘, operate on the same principle of calm driving to promote coexistence among all urban space users. Another approach is the ‘vélorue‘ (bike street), which prioritises cyclists, and is particularly popular in countries such as Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Denmark. Lastly, space sharing can also be temporal, depending on the time of day (morning deliveries, public transit during rush hours, vehicles the rest of the time) or the season (cars in winter, pedestrians in summer). The key is to share equitably.

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adapting cars to the new urban landscape

While cities aim to move away from a ‘car-centric’ approach, automobiles are also taking steps to adapt to urban life.

First and foremost, they are becoming more environmentally friendly. In this regard, the rapid electrification of the automotive fleet is leading the way. According to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association2, electric vehicles accounted for 21.6% of registrations in the EU in 2022, compared to 10.5% in 2020.

They are also being shared more through car-sharing programs, for which an increasing number of cities are offering dedicated spaces.

Moreover, they offer greater flexibility. Short-term rental systems, allowing you to match the size and use of the vehicle to your immediate needs, promote more efficient resource utilisation.

Lastly, they are becoming increasingly connected. Analysing data transmitted by vehicles helps in monitoring traffic conditions, congestion zones, and parking spaces. This integration enables cars to navigate traffic with greater ease and serenity.

For all these reasons, automobiles have their place in the city, just like other modes of transportation. Both are undergoing profound transformations to ensure that no one is left by the wayside. Mobilize, a Renault Group brand, is actively engaged in this journey, offering a comprehensive ecosystem of solutions for achieving carbon-neutral mobility.

1 https://www.eltis.org/
2 https://www.acea.auto/

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Too densely populated, too hot and too polluted. The cities of today are no longer aligned with current social and environmental issues.

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2040: What if driving were more affordable?

Posted on by Sébastien Besançon
WHAT IF…

2040: What if driving were more affordable?

The prospect of a more affordable car seems counterintuitive. In 2022, fuel prices hit record highs, sparking protests in over 90 countries1. The prices of both new and used vehicles are also soaring. Regulators, in their efforts to reduce automotive emissions, are rolling out various measures, from urban or road tolls to environmental taxes and low-emission zones. These measures can all lead to increased usage costs, and cars already represent the third-largest2 expense for households in Europe. When you add rising parking fees and maintenance costs to the equation, it could result in cars becoming too expensive for a significant portion of the population, a luxury for a privileged few.

  • electric vehicle
  • shared mobility

Nevertheless, several signs suggest a more optimistic outlook. With a shift towards prioritising usage over ownership, the rise of new sharing models, and ongoing improvements in electric vehicle efficiency, there’s potential for the automobile to reinvent itself as a more cost-effective option..

indicator #1 – Insurance adapts to vehicle usage

The way we use cars is changing. It’s becoming less routine, more shared, and integrated into multi-modal systems, diverging from the traditional one-size-fits-all insurance policies. In this context, mileage-based insurance, known as ‘pay as you drive’ (PAYD), is ushering in a small revolution. It tailors insurance to actual vehicle usage. Additionally, ‘pay how you drive’ (PHYD) insurance is emerging, adjusting premiums based on driving behavior to reward cautious drivers.

In collaboration with Accenture, Mobilize Insurance embraces this approach and provides solutions tailored to the intricacies of today’s mobility landscape.

indicator #2 – Electric mobility goes mainstream

Today, electrification presents a two-sided coin for motorists’ wallets. Electric vehicles come with a significantly higher upfront cost (over 20%3 more in the United States), but electric charging is more economical than filling up with petrol, especially when you have access to it at home or at your workplace. According to France Stratégie4, the savings in operating costs amount to €1,200 per year for an electric car, making it profitable within six years, factoring in current incentives in France.

Meanwhile, manufacturers are investing heavily in innovation to reduce the production cost of electric vehicles. This is a key objective for Renault Group through its subsidiary, Ampère. By optimising software architecture integration, reducing parts diversity, and achieving a production time of under 10 hours per vehicle, the Group aims to slash the cost per vehicle by 40%!

mobilite-democratise

indicator #3: Car sharing and cost sharing

According to McKinsey, the European car-sharing market could be worth between 4 and 5 billion euros by 2030. Based on ADEME5 data, France currently has 12,000 active car-sharing vehicles and 300,000 regular users. Additionally, carpooling accounts for 4% of daily commutes. This trend offers numerous advantages: it promotes more efficient use of vehicles that often sit idle, reduces the automotive industry’s land footprint amid ‘Zero Net Artificialisation’6 goals, and substantially cuts emissions from the sector while trimming individual travel costs. Today, this is embodied in services like Zity by Mobilize or Mobilize Share, which simplify car sharing (among individuals or in businesses) and offer quick vehicle rentals.

micro-voitures

indicator #4 – The rise (finally) of microcars?

