Category: News

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News Quebec Quebec

New FLEX Offer to Improve Availability

Do you love the freedom of spontaneous trips with a FLEX car, without the need to plan ahead?

Have you enjoyed the “station zones” we’ve added over the past two years, making more vehicles available in high-demand areas?

Would you like to see these station zones year-round, even during the winter?

The increase in demand forces us to be creative and to think outside the box!

INTRODUCING RETURN FLEX
As our service continues to grow, we’ve had to get creative to meet the demand all year round. One challenge we face is that reservation vehicles can’t stay on the streets during winter due to parking restrictions and snow removal operations. This often leads to fewer available vehicles in high-demand areas during the cold season.

The solution? Convert them into vehicles without reservation while keeping them associated with the station zone they belonged to during the summer.

This delightful mix will give rise to Return FLEX!

PILOT PROJECT
This new version of our service will be tested soon (in the next few weeks) as a pilot project.

If everything goes as planned, we will have two types of FLEX:
• One-way FLEX: the option you already know.
• Return FLEX: the new option available in station zones
You can continue to use One-way FLEX vehicles for trips from A to B: You can start your trip in one part of the main FLEX zone and release it in a different area within the main FLEX zone (see article 1.1.8 of the Rules and Regulations). You can use the new Return FLEX option for return trips, where you start and end in the same station zone.

A new icon in the app will distinguish Return FLEX from the regular One-way FLEX:

To avoid any confusion, a message will appear in the app when you block a Return FLEX to remind you that this vehicle must be returned within the limits of its station zone at the end of the trip.

THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS FOR VALUE!
Our goal is to maintain a larger supply of vehicles in areas where we created station zones, so:
Return FLEX vehicles will be priced at the same rates as station-based vehicles available by reservation.
But since the Return FLEX vehicles will still be FLEX vehicles:
• You will continue to benefit from FLEX rates if they give a better price for your trip (possible for trips that are short, even an hour or two, but high in kilometres).
• FLEX passes remain compatible with Return FLEX vehicles.
• These vehicles will also be eligible for the credits offered during snow removal. But we will discuss that when the time comes…
The best of both worlds, right?


STARTING SMALL
Since this is a brand-new side of our service, we know it will take time for our members and our own team to get accustomed to it.
To start with, only a few vehicles will be assigned to this new service. We are aiming for December. If the pilot project proves successful, more vehicles will be added.

More updates will follow!

Categories
News Quebec

Financial aid for carsharing in Laval: a step towards a greener future

In an effort to promote more sustainable mobility and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the region, the City of Laval is offering a subsidy program for carsharing. This initiative, part of Laval’s 2021-2025 Climate Plan, aims to encourage residents to adopt this environmentally friendly mode of transportation.

What is the financial aid program for carsharing?

New users of a carsharing service in Laval can benefit from a subsidy of up to $500. This financial aid is intended to cover part of the costs associated with using the carsharing service, such as monthly subscription fees, and per-minute or per-hour rates under the program, from January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2025.

How does it work?

This financial aid program is made possible through the financial support of the Government of Quebec as part of the Plan for a Green Economy 2030. With the Communauto carsharing network available in Laval, residents of Laval can benefit from this subsidy by signing up for Communauto.

Each citizen of Laval is eligible for a maximum of 2 subsidies, each up to $250, making a total of $500 per applicant.

Eligibility conditions and steps to follow

To be eligible for this financial aid, you must:

  • reside in Laval;
  • sign up for a carsharing service, such as Communauto, between January 1, 2024, and December 31, 2025;
  • submit your subsidy application by January 31, 2026, at the latest.

The request form will be available on the City of Laval website in My Account starting May 6, 2024. Expenses incurred from January 1, 2024, are eligible for the financial aid program. To apply, you will need to provide:

  • proofs of residence: 2 copies will be necessary;
  • documentation proving the date of subscription to the carsharing service;
  • invoices showing eligible expenses (usage and subscription fees) accessible from your account :

You can request your two $250 subsidies in a single application (if the accumulated bills exceed $500) or make two separate applications at different times as soon as you accumulate at least $250 in usage and subscription fees for the carsharing service.

It should be noted that subsidies will be granted on a first-come, first-served basis until the budget allocated by the City of Laval for the carsharing subsidy program is exhausted.

