Autolib – Car Sharing French Style

Monday, 17 June 2013

Car sharing systems are all the go, I’m a card carrying enthusiast for Zipcar in London and I’ve tried out (and just rejoined) Flexicar in Melbourne.

The French were fairly pioneering with bicycle sharing and their Velib system has been a big hit. So it’s hardly surprising that with that French urge to do things their own way they’ve come up with a unique car sharing system. Autolib is government run, unlike the Zipcar and Flexicar programmes, and totally electric. In truly French fashion they’ve also come up with their own unique Bolloré cars. Why didn’t they just buy Nissan Leafs or Mitsubishi i-MiEVs? How on earth do the economics work? The French are astonishing!