Montreal, April 15, 2024 – Communauto, the leader in carsharing in Canada, and the City of Montreal announce a significant expansion of the service for 2024 to meet the growing demand observed throughout Montreal. Among the new developments, we would like to highlight the addition of more than 1,100 cars across Montreal, the development of station zones, which were very successful last year, as well as the arrival of Communauto in the Lachine borough, thanks to the addition of a brand new FLEX zone.
Fleet expansion and growing adoption
In 2023, Communauto had already expanded its fleet in Montreal by adding 900 vehicles. This brought the number of vehicles in Montreal to 3,700. These additions allowed 14% of Montreal households to use Communauto services, an increase of 22% compared to the previous year. These households made 2.9 million reservations, traveling 95 million kilometers.
In 2024, to meet growing demand, Communauto will gradually add, over the course of the year, 1,100 new cars, including 900 in stations and 200 in the FLEX service.
Expansion of the FLEX service: new areas served
Communauto’s FLEX service will now be available in Lachine, following approval from the borough council. In addition, other sectors of Montreal, such as Rivière-des-Prairies and the Bois-Franc sector, in Saint-Laurent, will benefit from the expansion of the FLEX service, in addition to the round-trip station service.
Among the more than 50 new “fixed” stations that will be added in 2024, some will be deployed in sectors previously less well served, such as Dorval, Cartierville, Montréal-Nord, Rivière-des-Prairies and Bois-Franc.
Continuation of the station zones project in collaboration with the City of Montreal
In partnership with the City of Montreal, Communauto is renewing its station zone project in 2024, with 500 cars associated to around 100 station zones, spread across 10 boroughs. This initiative has proven to be a great success in 2023, offering users increased flexibility in their travel, while integrating harmoniously with existing parking rules. This innovative concept responds to the real needs of users by offering vehicles according to demand, in an identified area, but without being limited by parking constraints. It thus makes it possible to make 500 cars available, which would have been impossible otherwise.
Fleet diversity and continuous improvement
The new cars, which will be gradually introduced throughout 2024, will include 85 electric cars and 70 minivans, providing more choice and comfort to users. In addition, towards the end of the year, 400 vehicles will be withdrawn and replaced with newer and more efficient models, to guarantee the quality and reliability of the service.
Communauto thus continues to play an essential role in promoting sustainable mobility and carsharing in Montreal, offering practical and ecological solutions for urban travel.
“Communauto is a leading partner in reducing the number of cars on our roads, considering that each carshare car replaces between 7 and 11 vehicles. We are very proud to offer Montrealers additional, fast and efficient transportation options. Today we are also fulfilling our commitment to offer more carshare stations in Montreal. The arrival of Communauto FLEX in Lachine confirms our determination to continue to offer more and more mobility options to the four corners of the island.”
– Valérie Plante, mayor of Montreal.
“The enthusiasm of Montrealers for Communauto is felt more than ever! To meet growing demand, we are proud to support, once again this year, the remarkable expansion of the service offered by Communauto. I am particularly delighted with the addition of 1,100 new cars, which will soon be plying the city’s streets, and the return of the station zones, which will offer even more shared vehicles to meet the needs of users. The City of Montreal is a leading player in the development of carsharing, and we are pleased that this expansion contributes to diversifying the mobility options offered to citizens, to reducing the use of solo cars, to decongest our roads and decarbonize our transportation, while improving the quality of life of Montrealers. ”
– Sophie Mauzerolle, responsible for transport and mobility on the executive committee of the City of Montreal
“While the demand for carsharing and more sustainable mobility is growing exponentially, Communauto is firmly committed to responding to this call, thus playing a crucial role in the demotorization of households. We are delighted to be able to count on the support of the City of Montreal. Without this support, it would be impossible for us to play our role effectively. By joining forces, we aim to offer greener and more convenient transportation solutions, helping to shape a more sustainable future for our city and its residents.”
– Benoît Robert, president and founder of Communauto.
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About Communauto
Founded in Quebec in 1994, Communauto is the largest carsharing service in Canada and the oldest in America. Present on two continents in 19 cities, including Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec, Halifax and Paris, it operates round-trip and free-floating services. With almost 6,000 cars, Communauto has the largest fleet of shared electric vehicles in Canada and among the largest in America. As a company with a social, environmental and urbanistic vocation, its mission is to reduce the impact of the car on cities while improving access to mobility, by offering an alternative to the private car.
Information:
Marco Viviani,
Vice-président, développement stratégique,
Communauto,
drp@communauto.ca
