Communauto
{{Short description|Canadian carsharing company}}
{{primary sources|date=April 2015}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Communauto
| logo =
| type = Private
| genre =
| fate =
| predecessor =
| successor =
| foundation = {{Start date|1994}}
| founder =
| defunct =
| location_city = 1117 rue Sainte-Catherine Ouest, Montréal, Québec
| location_country = Canada
| locations =
| area_served = Quebec: Montreal, Quebec City, Gatineau, Sherbrooke, Trois-Rivières
Ontario: Toronto, Waterloo, Hamilton, London, Guelph, Kingston, Ottawa
And: Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax & Paris, France
| key_people = Benoît Robert (Chairman and CEO)
| industry = Car sharing
| products =
| services = Car sharing
| market cap =
| revenue =
| operating_income =
| net_income =
| aum =
| assets =
| equity =
| owner =
| num_employees = Equivalent to 68 full-time
| parent =
| divisions =
| subsid =
| homepage = [http://www.communauto.com www.communauto.com]
| footnotes =
| intl =
}}
Communauto is a Canadian carsharing company based in Montréal, Québec, Canada, that offers car-sharing services in fifteen Canadian cities and Paris, France. As of March 2018 it had 40,000 users, and a fleet of approximately 2,000 free-floating and station-based vehicles.{{cite press release|title=Pogo Carshare joins Communauto Group|url=http://actualites.communauto.com/en/2018/09/19/pogo-carshare-joins-communauto/}}
Communauto provides automobile reservations to its members, billable by the hour or day; members may have to pay a monthly or annual membership fee in addition to car reservation charges.
Members can reserve vehicles with Communauto's mobile app, online, or by phone at any time, either immediately or up to a month in advance. Communauto members have automated access to the cars using an access card which unlocks the door; or using the mobile application. The keys are already located inside. Communauto may charge a deposit, an annual fee, and a reservation charge, depending on the plan chosen. Fuel, parking, insurance, and maintenance are included in the price.{{cite web |title=How It Works |url=https://montreal.communauto.com/how-it-works/?lang=en |website=Communauto |access-date=18 July 2022 |archive-date=18 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220718204951/https://montreal.communauto.com/how-it-works/?lang=en |url-status=bot: unknown }}
History
File:VRTUCAR 05 2014 Ottawa 8601.JPG
Communauto was founded in Quebec City in 1994 by Benoît Robert, its current CEO. Cycling advocate and environmentalist Claire Morissette played a major role in its evolution starting in 1995, when Communauto established itself in Montreal as a private company.{{cite web |url=http://www.contact.ulaval.ca/article_magazine/profil-dun-diplome-benoit-robert-842/ |title=Profil d'un diplômé: Benoît Robert |last=Ouellet |first=Danielle |date=Fall 2008 |website=Le magazine Contact |publisher=Université Laval |access-date=29 September 2022 |quote=}} As of 2017, the company had close to 50,000 users and over 2,000 vehicles.{{cite web |url=https://actualites.uqam.ca/2017/prix-reconnaissance-benoit-robert-president-fondateur-de-communauto/ |title=Pionnier de l'autopartage |last=Caza |first=Pierre-Etienne |date=25 April 2017 |website=Actualités UQAM |publisher= |access-date=29 September 2022 |quote=}}
Communauto acquired Paris, France-based Mobizen in 2012,[http://www.metrofrance.com/x/metro/2008/10/15/Pbg3Jei9gHxlU/index.xml Metro France – "Communauto, l'Autolib' québécois" (FRENCH)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081019133559/http://www.metrofrance.com/x/metro/2008/10/15/Pbg3Jei9gHxlU/index.xml |date=2008-10-19 }} merged with Ottawa-based VRTUCAR in 2016,{{cite news |author= |title=Communauto and Vrtucar merge to improve carsharing offer in Eastern Canada Français |url=https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/communauto-and-vrtucar-merge-to-improve-carsharing-offer-in-eastern-canada-564837101.html |date=2016-01-11 |access-date=2019-11-05}} and acquired CarShare Atlantic in 2018.{{cite news |author= |title=Growing Halifax's first carshare business |url=https://www.thechronicleherald.ca/business/growing-halifaxs-first-carshare-business-269529/ |date=2018-12-18 |access-date=2019-11-05}}
Communauto's goal is to provide a convenient and economical alternative to owning a car.
