Communauto has more cars, new models and additional parking spaces this year to meet Montreal’s ever-increasing demand.
On Friday morning, the car-sharing company announced five new features that will be implemented in the metropolis in the coming weeks.
MARIO BEAUREGARD/QMI AGENCY
A record number of vehicles deployed
The vehicle fleet will grow by 885 vehicles in 2023, adding to the fleet already in circulation. Of these, 770 vehicles are available with station reservations and 115 in the FLEX area.
For comparison: Communauto was only able to procure 550 cars last year due to delivery problems.
So if it’s an increase, that number stays a bit short of the company’s target, which was planning to deploy 1150. “It’s not saying we can’t add more as the season progresses,” however, said Benoit Robert, President and Founder of Communauto.
About 710 vehicles will be put into service over the summer, with the rest going into service in the fall.
More flexibility with 90 “station zones”
The carsharing service has decided to launch a pilot project with 90 new “zone stations” this summer to “give customers more freedom”.
The cars will thus be available on the street with parking stickers like the Communauto FLEX, but can be reserved up to a month in advance. They will be parked in an area of 500 by 500 meters.
“It lets the customer know that the car will be parked in an area small enough that they don’t have to walk a long way to collect their car,” explained Mr Robert.
These zones will initially open in the Rosemont-La-Petite-Patrie, Le Plateau-Mont-Royal and Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve districts.
Sud-Ouest, Ahuntsic-Cartierville, Côte-des-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grâces, Outremont, Verdun and Villeray-Saint-Michel-Parc-Extension will be added later.
These spaces will allow Communauto to “deploy more vehicles and provide much better access in certain sectors where demand has been very strong,” according to Sophie Mauzerolle, in charge of transport and mobility at the city’s executive committee.
Electric vehicles… but less than expected
Last year, Communauto managed to add 30 electric cars to its fleet. However, the company expected to receive a hundred. “It’s almost a favor if you manage to get electric cars,” said Robert.
Of the hundred that will still be claimed in 2023, Communauto will be able to use 80 this time.
“One of the problems we face is that dealers prefer to sell cars to individuals rather than companies that manage fleets of vehicles,” the company’s president noted.
New and larger models
Communauto has decided to diversify its fleet to meet demand. So there are Nissan Sentra, Nissan Kicks, KIA Forte 5, KIA Sportage, KIA Sorento and KIA Carnival.
Some of these models are considered “minivans” that can accommodate up to eight passengers.
New sectors served
The carsharing service is expanding its presence on the island of Montreal by trying to offer more and more vehicles outside of the central districts.
About a hundred reserved stations are added, notably in the Bois-Franc sector of the commune of Saint-Laurent but also in Rivière-des-Prairies.
The FLEX zone will also be on display in Lachine. It is also extended to Montreal North by making it possible to provide cars as far as Cégep Marie-Victorin.