Europcar to join MaaS Alliance to highlight efforts in mobility

22 August 2018 Europcar Mobility Group is to join the Mobility as a Service (MaaS) Alliance as it looks to highlight its prowess in the industry. The Alliance’s goal is to promote the integration of various transport services into a single mobility service accessible on demand. The Europcar Mobility Group Public Affairs Director, Jehan de Thé, is also joining the Alliance’s Board of Directors for two years. Created by a public-private partnership, the MaaS Alliance aims to create the foundations for a common approach to MaaS (Mobility as a Service). The main goal is to facilitate the implementation of a single, open market in Europe that allows for the full deployment of MaaS. By offering various transport options in a single and unique platform – whether they be public transport, car-sharing, taxis, car rental, or even a combination of these – MaaS aims to give its users access to a package of mobility solutions through the use of a single reservation and payment channel so that they do not have to use multiple ticketing and payment services. It is an issue which is both critical and topical for many European cities and the discussions underway in Paris are shedding light on it and its importance. Caroline Parot, CEO of the Europcar Mobility Group Management Board, states: ′We are delighted to join the MaaS Alliance. On its historical car rental business, Europcar Mobility Group built the fundamentals of the usage and sharing economies into its core business – mobility – a long time ago. Urban mobility issues have changed considerably in recent years. ′This has prompted us to ramp up our diversification efforts to include new mobility services such as car- and scooter-sharing, chauffeur services, peer-to-peer car rental, etc. We hope to continue supporting this trend by discussing with other public and private players in the sector ideas for new transport solutions, which are simpler, smarter, more economical and more environmentally friendly ways of getting from A to B, and which are real alternatives to owning private cars. We are confident that the collaboration within the MaaS Alliance will contribute to this.’ Jehan de Thé, Europcar Mobility Group Public Affairs Director, states: ′Grouping together services to facilitate access to mobility is a key step towards ensuring the best use of all modes of transport.’ Europcar also recently announced that its Ubeeqo service, offering self-service vehicles in 11 major cities across Europe, is looking to build its presence in Paris by increasing its available fleet in the French capital by 25% by October, while doubling the number of vehicles by the end of 2018. With 8,400 users in the region, Ubeeqo is intended for users who wish to make a return journey, as the vehicle is returned to its original rank. The fleet is also expected to include 150 electric vehicles through its growth plans.