SEAT, a Spain-based car manufacturer company, has expanded its carsharing company Respiro to Barcelona (L’Hospitalet de Llobregat), according to a report by Intelligent Transport. To help reduce vehicle emissions, the 16-vehicle fleet will run on compressed natural gas.

Currently, Respiro operates in Madrid with around 15,000 users, says the report. 

“This launch in L’Hospitalet, one of the front-runner cities on mobility issues, is a further step in our commitment to improving mobility in cities,” Lucas Casasnovas, SEAT’s newly appointed head of urban mobility, told Intelligent Transport. “We want to make eco-friendly solutions available to the public by hours or days, depending on their travel needs both inside and outside the city.”

In 2018, SEAT purchased Respiro and entered the carsharing sector. SEAT announced that it will be adding a corporate carsharing service to provide businesses with vehicles by the minute, hour, or day. 

“The implementation of Respiro in L’Hospitalet will enable us to counter the effects of climate change and air pollution, as promoting carsharing is precisely one of the measures included in L’Hospitalet’s sustainable urban mobility plan,” Núria Marín, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat mayor and president of the Spanish network of Smart Cities, told Intelligent Transport.