Category: Communauto

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Communauto Press Release Quebec

2025: Another Season of Expansion for Communauto in Montreal and Longueuil

Montréal, April 16, 2025 – Communauto, Canada’s leading carsharing service, along with the City of Montreal and the City of Longueuil, announces a major expansion of its carsharing service for 2025 in response to ever-growing demand. Highlights include the addition of 700 vehicles across the Montreal region, the continued development of the FLEX and Return FLEX offers, and the launch of the FLEX service in Longueuil.  

Fleet Expansion and Growing Adoption  

In 2024, Communauto grew its fleet in Montreal with a net addition of 800 vehicles, representing a 25% increase. The Montreal fleet now includes 4,400 vehicles. Thanks to these additions, 15% of Montreal households used Communauto’s services. Collectively, users made 3.5 million reservations and travelled 110 million kilometres.  

In 2025, to keep up with increasing demand, Communauto plans to add 700 more vehicles throughout the year. This summer, 600 of these will be station-based, while 100 will operate in FLEX mode. This distribution will be reversed approaching the winter of 2025-2026, with a larger proportion of FLEX vehicles.  

FLEX Service Launches in Longueuil and Expands in Montreal  

For the first time, the FLEX service will be available in the City of Longueuil within the coming weeks, made possible through collaboration with the municipality. The service will cover an area bounded by Saint-Charles and du Coteau-Rouge streets, between Saint-Jacques and Joliette. This zone will be accessible to FLEX vehicles from both Montreal and Longueuil.  

The City of Longueuil has also approved an expansion of the station-based service by providing 17 new spaces across 10 parking lots for Communauto vehicles. This enhancement will bring Longueuil’s station-based service to 67 vehicles across 34 stations.  

In Montreal, the FLEX service area will expand to include Rivière-des-Prairies, Pointe-aux-Trembles, LaSalle (Boulevard Newman), Saint-Laurent (Chameran), and Lachine. Among the 50+ new stations to be added in 2025, several will be located in areas that were previously underserved, such as Saint-Simon in Ahuntsic, LaSalle, and Saint-Léonard.  

Continued Expansion of Return FLEX Project in Partnership with the City of Montreal  

In partnership with the City of Montreal, Communauto will continue its Return FLEX project in 2025, adding 70 new zones across 8 boroughs. Initially piloted in 2024, the initiative has proven successful, allowing users in central neighbourhoods better access to vehicles during the winter months when reservation-based cars must be removed to avoid interfering with snow removal operations.   

Additionally, 15 new station zones will be added across the territory in 2025.  

User Satisfaction Is Confirmed as Well as the Benefits on Mobility and the Environment 

Preliminary results from a survey conducted in early April confirm users’ appreciation of the service: 89% would recommend Communauto to others.   

The survey, answered by 4,300 users with a 1% margin of error (19 times out of 20), also confirmed carsharing’s role in reducing car ownership and usage. 82% of Communauto users’ households do not own a car. Moreover, 69% of all users say Communauto was the key factor that enabled them to sell (23%) or forgo purchasing a vehicle (46%). 

In Montreal, 30% of users sold their household’s only vehicle when they joined the service, and 42% said they would buy a car if Communauto were no longer available.  

Among those who joined within the last 12 months, users reported reducing their car use by an average of 41% — a figure close to the 34% reduction reported by all users in the previous 2023 survey. 

Quotes  

“Montrealers’ enthusiasm for carsharing is stronger than ever! We are thrilled to see Communauto continuing its expansion with 700 new vehicles and new stations in underserved neighborhoods, along with the extension of the FLEX service to Longueuil. We share a common vision of sustainable mobility, and carsharing is a key component of that vision in Montreal. This expansion helps diversify mobility options, reduce solo car use, ease road congestion, and decarbonize transportation, all while improving quality of life for Montrealers and the wider metropolitan region.” - Sophie Mauzerolle, Executive Committee Member for Transportation and Mobility, City of Montreal  

“The arrival of Communauto’s FLEX service in Longueuil is a tangible step forward in improving mobility on our territory. By making carsharing more accessible, we offer residents a simple, affordable alternative to private car ownership, while easing pressure on our roads and parking. It’s a solution that aligns with our commitment to building a more sustainable city, by promoting transportation choices that truly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve quality of life.” - Jonathan Tabarah, Vice President of the Executive Committee, Head of Finance, Infrastructure, and Sustainable Mobility, City of Longueuil  

