The Essonne departmental council is one of the “old hands” of car sharing. “We launched car sharing in 2018. Today, with 197 shared vehicles, just under a third of our fleet is affected. This policy began with an experimental phase which was to last from 2019 to 2020,” relates Sandrine Lauraire, head of the departmental vehicle management service within the Essonne department. But the health crisis reshuffled the cards and the department had to extend this trial period until 2021.
“We tested twenty vehicles,” continues Sandrine Lauraire. Given the interest in this mode of operation, we then increased the number of shared vehicles. And this for several reasons. The first is practical. We did not have the ability to assign a vehicle to each of our 4,000 agents. Pooling their means of travel therefore seemed a good solution to us. This was well received by our agents. Of the 4,000 agents, 1,290 have subscribed to our system and are potential users. We therefore adapted the supply to the demand,” continues this manager.
Economic gains
The second reason is economic. With car sharing, the department wanted to reduce the size of its fleet. “For the moment, we have remained at a constant fleet with a utilization rate of our cars which has increased from 60 to 75%,” points out Sandrine Lauraire. In fact, the department's services have been reorganized and the scope of missions has been expanded, as with the increase in the number of home visits, one of the new services offered to residents of Essonne.
“The third reason is practical. We have shared our cars by adopting an electronic box which controls the opening, starting and locking of the vehicle after use. This system is simpler for everyone. Before, we had pool vehicles with a file and a key to retrieve from a cabinet,” explains Sandrine Lauraire.
Electric
Fourth reason: with car sharing, the Essonne department benefits from better analyzes of vehicle use. Because by locating and tracking a vehicle, the unit reports information such as the name of the user (we then know who is driving in the event of an offense or damage), the mileage traveled or the vehicle's consumption. The fifth reason is both financial and environmental. Car sharing has made it possible to launch the electrification of the fleet. Currently, 25% of our fleet is 100% electric and the objective is 40% in 2030.
“After six years of use and feedback, the main obstacle to car sharing remains user behavior,” notes Sandrine Lauraire. This is a point of vigilance for anyone who wants to get started. I have 25,000 reservations per year made by 1,290 agent-subscribers. Some of them are not serious about return reservation times, and return vehicles without refueling or the appropriate electrical charge. To combat this incivility, we must adopt rules of the game that emphasize the importance of using this fleet as a good father. Because users can consider the shared vehicle as their own,” adds this manager.
Set rules
To resolve this problem, the Essonne department has, for example, limited the maximum number of rental days to seven. Management is also being made aware of how to enforce the rules. “We regularly produce notes and usage regulations to remind you that shared vehicles must be taken with care. And then, we have the possibility of taking action with a disciplinary sanction. We must then demonstrate pedagogy to explain the importance of returning a vehicle in perfect working order,” adds Sandrine Lauraire.
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