The Renault and Bolloré groups have signed a letter of intent to study the joint development of car-sharing solutions and the implementation of industrial and commercial cooperation agreements in the field of electric vehicles.
1 – Joint marketing of complete car-sharing solutions concerning the use of electric vehicles in the city.
Indianapolis (6-10-13) Mayor Greg Ballard, Bolloré Group and leaders from Indianapolis’ largest employers, universities, hospitality destinations and civic organizations announced the largest electric car share program in the United States. Photo courtesy of City of Indianapolis
Following the success of Autolib’ in 55 municipalities in and around the Paris region, and the contracts already won by the Bolloré Group in Lyon, Bordeaux and Indianapolis, the Renault and Bolloré groups will look at the possible founding of a joint venture to win and implement new projects in order to meet growing demand in France and on international markets for electric car-sharing services. In the first instance, Renault could join forces with the Bolloré Group by taking a stake in Bluely (Lyon) and Bluecub (Bordeaux).
2 – Bluecar production in France
The expected increase in the number of Bluecars – the existing 4-seater model – and the convertible model to be launched next June will lead to a rise in production. The two groups will look at the possible transfer of some production processes to the Renault group’s Dieppe plant, alongside the supply of parts and components by Renault.
3 – Development and production of a 3-seater vehicle using a 20 kWh Bolloré battery
Autolib’, the world’s biggest electric-car sharing service to date, is now entering its third year in operation, and data show that three-quarters of rentals concern a maximum of three passengers. As a result, the two groups will look at the possible support that Renault could provide the Bolloré group for the development and production of a three-seater electric vehicle (3.1m long) with an autonomy of over 200 km.
This article is a repost, credit: Renault, http://media.renault.com.
Ever wonder how fueling a gasoline car compares in cost to fueling a plug-in electric car? At this week’s annual Electric Drive Transportation Association (EDTA) conference in Washington, D.C., the Department of Energy’s David Danielson announced a handy new web tool called eGallon that allows you to do just that. The site shows that on average in the U.S., it costs $3.65 per gallon in gasoline to fuel a car and the equivalent of only $1.14 per gallon to fuel a car with electricity.
The most interesting part of this tool is that you can search by all 50 states and D.C. to see how this differs throughout the country (check out your home state). In Illinois, for example, it costs an average of $3.84 per gallon with gasoline and $.99 per gallon equivalent in electricity to fuel a car. Danielson said DOE will update these numbers each month to reflect current gasoline and electricity prices in each state.
Photo courtesy of Sierra Club
The fueling cost differential adds to the growing case being made for just how cost competitive are plug-in vehicles these days, as many manufacturers have recently announced new lower pricing options, especially for leasing EVs.
Photo courtesy of Sierra Club
Another pleasant surprise at the EDTA conference for me was learning about Indianapolis and Paris. One of the conference’s most powerful speakers was Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard. “The U.S. transportation sector and our quality of life are dependent on foreign oil,” said Ballard, who is a Republican. “But electric drive offers us the opportunity to break that hold.”
Ballard, who retired as a Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel after 23 years of service, also said, “Many people believe we’re funding both sides of the War on Terror, and I agree.”
Ballard has been putting his money where his mouth is in a number of ways when it comes to electric vehicles and moving beyond oil. He has been shifting the city’s vehicle fleet to hybrid and plug-in electric and has overseen the installation of 80 EV charging stations. He also announced that he will bring the French company Bolloré’s electric car-sharing program, now highly popular in Paris, to Indianapolis as the first U.S. city to experience e-car sharing. This investment will also lead to about 200 new EV charging stations throughout the Indianapolis area.
The e-car sharing program in Paris is called Autolib’. There are currently 4,200 electric car charging stations throughout Paris and its suburbs, making Paris the most electrified city in the world, said Bolloré’s Hervé Muller. In speaking on an EDTA conference workshop panel, Muller maintained that car-sharing has actually increased Paris metro usage because it improves many people’s access to transit. He said that 70 percent of Autolib’ customers don’t own a car.
Mike Saft of the battery technology company Leydon Energy spoke on a panel about start/stop battery technology advancements that are helping electric and gasoline powered vehicles achieve greater efficiencies. He said that increasingly vehicles are enabling gravity to be the propulsion system, which reminds me of solar power. It’s always the most powerful combination when we can look to human ingenuity to harness clean sources of power from Mother Nature.