“Communauto is a mobility service deeply rooted in communities, just like public transit or taxi services. Its mission remains unchanged: to offer sustainable, accessible service to as many people as possible — not just in high-demand or high-profit areas. This approach aims to reduce reliance on private cars and strengthen the complementarity of active and public transportation. The significant developments in recent years, as well as those planned for 2025 — both in terms of service scale and geographic reach — clearly reflect this progress. Moreover, the fact that 15% of Montreal households already use Communauto, and that nearly 90% of users recommend it, confirms the relevance and necessity of maintaining and growing a service like Communauto.” - Benoît Robert, President and Founder, Communauto 

About Communauto  

Founded in Quebec City in 1994, Communauto is the largest carsharing service in Canada and the oldest in North America. It operates on two continents in around 20 cities, including Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec City, Halifax, and Paris. Communauto offers both round-trip and free-floating (FLEX) services without the need for advance reservation. With a fleet of 7,000 vehicles, it has the largest network of shared electric cars in Canada, and one of the largest in North America.  

As a company with a social, environmental, and urban mission, Communauto aims to reduce the impact of cars on cities while improving mobility access by offering a real alternative to private car ownership.  

Contact:

Marco Viviani
Vice President, Strategic Development 
Communauto
drp@communauto.ca  

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Communauto

Hold on to your hats, winter is just around the corner!

The rays of sunshine are becoming scarcer, the arrival of the Grinch is imminent, and ice cubes are preparing to cling to our moustaches! Yes, winter is back, and as expected, this time of the year brings its share of changes and adaptations.

Every year, we witness some crazy spectacles, put on by a handful of particularly creative users! Despite a majority of good winter driving habits, these few misbehaviour not only make things harder for our fleet team, but also cause trouble for the carsharing community.

To eliminate harmful behaviours this winter, it’s in everyone’s best interest to review these tips.

The 5 principles to avoid winter pitfalls

1.The good reFLEX

Unsurprisingly, this winter, and during all seasons, it is prohibited to park in towing zones, delivery zones, snow clearing areas, or even alleys. Not only do you risk getting a fine that will freeze your blood, but you also put yourself at risk of getting stuck in an unplowed alley. Above all, pay close attention to temporary snow clearing signs. Unsure about parking rules? Follow the guide!

2. Shovelling, sweating, snow clearing… it’s better than the gym!

In most cases, our stations are plowed by parking lot managers or contractors. However, you may encounter a snowbank, so it is each person’s responsibility to lend a hand with the shovel. Besides helping the next user, you get your cardio done for the day! Also, during weather disruptions, stay alert for targeted free offers; you help clear and move a car, and in return, you enjoy a free ride.

For FLEX vehicles, which are generally used for short trips, we offer a 15-minute credit to allow you time to shovel and/or clear snow. This means you won’t start paying until you begin driving or 15 minutes after you access the vehicle, whichever comes first. Learn more >

3. FLEX and round-trip stations: don’t mix up the tables this winter!

Parking rules remain the same despite the arrival of winter. In stations, instructions must be followed to avoid losing our spots. So be vigilant and check the rules in the Communauto app (consult the “Info-stations“). Additionally, it is prohibited to park a FLEX vehicle in our round-trip station spaces. FLEX vehicles must park on-street or in designated drop-off zones, respecting the assigned conditions. It’s like reserving a table at a restaurant; there’s the bar section and the family section, some tables are free, others have specific hours and/or locations. Avoid that heart-stopping moment when you see a ticket on your windshield—follow the instructions carefully. Refer to the parking guide here.

4. Accessories are your sedentary allies!

Shovels and snow brushes are accessories that prefer a sedentary lifestyle, and don’t take kindly to being moved from car to car. Our fleet teams supply our vehicles with these necessary tools to help you apply rule number 2. It goes without saying that these accessories remain in their designated vehicles. For everyone’s benefit, store them in the trunk or on the floor. Sitting on a wet bench seat is like wearing wet socks, and that’s universally unpleasant! Last but not least, don’t hesitate to report any missing accessories via our reporting tool, available on your app. 

5. Fill up the windshield washer fluid for a clear trip!

Before venturing onto winter roads, make sure to check the windshield washer fluid indicator. This step is like checking if your phone has enough battery before a long road trip to the cottage: it’s necessary to ensure a trouble-free ride.

If you run out of fluid, here’s what you need to do:

  • Buy some fluid using your own payment method and submit the receipt via the app, and we’ll credit you. No need to leave empty containers in the vehicle; service stations will gladly take them off your hands.

Holiday Extra

We love the smell of a pine tree on board! However, the needles spreading throughout the vehicle are not festive! For everyone’s comfort, be mindful and clean up after transporting your tree.

Follow these principles to stay in harmony with our vehicles and the community and avoid becoming the laughingstock of the neighbourhood!

Safe travels, and drive carefully!

Categories
News 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!