In the midst of the ongoing debate regarding vehicle size, a trend towards microcars might be on the horizon to cater to specific needs. While often seen as novelties (one can’t help but think of Paul Arzen’s famous “egg”), microcars could soon become a familiar sight in our urban environments. Electric, lightweight, eco-friendly, and purpose-built for city life, these minuscule automobiles also offer the advantage of affordability.

A survey7 conducted by McKinsey reveals that a majority of individuals interested in ‘minimobility’ have moderate to low incomes. In this context, the Mobilize Duo and Bento micro-vehicles, designed for passengers and small cargo transportation respectively, are poised to make a splash. Set to launch in 2024, they occupy just one-third of a parking space, have access to low emission zones (ZFE)8, are made with 50% recycled materials, and are available through subscription!

indicator #5 – More than just a car

Electric vehicles may soon transcend their traditional role as mere transportation. With the advancement of Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) technologies, they will serve as supplementary batteries for the grid. Behind the V2G acronym lies a promising technology. Through bidirectional charging, vehicles will recharge when electricity is inexpensive and demand is low. Conversely, during peak demand periods, cars can inject unused energy back into the grid, contributing to grid stability. This presents an opportunity to generate extra income by selling this surplus electricity to grid operators.

While we anticipate the launch of V2G on upcoming Renault E-Tech models, the Mobilize Smart Charge app already empowers you to manage your vehicle’s charging, starting it when electricity is cheapest and stopping it when prices rise!

1 https://www.bbc.com/
2 https://ec.europa.eu/
3 https://www.nytimes.com/
4 https://www.strategie.gouv.fr/
5 https://presse.ademe.fr/
6 https://www.strategie.gouv.fr/
7 https://www.mckinsey.com/
8 https://www.ecologie.gouv.fr/

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are NFTs the future of used cars?

Posted on by Sébastien Besançon
REALITY CHECK

are NFT the future of used cars?

Don’t you just love to hate NFTs? Even the name “non-fungible token” seems to have been invented just to confuse you. So what is this technology doing in the used-car market? Well, it’s being used to guarantee what up until now was a major barrier in this market: trust.

  • connectivity
  • shared mobility

what is an NFT?

To understand what an NFT is, first you have to understand the blockchain – which is an internet network on which data is exchanged and archived in a decentralised way, so basically, without a middleman. It’s the user who guarantees the data distribution and verification. NFTs (non-fungible tokens) are cryptographic assets, such as an image, a contract or an original creation, which are stored on the blockchain. So basically anything that can be digitised can be an NFT. An NFT can be compared to a work of art: it can be passed on or copied, but remains resolutely unique and indivisible – or “non-fungible,” in economic terms. Each NFT is therefore given an identifier which guarantees its authenticity and ownership, which cannot be counterfeited. As such, the ownership certificate and maintenance log that follow a vehicle throughout its life are data like any other. So it was only to be expected that the car industry and NFTs would someday join forces.

why would a decentralised system be more secure than any other type?

The advantage of a centralised system is that it always converges towards an entity that ensures its proper functioning. For example, for a computer network, all workstations link to the same central server. Although it’s easier to manage, if there’s a breakdown or hacking, the entire network goes down. A decentralised system avoids such risk. If one part of the network malfunctions, it doesn’t prevent the rest of the network from functioning properly. However, this is not enough to guarantee that information cannot be falsified. The blockchain has a solution for this. It’s often compared to a ledger shared by its users: everyone can write in it and check what is written, but no one can decide to change or delete information unilaterally. This kind of system is based on data transparency, i.e. all users have free access. It’s quite easy to understand what advantages the used-car market, which is looking for traceability, can get from this feature. This shared accessibility coupled with data interconnection is what ensures greater integrity in a decentralised system.

why buy a car NFT?

First of all, an NFT is a piece of data. It’s not necessarily something that can be bought. A car NFT therefore concerns information relating to a vehicle. In fact, it’s similar to a sort of digital maintenance log which records directly on the blockchain the various transactions implemented throughout its life, such as its mileage, repairs with new spare parts, car services or tyre changes. Any maintenance performed is automatically added to its associated NFT and cannot be altered, thus giving buyers, garages and insurers a complete history of the car. This obviously changes a lot of things, especially for the used car market. Odometer fraud (or mileage clocking) and modifying any repair work has now become impossible. At the time of resale, the car NFT offers added value for the seller and traceability of repairs for the buyer.

is it really impossible to cheat with this system?

