Car Fleets — June 2023 — Pages 22-25

Shared vehicles: An ecological and economical device

Introduction

Sharing vehicles makes it possible to reduce costs and CO₂ emissions while promoting the electrification of fleets. This triple objective is now a priority for all businesses. Carsharing can also encourage employees to adopt this mobility on a personal basis, in particular via carpooling. But it is essential to equip yourself with the right tools for it to work well.

Behavioral changes

Some young employees, particularly in urban areas, do not necessarily want to have an assigned vehicle. They prefer other modes of mobility: public transport, cycling, or other alternatives. Businesses must adapt by offering shared mobility solutions.

Céline Colin, head of the vehicle division at the Legendre Group:
“We started by equipping our headquarters in Rennes with pool vehicles, before switching to carsharing a little over two years ago. Today, 7 vehicles are shared, including 2 electric, on three sites. The utilization rate reaches 49% on working days.”

Carsharing is on the rise again

Carsharing suffered during the health crisis and teleworking, but the market has been picking up again for more than six months, with greater dynamism than before the pandemic.

• 10 to 25% of businesses and 50% of local authorities could be candidates for carsharing (source: OpenFleet).
• Optimum Automotive, which manages 5,000 shared vehicles, won several tenders for an additional 500 vehicles.
• The Orange Group has a fleet of 15,072 vehicles, including 3,553 shared and 852 electrified (300% electric). 24,000 employees subscribe to the carsharing service.

Economic challenges and CSR

Travel is a major expense item for businesses. Carsharing makes it possible to reduce the size of fleets and therefore their total cost of ownership (TCO).

Alexandra Caubet, managing director of Glide.io (Renault Group):
“Our customers want to decarbonize their fleet. This includes green vehicles, mobility plans, carpooling, and car sharing.”

For Orange, the objective is also environmental: to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030.

Compliance with the Mobility Orientation Act (LOM)

For local authorities, carsharing facilitates compliance with legal obligations (integration of low-emission vehicles, SPASER).

Cedric Le Floch, department of Calvados:
“Carsharing makes it possible to comply with legislation, while remaining close to needs and decarbonizing the fleet.”

Concrete testimonies

Podeliha (social landlord, Pays de la Loire)

• 250 employees, 23 shared vehicles (including 6 electric).
• Former fleet: 40 vehicles in a pool, often misused.
• Switching to carsharing via Mobility Tech Green made it possible to reduce the fleet to 23 vehicles.
• Measured usage rate, better reservation management, limitation of abuse.
• Possibility to add shared electric bikes.
• Average km per trip: 40 km.

Calvados Department

• Fleet of 500 vehicles (300 LV), deployment of a carsharing solution on 160 vehicles.
• Installation of boxes in 50 vehicles for data collection.
• Precise monitoring of uses, better management and distribution between sites.
• Streamlining procedures (no need to go to the secretariat to pick up the keys).
• Time savings for agents and secretaries.

Legendre Group

• Carsharing and electrification go hand in hand.
• Carsharing is accelerating the transition to electric vehicles.

Metro France

• 1,200 employees at the head office, 9 shared vehicles including one electric.
• Integration into mobility credit.
• Strong increase in use, desire to increase the number of vehicles.

The tools and benefits

• Modern systems allow reservations via smartphone or badge, digital inventory, and automatic data reporting (mileage, trips, users).
• Better traceability and follow-up of claims, reduction of consumption, better management of vehicles (avoidance of aging of the fleet).
• Carsharing partly replaces mileage allowances, taxis, and short-term rentals.
• The rate of use of shared vehicles can reach 65% or even 70% in some businesses.

Bike-sharing, another shared mobility

• Electric bike sharing is also under development, often as a complement to car sharing.
• Cost for the company: around €220 per bike per month.
• Platforms like Green On allow you to manage reservations, durations, and collect data.
• Free for employees promotes adoption.
• Allows you to test the bike before engaging in a company bike or long-term rental.

Local initiatives and cooperatives

• Citiz, a cooperative carsharing network, is launching projects in several regions (Strasbourg, Cahors, Basque Country, French Genevois).
• Example: in Cahors, sharing the municipal fleet with residents outside of working hours.
• Basque Country aims to reduce the share of private cars in trips from 77% to 52% by 2030.
• In 2022, +35% of shared car trips and +34% of users for Citiz.

Conclusion

Carsharing is an important lever for reducing costs, limiting CO₂ emissions, optimizing fleets, and improving the user experience within businesses and communities. It is part of a strong CSR approach, adapted to the new expectations of employees, especially younger ones. Modern digital tools are essential to maximize its benefits and precisely monitor uses.

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