Testing the car sharing market

The Bluesummer will help shape the rules of car sharing

WHEELS recently reported how Chevrolet is testing car-sharing habits at a university in China as the world’s car makers adapt to the next generation of buyers in the northern hemisphere who would rather share a ride than own a car.

Now PSA Peugeot Citroën has announced it will make and distribute Bolloré Bluesummer electric
cars for young drivers to share.

The companies issued a statement that their strategic co-operation agreement “reflects the two group’s shared commitment to sustainable mobility” and is also aligned with their “common goal of becoming a leading player in the carsharing market”.

The statement predicts car sharing will account for a significant portion of the new mobility economy, alongside public transport solutions.

The electric vehicle that will be distributed by PSA Peugeot Citroën is the Bluesummer, a four-seat cabriolet designed by Bolloré, with an urban driving range of 200 kilometres.

The Bluesummer will be assembled at PSA Peugeot Citroën’s plant in Rennes from September, with installed capacity of 15 vehicles per day for a maximum of 3 500 vehicles per year.

The two groups will initially put the car up for sharing in Europe and later via the creation of a joint venture designed to deploy carsharing solutions worldwide.

Bolloré has several electric vehicles — the Bluecar, Bluesummer, Bluebus and Bluetram — ready for future vehicle sharing schemes. It also operates an electric vehicle carsharing network in several cities in France and abroad, via dedicated subsidiaries.

PSA Peugeot Citroën has set up various carsharing operations since 2013, with an offer designed for businesses in France and, via its Citroën brand, in Germany (Multicity Berlin). In addition, the Peugeot brand launched a short-term rental offer in 2009 — Mu by Peugeot.

Carlos Tavares, chairperson of the Managing Board of PSA Peugeot Citroën commented: “The agreement signed between our two companies reflects the vision that Vincent Bolloré and I share of clean, sustainable mobility solutions that enable us to provide our customers with the freedom to get around, which we consider a fundamental right in today’s society.”

Vincent Bolloré, chairperson and CEO of Bolloré, said: “We are very proud of this partnership founded on industry, innovation and environmental stewardship.

“It’s a step forward in the development of mass-market electric vehicles.”