Yes, once the information has been entered into the NFT, it is impossible to defraud it. The risk of deliberately withholding information is all the rarer now that the handling of accidents and breakdowns is highly digitised, so we can legitimately conclude that the NFT is secure.

is the tech already gaining ground in the industry?

The first vehicles with an NFT digital certificate have already been released on the market, available in a rather high-end positioning whereby the NFT strengthens the models’ unique character. The vehicles marketed today will therefore have this original guarantee which will follow them throughout their existence. For now, NFTs are mainly put forward as a selling point to attract drivers who are early adopters of digital tech. But a market is undeniably emerging. It’s not really surprising when you realise just how connected vehicles are to the digital world today. In the future, vehicles will undoubtedly no longer be released on the market without a certificate.

how else are NFTs being used?

NFT couldn’t stop there. Related initiatives are now being developed in the world of cars. For example, Renault launched a blockchain-based experience to celebrate the 50th anniversary of its iconic R5. On top of that, the carmakers launched its Racing Shoe5, a range of sneakers whose design is inspired by the legendary Renault 5 Turbo, available to buy from the brand’s first virtual, immersive store. Buyers are assigned a digital collectible, an artistic representation of their shoes in the form of an NFT, which also contains all the information related to the product, such as to prove their authenticity, the materials used, their origin and the date of purchase. This exclusive ownership deed can then be used to collect the sneakers “in real life.” This is a successful example of the real and the virtual combining together, which proves that the use of NFTs is not reserved for insiders only, but can have many applications in our daily lives. It goes to show that the only thing probably limiting this expanding market is our own imaginations.

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car-share: a promising new form of mobility

Posted on by teqsup
HIGHLIGHTS

car-share: a promising new form of mobility

When it comes to mobility, particularly in urban areas, alternatives to the private car are multiplying. These new forms of mobility are often seen as a way of freeing ourselves from car ownership and its attendant constraints. 

  • electric vehicle
  • shared mobility

car sharing has many faces

Car sharing provides users with vehicles on a self-service basis, 24/7 for the duration and destination of their choice. There are several types of car sharing. 

Closed-loop : the vehicle is returned to the departure station or even to a dealership, as is the case with the Mobilize Share service.  

Direct trace : the vehicle is returned to a station that may be different from the one from which it left.  

These two types of car sharing require prior reservation. 

Free-floating : the vehicle is parked on the street. It can be borrowed without reservation and returned to any on-street parking space within the geographical area covered by the service operator. The customer geolocates the vehicle using a dedicated smartphone application. Free-floating car-sharing is particularly suited to large cities. Zity by Mobilize is an example of free-floating car-sharing in Madrid, Lyon and Milan. 

In addition to these three forms of car-sharing, there is also car-sharing between private individuals, often facilitated by a car-sharing platform. 

car sharing and shared mobility meet their target audience

Car sharing is a growth sector, despite a pause in growth in 2020 and 2021 at the time of the health crisis, despite systematic measures to disinfect vehicles. There are around 50,000 shared vehicles in Europe, mainly in 5 countries, including 18,500 in Germany and 12,000 in France.

Of course, if you add in self-service scooters and bicycles, the figures explode. There are almost 400,000 shared mobility devices in Europe, more than half of which are scooters. Berlin and Paris have the highest volume, with a density of around 100 shared ‘vehicles’ per 10,000 inhabitants. Oslo, however, takes the prize for density, with 400 shared cars, bikes or scooters per 10,000 inhabitants.

car sharing, car hire, car-pooling… the differences are clear

Traditional car hire is based on handing over the keys to the car via an agency. Car sharing, on the other hand, makes the vehicle available on a self-service basis. This makes it particularly flexible. The car sharing service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for journeys lasting from a few minutes to several days. Mobilize Share is an example of a service that is positioned both in traditional car rental, thanks to the density of the Renault network’s geographical coverage, which offers a large number of pick-up and drop-off points, and in closed-loop car sharing. 

Car pooling, on the other hand, resembles private car sharing, with the difference that the owner of the car and the “car pooler” make the same journey and that the owner of the vehicle drives. Carpooling is organised directly between private individuals or via a platform. It can be used for daily commuter journeys or longer exceptional journeys. Carpooling is a real success thanks to its economical nature. The passenger’s financial contribution is a participation in the costs of using and maintaining the vehicle. In France, it is now estimated that the number of carpooling journeys will increase more than 3-fold between 2022 and 2023, representing almost 0.9% of car journeys. 

car sharing, for who and what?

