Toyota's HaMo urban mobility carsharing program comes to France

We're guessing no one's nuts enough to try to take one of Toyota's three-wheeled leaning electric i-Road vehicles up into the French Alps. Still, the town of Grenoble, France, which sits at the foot of the mountains, has received 35 of those vehicles as part of a carsharing pilot program. Toyota's thrown in 35 four-wheel Auto Body COMS vehicles into the program as well.

Grenoble, which is about 200 miles north of Marseille, was presumably chosen because of existing carsharing programs run by Cite-lib. This program, dubbed "Cit lib by Ha:mo," goes a little more futuristic, though, as it's part of what Toyota calls its "Ha:mo" plan (Ha:mo is short for "harmonious mobility"). The program will run for three years and includes 27 charging stations near bus lines and train stations. The public will be charged anywhere from three to 19 euros ($3.80 to $24.50 US) to use the vehicles for between 15 minutes and four hours. The good news is that drivers can pick up the vehicles in one location and drop them off in another.

Toyota started testing the i-Road vehicles in Toyota City, Japan, this past March. The trike is about three feet wide and has a top speed of 28 miles per hour. Check out Toyota's press release below and read AutoblogGreen's "First Drive" impressions of the i-Road here. Show full PR text "Cit lib by Ha:mo", a New Type of Urban Mobility Based on Ultra-Compact Electric Vehicles Connected to Public Transport, Launches in Grenoble, France

This innovative car-sharing service aims to prepare the City and agglomeration of Grenoble for electric mobility within a comprehensive multi-modal mobility plan.

The three-year trial project brings together the competencies and services of five partners: the City of Grenoble, the Metro Area, French electricity company EDF and its affiliate Sodetrel, Toyota, and Cit lib, the local car-sharing operator.

35 three-wheel Toyota i-ROAD and 35 four-wheel Toyota Auto Body COMS will be available for short city trips in 27 charging stations installed and operated by Sodetrel - including for one-way trips from one station to another. A total of 120 charging points for the project and 41 for other plug-in vehicles will be added to the city's transport infrastructure.

A simple pricing plan dubbed "3, 2, 1 euros" for respectively the first, second and third 15-minute increments will be proposed to Grenoble citizens. For annual local transport card subscribers, the price will be reduced, at 2+ 1 euro for respectively the first and subsequent 15-minute increments.
Cit lib by Ha:mo service starts on 1 October 2014.

Grenoble, 12 September 2014 - The clean city of tomorrow will see personal electric mobility harmoniously connected to public transport systems. By sharing this vision, five partners - the City of Grenoble, France, its metropolitan area Grenoble-Alpes Metropole, EDF and its affiliate Sodetrel, Toyota Motor Corporation and Cit lib - launched today a new service called "Cit lib by Ha:mo".
This new service is innovative in several ways :

-It's not just another car-sharing service. By offering a new type of mobility based on ultra-compact electric vehicles, the service aims to complement Grenoble's public transport network with a solution for short-trips - including one-way trips - that can be planned as part of overall city journeys.
-The vehicles and the charging stations are seamlessly connected to the IT infrastructure of Grenoble's transport network, offering both route planning and online/mobile app reservations.
-Users can pick-up one of the 70 vehicles and drop it off at any station near their destination without having to return it to the original pickup point. They will only be charged for the ride.
-It features 35 Toyota i-ROAD, the largest number in service in the world. The Toyota i-ROAD is an innovative, fun-to-drive three-wheel personal mobility vehicle equipped with revolutionary Active Lean technology that emulates the movements of a skier. The i-ROAD is as agile as a scooter with the enclosed-canopy comfort of a car. Thirty-five four-wheel vehicles, Toyota Auto Body's COMS, will also be part of the project.
-The service eliminates the need to look for a parking place. In addition, the compactness of the vehicles makes it easier to plan and build parking and charging infrastructure.

With this new service, the Grenoble metro area continues its tradition of innovation and becomes the trial stage for what will be tomorrow's urban mobility. "Grenoble draws its strength from its capacity to accompany emerging initiatives and turn them into successes for everyone's benefit. By proposing a new clean mobility solution that complements bicycling and public transport, the trial 'Cit lib by Ha:mo' is in direct line with this tradition," comments Jacques Wiart, Deputy Mayor in charge of Mobility and Urban Transport at the City of Grenoble.

