May 11 2012
Autolib accelerates but is far from its cruising speed
Five months after the launch of Autolib ', the system self-service vehicles do not meet again a great success, far from it. Although the number of subscribers grew, but it remains inadequate. It rises this month to 15,000 people, 00 of which only 5 signed an annual subscription, others have chosen packages in the week or day. The cars were used 118,000 times since December.
The businessman Vincent Bollore, whose group provides vehicles and charging stations, expects 30,000 annual subscribers at the end of the year. But to be profitable, Autolib 'must have 80,000 users on the car twice a week for a period of just under an hour. The group has indeed invested 100 million euros starting in the device, plus 100 million annual operating costs (including 900 people have been recruited to the call center and stations).
Financial side, the businessman Breton is optimistic. At the launch of this system of electric cars, self-service in the Paris region, beginning in December 2011, he estimated it would take seven years to break even. "It is possible that this is earlier," he said Wednesday. The infrastructure can be rapidly deployed in 46 communities of Ile-de-France, including Paris, while the number of stations has doubled since the start, reaching 500 stations in May. It must still be multiplied by two (1050), by October. The number of electric cars is made available to him from 250 to 1740 and is expected to climb to 3,000 by the end of the year.
In late April, the Bluecar Bolloré also ranks the leading electric car registrations in France (982 copies), before Nissan and Mia, a market it is true stammering (1595 cars). Bolloré would however expect a year of operation to take a real first assessment, but also business technology fast payday loan no faxing. Electric batteries, particularly temperature sensitive, "have passed the severe cold, but not yet the hot summer," he says.
For now, this service attracted a rather young audience: half of subscribers between 18 and 35. Unsurprisingly, 70% of users have no car. More difficult to explain: 75% are men.
Little vandalism
Degradation related vehicles, hiccups were encountered the first time, "but we managed to eliminate the defects of youth," he assured Vincent Bolloré. The bumpers have been replaced by such material more resistant. The precedents décrochaient easily as motorists unaccustomed to automatic transmissions, may tend to confuse the brake and accelerator. Mirrors, knobs of power windows and door loading were also changed. Moreover, the cars have yet to paint, which avoids the risk of scratches and lighten the car by 5 kilos (an economy that enhances autonomy). In total, Autolib 'account from 20 to 25 claims per day.
So far, however, "very little" acts of vandalism have been deplored, welcomes Vincent Bolloré, contrary to what was observed for self-service bikes Velib '. The most spectacular incident, three cars were burned in Créteil in the Val de Marne.
To attract new subscribers, Autolib launches a monthly fee of 30 euros plus 6 euros per half hour of use. The annual fee amounts to 144 euros plus 5 euros thirty minutes of driving.
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