"Nissan Canada,Communauto, and Hydro-Québec have announced the launch of the largest North American all-electric car-sharing service; a service that hasn’t been offered in Quebec before. The project will begin in early 2012,with 50 Nissan LEAFs added to Communauto’s fleet, with 14 of those vehicles available today.
“With this project, Communauto is renewing the innovation of car-sharing and its ability to offer residents of Québec a new way to have access to a car, while taking advantage of the latest environmental technologies,” said Benoît Robert, president and CEO of Communauto. “Starting with our nearly 25,000 members, all citizens of the Québec and Montréal areas will have access to personal electric mobility for only $37 a year, even if they don’t have a parking space to charge the vehicle. Another advantage of car-sharing!”
Québec government and Hydro-Québec set things in motion for the delivery of the Nissan LEAF through their commitment to electric mobility and by the signing of a memorandum of understanding with Nissan.
“Today we are taking an important step towards the electrification of ground transportation and the fulfillment of our Electric Vehicles: 2011-2020 Action Plan launched last April. I am proud of our leadership’s ability to create favorable conditions for the deployment of electric vehicles. Since 98% of our electricity comes from clean, renewable resources, Québec presents a number of advantages for the introduction of electric vehicles. The integration of these vehicles into Communauto’s fleet is another step that confirms Québec’s leadership in energy and the environment,” said Raymond Bernier, Member of the National Assembly on behalf of Nathalie Normandeau, the Minister of Natural Resources and Wildlife.
“Hydro-Québec has been collaborating with Communauto and Nissan for over a year to make this ecologically responsible initiative possible. We are very pleased to be associated with this project that will significantly contribute to the development of electric vehicles in Québec, while offering users our clean, renewable energy. Car-sharing will allow a large number of drivers to appreciate electric-powered vehicles,” added Pierre-Luc Desgagné, Senior Director – Strategic Planning and Government Affairs, Hydro-Québec.
According to Raymond Dion, the president of the Réseau de transport de la Capitale, car-sharing in the city of Québec is a simple solution for those who need a car occasionally.
The first six EVs available in Québec will be located in the parking lots of:City Hall, SIQ in Place d’Youville, the INRS in Saint-Roch and the Ivanhoé Cambridge’s Édifice de la Haute Ville.
Nissan Canada plans to hold up on its end of the bargain by offering technical support directly or through its car dealers: Nissan Park Avenue in the Montréal area and Nissan Beauport in the Québec area.
“Electricity is the new fuel for vehicles, and drivers now have the freedom to choose a future free of emissions and fossil fuels,” said Allen Childs, president of Nissan Canada Inc. “The delivery of the first Nissan LEAFs in Québec is only the beginning of the movement towards sustainable mobility in Canada and we are very pleased to be associated with Communauto. It will allow the greatest number of Québec drivers to have access to this truly innovative vehicle through car-sharing.”
Em: http://nissan-leaf.net/2011/08/24/quebe ... ommunauto/