Grenoble-Alpes Metropole, which runs the area's public transport network, believes it's important to promote the switch to different modes of mobility for trips people are obliged to make - for instance going to work, school, or running a business. This would substantially contribute to the reduction of CO2 emissions and improve air quality. "The project 'Cit lib by Ha:mo' is only a start, but we believe it has the potential to encourage our citizens' active participation in the creation of tomorrow's mobility, and it goes in the direction we want to take," says Christophe Ferrari, President of Grenoble-Alpes Metropole.
EDF has been doing research and innovating since its beginnings and is very proud to participate in the Grenoble project by bringing its competencies in terms of electrical charging infrastructure and its know-how in energy management. "Energy transition leads us to create and develop innovative solutions for low-carbon mobility in order to improve the quality of life of people in local communities. That is the very meaning of this unique trial project for EDF and its partners," says Jean-Pierre Fr mont, Director of Public Markets for EDF. EDF Group's participation in the project demonstrates its commitment to developing low-carbon mobility as a provider of electric mobility services. EDF Group, together with its affiliate Sodetrel, aims to support all its customers - public, corporate and private - to move towards environmentally-friendly, less noisy and CO2-free modes of transport.

Toyota is not only contributing the 70 electric vehicles to the project. It is also responsible for the car-sharing management system - called Ha:mo (for Harmonious Mobility) - which it has been piloting in its home town of Toyota City in Japan. Toyota considers that electric vehicles are part of the overall solution for low-carbon transport and are especially suited to short-distance, urban journeys. Hybrids, plug-in hybrids and fuel cell vehicles will prove more practical for longer trips. "This project came to fruition because all of its partners have the same aspiration - we all want to be a part of creating a future urban mobility. Urban mobility solutions will be a key growth area for Toyota in the future. We are very excited to be working alongside the people of Grenoble in solving urban traffic problems," says Takeshi Uchiyamada, Chairman of Toyota Motor Corporation.

'Cit lib by Ha:mo' : a simple service accessible to Grenoble citizens
Having operated a car sharing service in Grenoble for nearly 10 years with 80 vehicles (petrol, hybrids, CNG and electric), Cit lib will manage the day-to-day operation of the new service. The additional 35 i-ROAD and COMS will double its fleet and offer a different type of service to its subscribers. "The main advantages for our existing and new users will be the ability to pick-up and drop-off at a different location, and the flexibility of a very small vehicle for short trips," explains Martin Lesage, Director, Cit lib.

Who can use 'Cit lib by Ha:mo'?
- Any person 18 years or older with a valid drivers' license
- Users need to subscribe to Cit lib (www.citelib.com) online or by appointment at one of the three multi-modal transport offices in Grenoble

Where are the charging stations located?
-A total of 27 charging stations are in Grenoble, Fontaine, Gieres, St Martin D'Heres, Seyssinet-Pariset, et La Tronche, close to tram, bus or train stops
-Each station is equipped with at least four spots for i-ROADs and COMS
- Some stations also feature one or two spaces for other EVs and PHVs

How do you reserve a vehicle?
-Once a Cit lib subscriber, you can download an app to your smartphone or tablet (Cit lib by Ha:mo in app stores) or to your PC from www.citelib.com
-With the app, users can see the locations within the city of vehicles that have sufficient charge to be used
-Once a user returns their vehicle to any station and plugs it back in, the vehicle's battery will start charging and use charge will end

How much is the service?
-The service fee is geared towards short trips with a significant discount for annual subscribers to Grenoble's transports (MetroVelo, TAG, Itinisere or even rail with TER)
Length of use Full fare Reduced fare (annual subscribers to M troV lo, TAG, Itinisere or TER)
0 to 15* minutes 3 euros 2 euros
15 to 30 minutes + 2 euros (total = 5 euros) + 1 euro (total = 3 euros)
30 to 45 minutes + 1 euro (total = 6 euros) + 1 euro (total = 4 euros)
45 to 60 minutes + 1 euro (total = 7 euros) + 1 euro (total = 5 euros)
2 hours Total 11 euros Total 9 euros
4 hours Total 19 euros Total 17 euros
*charging occurs for each 15-minute interval