An Ademe survey dating from 2022 in France shows that closed-loop car sharing is the most widespread, both in terms of the number of operators and territorial coverage. On average, it concerns journeys of less than 5 hours and less than 50 kilometres. For free-floating car sharing, rentals are shorter, averaging less than 1 hour and less than 20 kilometres. But what really differs are the usages. Closed-loop car sharing is used for non-constrained or even recreational purposes, whereas free-floating car sharing is more often used for everyday journeys. In both cases, these journeys are mainly made within the city of residence. 

Another interesting fact is that the use of car sharing within a household coincides for almost 70% with the abandonment of car ownership, otherwise known as ‘demotorisation’. Today, only 26% of ‘car-sharers’ own a car. As a result, they are more inclined to use public transport and soft mobility than the average population. Is demotorisation the consequence of car sharing, or is car sharing the consequence of demotorisation? One thing is certain: the most emblematic car sharing customer resides in a city that offers nearby centres of interest that are relatively close to each other and to homes, that provides practical alternatives to the car, such as public transport or cycle paths, and that even discourages the use of certain vehicles by restricting traffic, reducing parking facilities, etc. 

However, car sharing is just as likely to apply to users outside built-up areas, thanks in particular to the private use of fleets of business vehicles, as well as the availability of vehicles at shop exits… Many possibilities are already being explored and are only waiting to be developed. 

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CHECK POINT

urban mobility: more multimodality and less car use?

Urbanisation is a fundamental trend that no region of the world seems to be escaping. Synonymous with development, it also brings with it its share of problems, in terms of environmental health, quality of life, mobility… On this last point, could the private car be its own worst enemy?

  • electric vehicle
  • shared mobility
  • transport on demand

modes of transport at the heart of urban mobility

As its name suggests, urban mobility covers all forms of mobility in urban areas, both within the city itself and in the inner and outer suburbs. It therefore covers a wide range of situations, whether in the town centre, the outskirts or the peri-urban areas. The conurbation extends in concentric circles: the wider the perimeter, the lower the density of population and infrastructure.

New territorial structures are developing, giving rise to new mobility needs and therefore new means of transport. While the private car remains synonymous with mobility, it is not the only solution for meeting the economic, societal and cultural needs of an increasingly diverse population.

urbanisation, its opportunities and challenges

Since the 1980s, the number and size of cities around the world have grown. Increasingly populated, the largest cities concentrate economic, political and cultural assets. The movement of people, financial exchanges and information flows are facilitated within the conurbation, but also between each of them. Some metropolises, such as New York, London, Tokyo and Paris, have global influence. We are even seeing the emergence of true megacities, vast urbanised regions that link the major cities together.

Today, 56% of the world’s population lives in cities, and cities generate more than 80% of the world’s Gross Domestic Product. This proportion is growing steadily. Studies predict that the number of city-dwellers will double by 2050. In that time, almost 7 out of every 10 people in the world will be living in an urban environment.

The power of cities to attract people is immense, but that doesn’t mean the problems associated with them should be forgotten: air pollution, recurring heatwaves, lack of security, etc. For local residents, the challenges of urbanisation also extend to the most basic quality of life, given the potentially numerous nuisances caused by population density. To deal with this, decision-makers and citizens are working to rethink the city in depth.

a single megacity for a variety of mobility needs

Within a large city, lifestyles differ greatly depending on whether you live in the centre or on the outskirts. To take the example of the Île-de-France megalopolis (Paris region, France), journeys involving Paris intra-muros – whether to the point of departure, the point of arrival or both – represent 30% of journeys in the region, but account for only 10% of car journeys in the region. The modal share of the car is therefore 3 times lower than in the rest of the megalopolis. This trend is confirmed by an analysis of car ownership. In Paris itself, 60% of households do not own a car; in the inner suburbs, 24% do not; and in the outer suburbs, only 9% do.

City centres benefit from a density of infrastructure that is particularly practical for everyday use. The distances between each point of interest are therefore relatively short. Add to this the fact that these areas are well served by public transport, and it’s easy to see why city dwellers have little need to use the car for journeys into the city centre. What’s more, with the proliferation of traffic restrictions, notably the Low Emission Zones, the private car – especially the internal combustion engine – is no longer welcome.

