WeShare, the electric car-sharing service, débuts in Berlin
The service is already operational: 1,500 Volkswagen e-Golfs will cover a 150 km2 area in the German capital and are powered with energy exclusively from renewable sources.
Car sharing is one of the most popular offerings in the urban mobility sector. Volkswagen has decided to enter the field directly with WeShare, a service that has just been launched in Berlin. Its main feature is that it uses full-electric vehicles, powered entirely with energy from renewable sources: the service is starting out with 1,500 e-Golfs, to be followed by 500 additional e-up! vehicles at the beginning of next year and by the new ID.3 when it is introduced in mid-2020.
An expansion of the service to Prague and Hamburg, in this case operated by ŠKODA, is also planned for 2020.
Made to measure for all users
WeShare is a “free-floating” system without rental stations and is operated digitally via a dedicated app. It si a user-centric, easy to use, green and intuitive car-sharing service. Users must be at least 21 years old and must have held a driving licence for at least 12 months. Other requirements: German residence and a credit card.
Recharging is initially performed by the WeShare staff/ At the beginning, the WeShare vehicles will be charged by WeShare service employees, but in the future users will receive incentives to connect the car to one of Berlin’s public charging stations after they have finished using it. The price is also attractive: in July and August users will benefit from a launch tariff of 19 cents per minute, while from September new rates will be applied, with an average cost of 29 cents per minute.
Digital Ecosystem
WeShare is just one of the cogs in the “Volkswagen We” ecosystem, a platform that pools all the digital services available for users and owners of Volkswagen vehicles.
Some examples? We Park, which allows users to find and pay for parking; We Experience, which gives personalised recommendations on shops, restaurants and activities near to the vehicle; and We Deliver, which makes the user’s boot a delivery point for parcel services. Further services will be implemented in the future, including over the air (OTA) software updates for vehicles.
Source: Volkswagen AG