How much does the EV/PHV charging service cost?
-Once the administrative and badging cost of 25 euros is paid, plug-in vehicle users will be able to use the charging service for free until 31 December 2014. From January 2015, a pricing schedule will be offered with costs varying between 2 and 5 euros for an hour of charge, depending on charging speed (normal or fast). Charging time will be limited, especially during daytime hours, in order to discourage prolonged parking and allow maximum access to these parking spots.

'Cit lib by Ha:mo' will open to the public on 1 October 2014 for a three-year period. The project partners will use this trial to collect valuable data on technical aspects and user behaviours, thereby contributing to the future of mobility through a very concrete and practical initiative.

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Notes to editors :

Grenoble-Alpes M tropole : Situated at the heart of an exceptional natural environment in the French Alps, Grenoble and its metropolitan area provide a great quality of life in a very lively economic area. With 450,000 inhabitants and 49 towns, the metropolitan area's mission is to organise mobility, economic development, environmental protection and promotion as well as to manage housing and urban social programs. The area is to become in 2015 one of the 12 French metro areas designated by the French government as "major economic development hubs" with increased competencies.

EDF group, one of the leaders in the European energy market, is an integrated energy company active in all areas of the business: generation, transmission, distribution, energy supply and trading. The Group is the leading electricity producer in Europe. In France, it has mainly nuclear and hydropower generation facilities where 95.9% of the electricity output is CO2-free. EDF's transmission and distribution subsidiaries in France operate 1,285,000 km of low and medium voltage overhead and underground electricity lines and around 100,000 km of high and very high voltage networks. The Group is involved in supplying energy and services to approximately 28.5 million customers in France. The Group generated consolidated sales of €75.6 billion in 2013, of which 46.8% outside of France. EDF is listed on the Paris Stock Exchange and is a member of the CAC 40 index.

SODETREL, a wholly-owned subsidiary of EDF SA, is a partner to public local governments and companies for the development of innovative electric mobility solutions. SODETREL is an operator of charging services including conception, installation, management and maintenance of charging infrastructures for electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles. SODETREL manages in real-time several hundred charging infrastructures and brings its expertise to propose intelligent, reliable and efficient charging solutions. SODETREL also offers an EV car-sharing solution, complete with infrastructure, vehicles and management system. SODETREL is a French leader in battery rental and maintenance for public electric transport and the provision of the first/last urban mile.

Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) is a leading global automobile manufacturer. In 1997, it started the commercialisation of the first mass-produced hybrid vehicle, the Prius and has since sold more than 6.5 million hybrid vehicles in the world. It manufactures a complete range of vehicles, from cars to luxury vehicles to commercial trucks and mini-vehicles, with its subsidiaries Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd and Hino Motors, Ltd. Toyota produces vehicles in 60 manufacturing sites globally and employs 330,000 people. For more information, please visit www.toyota-global.com.

Toyota Motor Europe NV/SA (TME) oversees the wholesale sales and marketing of Toyota and Lexus vehicles, parts and accessories, and Toyota's European manufacturing and engineering operations. Toyota directly and indirectly employs around 94,000 people in Europe and has invested over EUR 8 billion since 1990. Toyota's operations in Europe are supported by a network of 30 National Marketing and Sales Companies across 56 countries, a total of around 3,000 sales outlets, and nine manufacturing plants. In 2013, Toyota sold 847,540 Toyota and Lexus vehicles in Europe. For more information, visit www.toyota-europe.com

Cit lib is a cooperative operator of car-sharing in Grenoble where it has been operating for 10 years. Cit lib is a member of the Citiz network, the first cooperative network of car-sharing in France. Established in 2002 under the name France Auto-Partage, today it gathers 15 local independent operators. This network is now present in around 50 cities in France, allowing more than 15,000 members to share more than 700 vehicles based in more than 300 pickup locations. Featured GalleryToyota i-ROAD and COMS in Grenoble
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