Toyota Motor Corp. (TMC) and the city of Grenoble, car sharing service operator Cité lib and French energy provider Électricité de France (EDF) signed a Memorandum of Understanding on March 4 to launch an electric vehicle (EV) car sharing project in France.

The project will place 70 ultra-compact urban EVs throughout the Grenoble-Alpes Métropole for self-service car sharing and “last mile” transportation needs. It is part of TMC’s research to better understand the interconnection between the different modes of public and individual transportation in an urban environment, as well as to better identify the exact needs of consumers in terms of “last mile” mobility.

TMC will provide the One-Mile Mobility Management System, a centralized IT management system that will enable users to check location and availability of car share vehicles and book them through smartphones.

The service will also feature an IC-card-based personal identification and payment system, linking the charging stations with existing public transportation systems.

Cité lib will handle daily operations and customer service by responding to customer inquiries, subscription management, reservations and maintenance of vehicles and charging stations.

EDF will install a charging network with charging points placed at public transportation stations to enable “last mile” transport in areas with minimal public transportation. 

The project is expected to be competed by the end of 2014.

Related news: Toyota Motor Corp. Expands Car Sharing Tests in Japan