However, this disaffection with the private car needs to be put into perspective. In Europe, town centres are tending to lose their population, with more and more of them being used for recreational, cultural or tourist purposes, and less and less for traditional, long-term residential purposes. With a current population of 2.1 million, Paris has lost almost 123,000 inhabitants in 10 years. The majority of Parisians who leave the capital settle in the Île-de-France region, first in the inner suburbs and then in the outer suburbs. In absolute terms, the number of people affected by the absence of a private car decreases as the number of people affected by the use of a private car increases.

urban mobility and car share

As mobility needs vary greatly, so do mobility solutions. Cities are innovating and becoming real mobility laboratories. One of the new forms of urban mobility to emerge is undoubtedly car-sharing, in particular car-sharing with no pick-up or drop-off points, i.e. free-floating car-sharing.

Carsharing’s playground coincides with the demotorisation of city centres, where people are less and less inclined to own a car. These places have several characteristics. Firstly, the density of shops and services, which means that people do not have a crucial need for a car on a daily basis ; but also the density of facilities, which makes it easier to access the shared car, whether on foot, by bike or by public transport. Car-sharing-friendly demotorisation sites also offer a variety of alternatives to the private car, particularly for commuting, thanks to the public transport network and/or the network of cycle paths. Finally, these are also places where finding parking is a real challenge. The lack of easy, affordable parking close to home or destination is likely to discourage car ownership and encourage new forms of urban mobility such as car-sharing.

And when you don’t want to drive yourself, whether to catch a train or get home from a party, a taxi or chauffeur-driven car is another alternative to the private car. Car-sharing, public transport, walking, cycling and other forms of soft mobility… the solutions are varied and easily accessible to city dwellers.

the suburban and modes of transport to be reinvented

While owning a private car remains essential the further you are from the city centre, alternatives are emerging that are helping to reduce the number of vehicles in multi-motorised households, in suburban areas as well as in small towns and rural areas. These include short-term car hire, the use of pools of service cars for private needs, car-sharing between private individuals and car-pooling. But that’s not all.

In response to motorists’ concerns about the day-to-day management, maintenance and resale of their vehicles, it is now possible to opt for a different approach, one that favours use over ownership: Vehicle-as-a-Service (VaaS). This approach is virtuous from the point of view of optimising resources, since it is based on the circular economy. It’s also easy to live with and in tune with the times: everyone benefits from a vehicle and a range of associated services, according to their needs at the time and with no commitment. It’s a new approach to motoring that goes beyond the car itself.

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Posted on by Sébastien Besançon
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how the electric car is keeping pace with new forms of mobility

Buy a car, enjoy it and maintain it for a few years, then change it? Objectively speaking, the traditional pattern of car ownership is not always the most attractive for the user. Not to mention the fact that it has a negative impact on natural resources. Car-sharing, on-demand transport, car-pooling… Solutions are emerging that are based on the “car” object, while going beyond the model of the individual car. To minimise running costs and environmental impact, the new forms of mobility are mainly electric.

  • electric vehicle
  • energy transition
  • shared mobility
  • transport on demand

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the electric vehicle, an ally of car-sharing, short-term car hire and chauffeur-driven cars

Experiencing car-sharing often means discovering the advantages of electric mobility, given the over-representation of 100% electric vehicles in the car-sharing fleet. Whether it’s free-floating car-sharing, which is mainly found in large cities because the roads are so dense there, or car-sharing with pick-up and drop-off stations that can be likened to short-term hire accessible via a smartphone, car-sharing offers give pride of place to electric mobility. Mobilize is deploying a range of new mobility solutions, from car-sharing to short-term car hire, thanks to its Zity by Mobilize and Mobilize Share offers. Did you know that a vehicle remains parked on average 95% of the time, a quarter of which corresponds to parking outside the home? Electric car-sharing makes the most of these periods of immobility, because every time you park is potentially an opportunity to recharge your vehicle.

The chauffeur-driven car sector is also booming. It is expected to almost double in Europe over the next 10 years. Taxis and chauffeur-driven cars are particularly well represented in major conurbations. As a complement to urban public transport, they meet occasional needs for flexible, safe and comfortable transport. Companies in the sector, as well as self-employed drivers, are attracted by electric vehicles, in particular for reasons of low running costs. But also because an electric car can be used in city centres and Low Emission Zones (LEZ) reserved for the least polluting vehicles. A definite competitive advantage!

★ ★ ☆
electric mobility at the heart of the Mobility as a Service (MaaS) model

Watch any film or series at any time? Listen to an album or playlist under any circumstances? Stay informed via different channels depending on the time of day or week? Choose your meal and have it delivered within the hour? In many areas, everyone is gradually getting used to consuming everything on demand. Why should mobility be any different? Technological innovations, based on connectivity in general and the use of smartphones in particular, are opening up a whole new world of possibilities.

