When it comes to promoting environmentally correct city-transport, Paris is really on the forefront. In July 2007, the city introduced thousands of public rental-bikes known as Vélibs, which immediately became very popular among tourists and locals. Now Paris wants to follow up the successful formula and recently Mayor Bertrand Delanoë announced that the city is about to launch a similar program with electric cars called Automobiles-en-Libre-Service.
As was the case of the Vélibs, the so-called Voiturelibs will be placed at pick-up stations around town where tourists and residents can get a car 24-hours a day, drive off and leave it at another station in Paris. The fee for renting a non-polluting Voiturelib will be cheap (a few euro an hour depending on mileage) and there is no need to book ahead.
The plan is to start up the system with 2,000 Voiturelibs and see how it works out. The city is looking at two types of electric vehicles. A car known as the Blue Car project, which is a three-seater capable of travelling 250 kilometers between charges or the Cleanova (picture), developed by the Dassault aviation firm, which uses the body of the small Renault Kangoo van.
Mayor Delanöe aims to make Paris the world’s eco-capital, and to show an example he gets around the city in a tiny electric-powered Citroën Saxo. He is France’s most popular Socialist and is likely to run for president (after etablishing an eco-friendly image).
Author David Rich Momondo
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