Please be aware that not all costs are eligible for the carsharing financial aid program:

  • The $500 membership fees for Communauto’s Economical, Economical Plus, Economical Extra plans cannot be reimbursed by this subsidy, as they are fully refundable if you leave the service after one year.
  • Costs related to penalties or administrative booking fees are also not eligible.

Conclusion

The financial aid program for carsharing in Laval represents an opportunity for residents to actively contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions while benefiting from a flexible and economical mode of transportation. By adopting this initiative, the City of Laval reinforces its commitment to a more sustainable and ecological future for everyone.

For any questions regarding the financial aid for carsharing, you are invited to contact the City by dialing 311 or 450 978-8000.

Categories
Communauto News Press Release Quebec

Communauto makes significant increase to its fleet after record usage in 2021

Montreal, March 24, 2022. Communauto, the largest carsharing service in Canada and the oldest in North America, is planning substantial growth in its vehicle fleet after an exceptional 30% increase in the number of members and overall usage of the service in 2021.

To meet this demand in 2022, Communauto has ordered 1,300 new vehicles from manufacturers to add to the service before summer, despite car industry supply issues which could last until 2023.

The largest increase in the fleet will be in Montreal, where 800 vehicles will be added (200 in stations and 600 for the FLEX service). In total, more than 3,000 vehicles will be available to Montrealers by the end of the summer.

“Communauto is responding to the significant growth in demand we saw in 2021 by planning a major increase to our service. This growing demand demonstrates the importance of carsharing as an urban mobility solution that is more sustainable and efficient than the personal car. It also opens the door to major challenges: first, the difficulty of the automotive industry to guarantee the number of cars ready to deliver and second, the significant delays between orders and deliveries. We experienced this in 2021 and we fear that it could also affect the supply this year, despite our efforts. One thing is certain, Communauto has the capacity and the commitment to guarantee the availability of our service and to meet the growing needs of citizens who wish to adopt carsharing, in combination with other public transit and active mobility options,” states Benoit Robert, president and founder of Communauto.

“The City of Montreal welcomes the expansion of the Communauto fleet with great enthusiasm. Our administration has done more for shared mobility than any other. From the start, we have resolutely positioned ourselves as an essential partner, always with a view to offering more mobility options to Montrealers, and to decongest the city. Driven by this desire, we have made several important regulatory changes to promote carsharing and self-service vehicles in recent years, and we intend to continue on this path, in collaboration with the boroughs, in order to allow an equitable distribution of the service throughout the city,” added Sophie Mauzerolle, member responsible for transportation and mobility on the executive committee of the City of Montreal.

 

In Quebec City, Toronto, Halifax, Ottawa, Hamilton, Calgary, Edmonton and Paris

In Quebec City, there will be more than 300 cars available with the addition of approximately 45 cars, including 15 for the FLEX service (+25%).

Toronto will not be outdone, as the company is also planning a significant increase to its fleet, with 250 new vehicles (+60%). Similarly, 200 vehicles will go to Halifax, Ottawa, southwestern Ontario, Paris, Edmonton and Calgary, where the supply of reservation-based station vehicles continues to grow alongside the supply of FLEX cars.

In 2022, Communauto will expand to Hamilton, Ontario, where the FLEX service will soon be available. As a reminder, this service allows you to use Communauto vehicles on demand and without prior reservation. The FLEX service, introduced in 2013, has already won over the cities of Montreal, Quebec, Halifax, Edmonton, Toronto and Calgary.

 

More electric cars

As for electrification, Communauto has ordered 100 new electric cars, which would be additions and replacements for some of the 110 fully electric units currently in service. Unfortunately, less than half of this order, Niro EVs, has been fulfilled thus far by the manufacturers: a striking example of how vehicle shortages present a challenge to achieving growth objectives. The same applies to hybrid vehicles, available only in small quantities, requiring us to return to gasoline models.

 

More spacious cars

In 2022, Communauto is also continuing to diversify its fleet by adding more spacious cars to the station-based service in order to meet the needs of families and long-distance trips. For example, the Niro Hybrid model will be added to stations with the Kona and Tucson models. The latter will be available at a price surcharge of 10%. Corollas, which are already available by reservation in stations, will also be added to the FLEX service.

The recent spike in gasoline prices is likely to further boost demand for carsharing. “The best way to cope with the rising cost of gas is more cycling, walking and public transit – and supplementing with carsharing,” adds Benoit Robert.