In June 2022, Communauto expanded to the city of Trois-Rivières.{{cite news |last1=Beaulieu Veilleux |first1=Geneviève |title=Communauto s'implante à Trois-Rivières |url=https://www.lenouvelliste.ca/2022/06/15/communauto-simplante-a-trois-rivieres-40f9b4c1b95c6e0351adcee17eef5bda |access-date=18 July 2022 |publisher=La Nouvelliste |date=Jun 15, 2022 |archive-date=18 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220718204147/https://www.lenouvelliste.ca/2022/06/15/communauto-simplante-a-trois-rivieres-40f9b4c1b95c6e0351adcee17eef5bda |url-status=bot: unknown }}
Membership
Communauto has various membership plans for its members; they are suited for different kinds of users, from infrequent users to frequent users.
Services
Communauto offers two kinds of vehicles: round-trip vehicles and Flex vehicles. Round-trip vehicles must be returned to their station after use, and are best suited for planned trips. FLEX vehicles, only offered in some cities, can be picked up and dropped off within a designated area. They are best suited for spontaneous or one-way trips.
Fleet
Communauto has various vehicles available in its fleet. However, the majority of vehicles available are compact and sub-compact vehicles. File:Communauto UdeM.jpg]]
= Common vehicles in the Communauto fleet =
== Sedan ==
== Hatchback ==
= SUV =
City coverage and partnerships
Communauto operates as Communauto (VRTUCAR) in six cities in Ontario{{snd}}Waterloo, Hamilton, London, Guelph, Kingston, and Toronto.{{cite news|last=Carcasole |first=Mark |date=November 23, 2018|title=Toronto's first free-floating car share ready to launch|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/4693278/toronto-free-floating-car-share-communauto/|publisher=Global News}} It operates as Communauto in five cities in Quebec{{snd}}Montreal, Quebec City, Trois-Rivières, Gatineau and Sherbrooke, Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax, Ottawa, and Paris, France.
Communauto's users-per-vehicle ratio can rise in winter to 20 users per vehicle and drops to about 15 users per vehicle in summer.
In Paris, France, the company signed a partnership in May 2017 with the local public-transport operator, RATP Group.{{Cite web |date=2017-05-16 |title=Le groupe RATP annonce sa prise de participation dans Communauto Paris |url=https://paris.communauto.com/ratp-communauto/ |access-date=2022-03-27 |website=Communauto Paris |language=fr-FR}} As of May 2019, 200 cars are available across 100 sites located in Paris and close suburbs.{{Cite web |title=Communauto, l'application des véhicules en libre-service ! {{!}} RATP |url=https://www.ratp.fr/services-aux-voyageurs/communauto-lapplication-des-vehicules-en-libre-service |access-date=2022-03-27 |website=www.ratp.fr}}
In 2023, Peg City Car Co-op, a car sharing service operating in Winnipeg, Manitoba, announced a partnership with Communauto to handle the creation of the Peg City Car Co-op app.{{Cite web |author=Gabrielle Piché |date=2023-05-17 |title=Peg City Car Co-op puts faith, new fleet into free-floating service |url=https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/2023/05/17/peg-city-car-co-op-puts-faith-new-fleet-into-free-floating-service |access-date=2023-11-09 |website=Winnipeg Free Press |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Marks |first=Jacob |date=2023-08-14 |title=Winnipeggers take to Peg City Car Co-op as fleet, user base grows |url=https://blog.acu.ca/winnipeggers-take-to-peg-city-car-co-op-as-fleet-user-base-grows/ |access-date=2023-11-09 |website=Asterisk |language=en-CA}}
Impact
The impact of carsharing in Quebec was evaluated in a study from Communauto and conducted by Tecsult Inc. in 2006. With an estimated 168,000 tons of {{CO2}} emissions eliminated per year as a result of carsharing.{{cite press release|title=CO2 emissions reduced by 168 000 tons per year thanks to car-sharing|url=http://www.communauto.com/premiereetude_ENG.html|access-date=29 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140622022254/http://www.communauto.com/premiereetude_ENG.html|archive-date=22 June 2014}}
Cyber Attack
On January 8, 2021, Communauto notified customers that it has been the victim of a cyber attack.{{cite web |title=Communauto has been the victim of a cyber attack |url=https://mailchi.mp/1eb29804a688/communauto-has-been-the-victim-of-a-cyber-attack?e=801422f722 |website=us9.campaign-archive.com}} CEO Benoit Robert assured that no potentially sensitive data including account passwords or credit card information were accessed.
References
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External links
{{Portal|Canada}}
- [http://www.communauto.com/index_en.html Communauto official website]
{{Vehicle rental brands}}
Category:1994 establishments in Quebec
Category:Companies based in Montreal
Category:Transport companies established in 1994
Category:Privately held companies of Canada