The traditional model of owning a private car can be seen as constraining, as it is associated with problems of maintenance, insurance, parking, etc. The freedom you feel at the wheel of your car could be overshadowed by the mental and financial burden you have to bear. Mobilize, the Renault Group brand dedicated to new forms of mobility, responds to this problem. The car – of course 100% electric – is designed as the central element of the offering, without purchase being the only means of acquisition. The Mobilize Duo micro-city car will be an example of this from 2024. Above all, the car is inseparable from a whole range of complementary services, including insurance, maintenance and vehicle charging. The package is marketed in the form of a subscription and can be adapted as the user’s needs change, for maximum flexibility.

★ ★ ★
the electric car, the symbol of clean motoring

The electric vehicle is therefore best suited to the new forms of mobility, which replace the notion of car ownership with the notion of car use. It is no longer a question of drawing on natural resources to manufacture a product, consuming that product and then throwing it away, according to the traditional model of the linear economy. This is where the principle of the circular economy comes into its own. The same vehicle is used by several people, and studies show that a car-sharing scheme replaces 5 to 8 private cars.

Electro-mobility is also closely linked to ecomobility. Despite the environmental impact of battery production, an electric car driven in Europe emits almost 3 times less greenhouse gases than an equivalent internal combustion vehicle throughout its life cycle. So, electric mobility is a significant lever in the fight against global warming.

With zero emissions on the move, excluding wear parts, the electric car emits no CO2… and its engine emits no pollutants either! This advantage is particularly valuable in cities, where traffic density and population density overlap. Modelling shows that electrifying 20% of the vehicle fleet in city centres reduces the concentration of volatile compounds by 45% and fine particles by 25%. The electric vehicle therefore has a role to play in both environmental and public health terms, particularly in terms of urban mobility.

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REBOOT

from green mobility to sustainable transport, solutions are emerging

Green mobility is increasingly establishing itself as a credible alternative to the private car. But is it as simple, flexible and synonymous with freedom as its rival? A whole range of green mobility options are emerging to cover as many uses as possible. There are several ways of reducing the environmental impact of our journeys.

  • energy transition
  • shared mobility
  • transport on demand

green mobility: a growing family

Originally, the definition of green mobility was simple. It encompassed all forms of non-motorised mobility, i.e. modes of travel that depend on physical activity. It was then broadened to include all forms of mobility that are alternatives to the private car.

Green mobility therefore includes active forms of mobility such as walking and cycling. It also includes innovations stemming from electric mobility, such as battery-powered bicycles, electric scooters, unicycles and hoverboards. In these cases, the driving energy is not provided solely, if at all, by physical effort. Today, new forms of mobility of sustainable transport such as car-sharing and car-pooling are also part of green mobility.

What do they have in common? Compared with the private car or thermal public transport, they reduce greenhouse gas emissions and pollutants when driving… as well as noise and odour pollution. Green mobility and sustainable mobility, also called “eco-mobility” are one and the same. Not to mention the fact that active mobility is also good for your health, helping to rebalance a lifestyle that is often sedentary.

sustainable transport and short journeys: the ideal marriage

Less pollution and less noise. It’s everything city dwellers can dream of, especially in city centres and narrow streets that are rapidly becoming congested with car traffic. Sustainable transport, whether active or electric, is ideal for covering short distances. The city is therefore their most obvious playground. City dwellers use green mobility mainly for journeys of less than 2 kilometres. They make it possible to get from A to B more efficiently than by car, because they avoid many of the problems of traffic jams and parking.

Beyond this short average distance, the public transport network in the city is efficient enough for you to opt for the bus, metro or tram. Green mobility therefore complements public transport. And their uses can even be combined: it’s not unusual to see someone getting on the bus with an electric scooter slung over their shoulder.

new forms of individual mobility: a cohabitation to be invented

It’s not always easy to reconcile these different modes of transport. On pavements, walking remains the most widespread form of green mobility. However, pedestrians have to share this precious space with rollerbladers, skateboards and motorless scooters… As for cycle paths, they are no longer used only by bicycles. They also include all kinds of electric vehicles (scooters, hoverboards, gyropods, monowheels, light mopeds, etc.).

Safety concern is a corollary of the boom in these “personal mobility devices”, as this new form of individual sustainable transport is sometimes mislabelled as “soft mobility”. To avoid an increase in the number of accidents, electric mobility devices in built-up areas should only be used on cycle paths and by drivers aged 12 or over. Outside built-up areas, they may be authorised on roads with an 80km/h speed limit, in which case the user must wear a helmet, reflective equipment and ride with the parking lights on.

green mobility and more demanding journeys: a response for every need

While many city dwellers are happy with active mobility and personal mobility devices, these solutions are not suitable for everyone, or for all uses. Must you catch the 8.10am flight loaded down with big suitcases? Need to bring home the furniture you’ve just bought? Having trouble walking? The private car is no longer the only solution for these special cases.