Overall, the conference offered many useful learning and networking opportunities. Next year’s EDTA conference will be in, you guessed it, Indianapolis.
Mayor Greg Ballard, EV Car Sharing Announcement Photo courtesy of City of Indianapolis
Bolloré Group Selects Indianapolis for $35 Million Investment Marking Company’s First Expansion Outside of France
INDIANAPOLIS (6-10-13) – Mayor Greg Ballard, Bolloré Group, and leaders from Indianapolis’ largest employers, universities, hospitality destinations and civic organizations today announced that Indianapolis has been selected as the site of the largest electric car share program in the United States. Bolloré Group plans to invest approximately $35 million to launch an all-electric car share program in the city next year. The system will feature 500 electric vehicles and 1,200 charging stations at 200 car-share locations. The move marks the first time Bolloré will replicate the success of its Paris car share program outside of France.
“This program provides a great opportunity for downtown workers, residents and visitors to get around town in a car without owning one,” said Mayor Ballard. “This service allows a person, government or company to only pay for a car when they need and want it. They aren’t paying for fuel, insurance, maintenance and parking costs when the vehicle is not in use.”
The yet-to-be-named Indianapolis car share program is modeled after Bolloré’s popular Autolib’ service in Paris which features over 1,700 electric vehicles, 4,200 charging stations, and 37,000 members. As in Paris, the Indianapolis service is aimed at providing new mobility options to the public. It will also allow Indianapolis to become one of the most “electrified” cities in the US with a dense network of charging stations available to private EV owners.
“We are delighted to announce the launch of the Indianapolis service,” said Vincent Bolloré, Chairman of the Bolloré Group. “The success of the Autolib’ in Paris – based on convenience, reliability and availability – has exceeded our expectations and realized our goal of transforming habits of car ownership, reducing pollution and relieving traffic congestions. As a leader in the Smart Grid, we support Mayor Ballard’s commitment to Electric Vehicles and are excited to help speed the adoption of EVs in Indiana. The dynamic environment fostered by Mayor Ballard’s administration along with the vibrant business and higher education community, and impressive downtown development projects are key factors in our selection of Indy for this first US launch.”
HOW IT WORKS: The program is based around short one-way rentals, unlike some other US models which require the user to return to the vehicle where they rented it. Users pay a membership fee (daily, monthly, or annually) and receive an RFID card. When they wish to rent a vehicle they reserve a car on-line or at a dedicated car share kiosk, they unlock the car charger with their card, and then swipe the card on the windshield, which unlocks the car and allows them to drive off. The in-car GPS allows the user to reserve a parking spot with a charging station near their destination. Once they arrive, plug-in the vehicle and the transaction is complete. The user can then reserve another vehicle for their next trip, as needed. The rates for the Indianapolis service have not yet been established, but in Paris, membership costs $16 per month and a 20-minute trip costs about $4.50.
“This announcement is extremely exciting for our city,” said President Maggie A. Lewis, Indianapolis City-County Council. “This is a unique opportunity for our residents and visitors and will enhance our efforts in building a world-class city.”
Business/Governmental Car-Share: The car share program will be available to individual members and government/corporate users. The City of Indianapolis and many other governmental and business organizations are looking into corporate memberships in order to reduce the size of their vehicle fleet.
“Indianapolis is becoming a major hub for clean transportation technologies, garnering national attention, due in large part to Mayor Ballard’s leadership in promoting electric and natural gas fuel in transportation,” said Paul Mitchell, President/CEO of Energy Systems Network. “The fact that a company like Bolloré is choosing Indianapolis as the first US market for its innovative transportation solution shows the world is also now taking notice.”
Bolloré will begin hiring local management and marketing teams in the next few months. The service is aimed to be a public service and Bollore will work closely with the city in the planning phase and continue discussions with key transportation, neighborhood, business and tourism groups to identify car share locations and other service aspects. The city will assist Bolloré to identify the car share locations, reserve on-street parking where necessary, and enforce reserved parking restrictions with its partners at Park Indy. The company expects to launch the car share service next spring.
About Bolloré Group:
Founded in 1822, the Bolloré Group has a diverse portfolio of activities around the world, with leadership positions in Transportation and Logistics, Communication and Media, Electricity Storage and Solutions. The Bollore Group employs over 38,000 people worldwide and had 2012 revenues in excess of $13 billion.
This article is a repost, credit: City of Indianapolis, http://www.indy.gov/Pages/Home.aspx.
