ZITY Car Sharing Launched in Paris, Backed by Renault & Ferrovial

Groupe Renault and Ferrovial are launching a ZITY car-sharing service in Paris. In March 2020, a fleet of 500, 100% electric Renault ZOE cars, equipped with ZITY technology will be made available to Parisians on a self-service basis using a free mobile application. This is a flexible scheme that responds to a strong trend as an estimated 20% of the capital’s inhabitants use car-sharing.

This launch in Paris is a new step in the partnership between Groupe Renault, a pioneer of electric vehicles in Europe, and Ferrovial, one of the world’s leading infrastructure operators and urban service providers, which began successfully in 2017 with ZITY, an electric car-sharing service that started in Madrid.

What about insurance you ask? It is included in the hourly hire fee, although ZITY users in Madrid do have to agree to a 300 euro deposit against damage, with a 600 euro waiver for drivers aged under 26, but you can build up points via safer driving, so that you no longer have the waiver fee deducted from your card at the point of hire. IE guesses that the same rates apply in Paris, although given the traditional Parisian method of nudging your way into a parking space, we would probably deduct 750 euros as a minimum.

“The ZITY electric car-sharing service has many advantages, including flexible booking times and the availability of vehicles, in the right place at the right time, thanks to a high-performance application,” says Gilles Normand, SVP, Electric Vehicles & Mobility Services, Groupe Renault. “With a cleaner, accessible and sustainable mobility offer, ZITY also provides a response to the needs of cities to reduce CO₂ emissions and to combat pollution.”

“This strategic partnership with Renault is the evolution of ZITY’s success in Madrid. We are pleased to continue our collaboration bringing the experience and technology developed. It has been key for the user’s acceptance,” emphasises Ignacio Madridejos, CEO of Ferrovial. “Providing sustainable mobility solutions to citizens is a priority in the battle against climate change challenges.”

The next steps in the development of the partnership between Groupe Renault and Ferrovial are subject to authorisation from the European Commission in the area of merger control.

ZITY offers flexibility close to that of owning a private vehicle. Using an app, users can view which Renault ZOE is closest to their position and reserve the car instantly. When they get to the car, it can be unlocked via the app. To end the rental, the vehicle must be parked in Paris, on any public sparking space above ground and locked. The operation takes a few seconds.

The 500 Renault ZOEs have 5 seats and are equipped with a reversing camera and parking sensors, GPS, touch-screen infotainment system and cruise control. Child seats are available in some of the vehicles and those equipped with them can be identified via the mobile application.

ZITY meets the flexibility and freedom required by users by offering:

• Competitive rates that are adapted to needs with no registration or subscription fees. ZITY offers different rates, including, per minute, a fixed time (4h, 8h, 24h) or time credit with “economy packs”. Thanks to the “stand-by” option, ZITY also makes it possible to keep the vehicle when you need to park for a short time without incurring extra costs.

• The battery levels are guaranteed. The technology on board the Renault ZOE ZITY enables all the information on the dashboard, including the battery level, to be displayed in real time. If the battery falls below the minimum level required, the vehicle is no longer available for hire and is quickly taken in hand by the ZITY teams to recharge it.

• Vehicle availability and intelligent positioning. As well as offering great freedom of movement within and outside the area covered by the service (inner Paris area and Clichy), the high level of autonomy of the ZOE batteries means less frequent recharging and therefore more vehicles available on the streets.

• In addition, thanks to a highly competitive computer platform and an algorithm that constantly analyses vehicle use, ZITY can identify the areas where the car-sharing demand is highest and can intelligently reposition vehicles in the city after servicing, so that users can easily find a vehicle.

After Madrid in 2017 and this launch in Paris, the service could be extended to other cities in the coming years, to make ZITY “the” electric car-sharing service of reference.