For journeys within the city or to the suburbs, other mobility services are taking over, such as taxis and chauffeur-driven cars, or car-sharing vehicles. Zity by Mobilize, the 100% electric car-sharing service, is present in the major cities of France, Spain and Italy. Its mobile application and free-floating access (i.e. no pick-up or drop-off stations) mean that anyone can find a vehicle close to their point of departure, and park it close to their point of arrival after use.

People who need to travel longer distances or to places with less public transport can also find alternatives to the traditional pattern of owning a private car. Away from the major conurbations, car-sharing take the form of short-term rental services, such as Mobilize Share. And let’s not forget car-pooling, which can be arranged efficiently for commuting to work, as well as for more exceptional and longer journeys.

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chap. 2: the smartphone… towards ever more sustainable mobility

Posted on by Marine Ait Amrouche

the smartphone towards ever more sustainable mobility [chap. 2]

  • connectivity
  • electric vehicle
  • shared mobility
  • transport on demand

 

The episode about the smartphone and mobility is divided into two videos. Here, in the second chapter, Artefact explains how the smartphone is not just a new compass for everyone’s mobility needs. Its connected nature makes it a pillar of data exchange, in real time and on a large scale. Optimising recharging of electric cars, encouraging shared use… The smartphone contributes to maximising the benefits of mobility and limiting its negative impacts on ecosystems.

Previously, in the first chapter, Artefact explained the smartphone’s role in a seamless mobile experience…

the smartphone a mobility facilitator [chap. 1]

The smartphone is above all that little companion that we all have in our pocket and can no longer do without. Finding a recharging station on the way, renting or sharing a car, hailing a taxi or booking a chauffeur-driven car… The smartphone helps meet all kinds of mobility needs.

watch the video

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far from the metropolises, smaller towns and rural areas carry the change

Marie Huyghe, Mobility Consultant and membre of the SCOP Odyssée Création, Research engineer at Laboratoire CNRS-CITERES, and Anne-Lise Castel, Mobility Services Deployment Director, take you on a tour of mobility far from the metropolises.

chap. 1: the smartphone… a mobility facilitator

Posted on by Marine Ait Amrouche

the smartphone a mobility facilitator [chap. 1]

Artefact is the video series conceived by Mobilize that tells the story of mobility through its objects.

Discover the episode focused on the Swiss army knife of modern times, the smartphone. Artefact shows us how it facilitates mobility, but also how it optimises it, including reducing its impact on the environment.

  • connectivity
  • electric vehicle
  • shared mobility
  • transport on demand

 

The episode about the smartphone and mobility is divided into two videos. Here, in the first chapter, Artefact explains how the smartphone simplifies electric mobility, whether it is individual, with one’s own vehicle, or whether it is shared, with a rented or car-sharing car, or even on-demand, via the use of a taxi or a chauffeur-driven vehicle. Access to tailor-made mobility is now just a tap away!

 
Want to find out more? The second chapter will go into more detail
about the benefits of optimised mobility thanks to the smartphone.

the smartphone towards ever more sustainable mobility [chap. 2]

The smartphone is not only a practical and comfortable tool that allows everyone to enjoy the most appropriate mobility. On a larger scale, it is also a connected object that may optimise journeys, energy flows, resource consumption, etc.

watch the video

on the same topic

connectivity working to support low-carbon mobility and energy consumption

To promote carbon neutrality, Mobilize is putting data at the service of mobility and energy. Digital is everywhere, at the core of everyday apps and platforms for professionals. Here’s an explanation in figures!

electric charging: a new version of the game of 1000 miles

More ecological, more economical, more responsible: driving an electric car is undoubtedly a sensible choice for getting around. It also raises some questions.

far from the metropolises, smaller towns and rural areas carry the change

Marie Huyghe, Mobility Consultant and membre of the SCOP Odyssée Création, Research engineer at Laboratoire CNRS-CITERES, and Anne-Lise Castel, Mobility Services Deployment Director, take you on a tour of mobility far from the metropolises.

tomorrow, rethinking the cities in depth

Posted on by Sébastien Besançon
REBOOT

tomorrow, rethinking the cities in depth

Too densely populated, too hot and too polluted. The cities of today are no longer aligned with current social and environmental issues. The time has come to adapt rather than simply observe. Cities must be updated to focus on mobility, connectivity and sustainability. The good news is that, generally, the solutions are already out there! But they require a fundamental rethink of how cities are designed. By developing a mobility and energy transition strategy that goes beyond the traditional car, Mobilize aims to play an active role in the positive evolution of cities, in “reboot” mode.

