PSA car-share scheme to open in Lisbon with new features

10 April 2018

Manufacturer-backed car-sharing schemes are building on successes in certain markets and looking to move into new territories. One such example is PSA Group’s emov.

The service launched in Madrid during 2017 and in the first five months of operation, already had 100,000 customers for its all-electric fleet. This has since grown and today has a subscription base of 160,000 people.

The vehicle manufacturer has now announced that it will roll the service out in the Portuguese capital of Lisbon. The fleet in the city will comprise initially of 150 Citroen C-Zero electric vehicles and will see the service become the first car-sharing provider with an all-electric fleet in the province.

Customers will also be able to use emov beyond the city centre, with plans for users to pick up a ride or end their usage in close proximity to airport facilities. Both residents and tourists will be able to access the services provided through smartphone apps.

′In little more than a year, we’ve consolidated the emov service in Madrid,’ said Fernando Izquierdo, a chief executive officer of emov, ′and it’s always been one of our aims to broaden the scope of the project and operate in other domestic and international cities. Right now we’re focusing our efforts on the launch in Lisbon, but we haven’t ruled out the possibility of extending it to another large Spanish city before the end of the year’.

City authorities are always looking for ways to reduce the congestion on their roads, as city populations swell. London for example – the most congested city in Europe – is looking to not only limit the growth but cut three million car journeys from its roads by 2041. As the prices of car sharing services fall, they become increasingly attractive propositions for inner-city residents making short regular journeys compared to traditional car ownership – especially when factoring in the difficulty and cost of parking.

In Madrid, emov will soon deploy its corporate accounts solution, making it possible for many large companies, SMEs and start-ups to manage employee travel at a significant cost savings of up to 50% compared with conventional car and driver solutions.

Other recent developments include the elimination of the insurance deductible for individuals who choose to use emov. This means that for only €1 more per journey, users will not be liable for the €500 payment they would normally owe if responsible for damages to the vehicle. Fernando Izquierdo added, ′This new feature, a first in Madrid, will maximise the customer experience. We’ve eliminated a barrier, and now customers can travel worry-free’.