Elettra: Genoa’s first fully electric car-sharing with Volkswagen
The new service features a fleet of 80 cars, soon to be extended to 100 with the addition of the ID.4. Vehicles can be used either on a “Free Floating” basis, with cars accessed and left anywhere within a certain area, or via the more traditional option of returning the car to the same parking space it was picked up from.
Supported by the Municipality of Genoa and in collaboration with Volkswagen, Elettra Car Sharing is a new shared mobility service promoted by Duferco Energia which has just been launched in Liguria’s regional capital. As part of the project, 80 fully electric vehicles are available to users in the city of Genoa. The fleet comprises e-Up! and ID.3 models supplied by Piave Motori S.p.A, a local dealer with 50 years of history and Sustainability Partner of the initiative, with the support of Volkswagen Italia.
The Brand’s involvement in the initiative is proof of its commitment to accelerating the shift to electric mobility. Its aim is to achieve full carbon neutrality by 2050, as set out in the Way To Zero strategy.
The path to electric
“There is a real revolution in urban mobility underway in Genoa, with the city aiming to make public transport 100% electric by 2025. The car-sharing programme is part of this vision, offering local citizens another option for getting around: a modern, agile and fast alternative - including the booking element,” said Marco Bucci, mayor of Genoa.
Elettra Car Sharing will mean users can travel simply, rapidly and with zero local emissions. The service is designed to be sustainable, but also flexible and tailored to a range of journey requirements.
Flexible hire
The fleet’s electric cars are also suitable for novice drivers, are available throughout the city and can be rented 24/7 via a dedicated smartphone app.
There are two rental options: Free Floating, a flexible form of rental with no fixed point of pick-up and return, and a traditional mode - Station Based - from a pre-determined parking space. Both services are free to sign up to; users just need to register on the site or via the app to get on the road.
Free Floating
The Free Floating service is based around the e-Up!, the ideal model for cities. There is no need to book in advance and vehicles can be accessed and returned anywhere within a specific area, which currently runs from San Benigno to Boccadasse and comprises the Castelletto, Marassi and San Martino neighboorhoods. In the coming months, the area will be gradually extended.
Users simply need to unlock the car using a QR code to begin driving; the cars have a range of more than 250 km and seat four people. Vehicles can also be selected a few minutes in advance - the time it takes to get to the car and start the rental.
Station Based
The Station Based service, on the other hand, requires advance booking of just 15 minutes. Cars must be picked up at and returned to the same electric parking bay, of which there are 46 located between Pegli and Nervi.
The fleet comprises the e-Up! as well as the five-seater ID.3 Pro Performance, which has a range of 420 km. The Volkswagen ID.4 will also be available as part of the service shortly. The model can travel over 500 km on a single charge and will increase the car-sharing fleet to 100 vehicles.
Accelerating the transition
Elettra Car Sharing vehicles also bring other benefits: they enjoy free access to limited traffic zones and to areas with curbs on stopping; they can also use bus lanes and park for free in the city’s restricted Blue Areas and “Blue Islands”. For a small annual fee users can join Club Elettra and enjoy discounts of up to 20% on the service, as well as benefiting from exclusive deals for members.
Volkswagen’s objective for the future is to fully electrify its range, and it will launch at least one 100% electric model every year. As well as accelerating the shift towards electric mobility, the German car manufacturer is taking an all-round approach to achieve decarbonisation: from production to the car’s useful life through to the final stage of recycling.
Consumption
e-up! (61 kW/83 CV) - Power consumption in kWh/100 km (NEDC): 12.9–12.7 (combined); CO2 emissions in g/km: 0; efficiency class: A+
Volkswagen ID.3: power consumption in kWh/100 km (NEDC): 15.4-13.1 (combined); combined CO2 emissions in g/km: 0; efficiency class: A+
Volkswagen ID.4: power consumption in kWh/100 km (NEDC): 16.9-15.5 (combined); CO2 emissions in g/km: 0; efficiency class: A+