  • energy transition
  • shared mobility
  • transport on demand

REBOOT 1: soothing the urban spaces

As the cities of tomorrow will no longer accommodate large flows of traffic, part of the space previously given over to cars will be redistributed to meet different needs. This reallocation will accelerate the decarbonization of travel, in particular with the development of cycle paths and infrastructure for storing and maintaining bicycles, parking and recharging spaces for electric vehicles, parcel storage facilities, pedestrian walkways, etc.

This reclaimed street space will open up a number of possibilities for the greening of areas, whereas trees and other shrubbery can also be used to bring nature to other forms of open space, such as rooftops or alcoves. The greening of urban spaces has multiple benefits. It helps to control air pollution, promotes the return of biodiversity to cities and creates shady, cool islands in hot weather. As a result, the use of air conditioning, which is harmful to the environment, decreases both in buildings and cars. The use of photovoltaic shading systems over parking areas, which shelter cars from the sun’s rays while recharging their batteries, also has an impact on maintaining this “temperate city”.

REBOOT 2: meeting every mobility need

Many obstacles prevent seamless and stress-free travel in cities, such as being stuck in traffic jams, looking for a parking space for a long time once you arrive at your destination, or having to pay fixed costs for your car whatever the circumstances. The development of multimodal transport solutions, via increasingly extensive public transport and soft mobility services, can address these issues. However, this is not the only solution.

The “Vehicle as a Service” (VaaS) model offers an effective and complementary response. The private car is no longer the be-all-and-end-all of transport. With VaaS, customers can select the vehicle best suited to their needs, by purchasing, leasing or car-sharing, and can opt – just as flexibly – for exclusive services to simplify their lives, as well as reducing their costs and carbon footprint. Public transport or cycles for commuting, a compact electric car for effortless door-to-door travel, a hybrid family car for a long trip as a group, etc. Mobility services should be flexible, both when travelling around the city and beyond its limits.

REBOOT 3: optimizing daily life through data

The cities of tomorrow will be smart: a city made “intelligent” through effective data management, with a view to providing services to people. With real-time mapping of the use of public space, the different local stakeholders can better tailor their solutions to users’ needs, whether in terms of mobility, energy, cleanliness, or safety, etc. For example, when applied to mobility services, if companies are aware of the traffic flows in a given place and at a given time, they can model the situation and develop a range of services that will improve the experience for everyone.

Data also has a crucial role to play in balancing the electricity grid, in order to maximize the use of low-carbon, renewable energy in the city’s energy mix. Smart charging of electric vehicles is a perfect example. The car and the electrical grid are connected via the charging station and a smartphone app – the car is charged at a time when electricity is most available on the grid, i.e. when it is the cheapest and least carbon-intensive. Conversely, when demand for electricity from the grid is greater than the overall supply, charging of the vehicle is suspended. If using a bi-directional charging system, the vehicle can even return electricity to the grid, avoiding the need to produce electricity from fossil fuels. In this way, data can be used to improve user comfort and to drive forward the energy transition.

REBOOT 4: pooling resources

In the dense and geographically-constrained areas that constitute cities, the sharing of spaces and services is both the preferable and easier option. Sharing resources is already a given in an urban environment. Cramped housing provides limited facilities to meet basic needs. To satisfy ever more diverse expectations, city residents are making the most of public space or “third places”. The rise in remote working and mobile professions is driving the creation of shared “co-working” spaces, and leisure activities and entertainment are consumed in many dedicated common spaces, etc.

In terms of mobility, people in the city are rarely far away from a transport service. Shared use of cars, bikes and scooters is a convenient solution, whether vehicles are left at drop-off stations or on the street after use. With a simple smartphone, anyone can locate the most appropriate mode of transport available in the immediate vicinity. In some cases, a smartphone is also used as a pass to operate the vehicle and pay for the journey. Sharing urban spaces and services provides a flexible solution to a wide range of needs.

Smooth, mobile, connected, shared… life will be enriching in the cities of tomorrow! Cities must strike a balance between individual benefits – in particular, consumption “on demand” – and the collective benefits of protecting the environment public health, etc. Mobilize already has solutions: a reboot to move towards simpler, more resilient, and more collective transport services, where citizens are free from the shackles of personal cars and can actively contribute to achieving carbon neutrality within the city.

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