AutoLib green car rental scheme hit by vandalism in Paris

One month after its launch there are reports that Paris’ innovative car rental scheme has been hit by vandalism problems. One quarter of the 200 cars have had to be withdrawn as a result of vandalism and break downs, leaving just 150 cars in circulation.

http://www.thelocal.fr/2170/20120102/

A rough start indeed. But I remain faithful that AuotLib will *must* succeed.

Yaaaay!!!! :) I tried the AutoLib yesterday for the first time and it’s incredible!!! I already love it. It officially launched on Monday of this week in Paris.

If you haven’t heard, AutoLib is a pay-as-you-drive electric car rental in Paris. 1200 of them have their own special electric parking spaces around the city. I’m very happy about it because it’s very cost saving, reduces pollution and traffic.

How much does it cost? €5 for 30 minutes (almost same as 2 metro tickets), €10 a day, €15 a week or €144 a year.

Electric car maker Aptera goes belly up:

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/driveon/post/2011/12/electric-car-maker-aptera-goes-belly-up/1

Aptera, once one of the most fascinating electric-car makers on the horizon with a wild egg-shaped, three-wheel prototype, is calling it quits. The company only raised about $40 million of the $150 million it would have needed to get a federal matching grant for its first market-ready four-door electric sedan.

People are always talking about how it would be so much easier to just ride a bus and save money on gas and lessen their carbon footprint. However, I don’t think these people realize how much harder it is for those who have to rely on public transportation than those who actually own a car and can afford to drive it around every day. In Houston, riding a public bus can be a good thing or a very, very bad thing. The buses run every 30 minutes so missing the time when the bus stops by could make you extremely late. Other factors such as an already full bus, traffic, and missing your stop can all have a negative effect on the, traffic, and missing your stop can all have a negative effect on the your riding a public bus. But the people who have their own cars and are able to drive themselves around have it much easier. They don’t have to worry about missing their next bus, getting off at the wrong stop, or forgetting something at home and having the ride the bus the full way back to get it. No, people who are fortunate enough to have cars also have the luxury of not worrying about those things.

Obviously public transportation is a fantastic way to reduce carbon in our environment!
But people like myself would much rather use personal transportation such as a car/scooter to get wherever you want whenever you want.
I only take bus to school now because I CAN´T take my scooter due to that I live in Sweden and there´s snow here.
Also I´m often late to school only because that the busses are late or doesn´t even show up!
A local/global improvement on this would be welcome.

I guess you could say that buses, cabs, subways, etc. are a good way of reducing carbon in our environment than each individual/family using their own cars. The reason why some people would rather take their own car is because of safety, but I’ll look into that later. In places, such as the Philippines, they use transportation such as ‘pedicabs’, which are not gas powered, but more like ‘man powered’. It’s like a bike, with somebody pedaling in the front and normally 1 or 2 people riding in a covered seat type thing, but since people are used to pedal, you could say that in that country, they have a MUCH smaller footprint. I’m not saying that we shouldn’t have cars anymore, because that is a major technological invention, but we should really look at the alternatives. This has been said a lot, but bikes are good to use, especially when cars aren’t necessary for just going down the block or across the street to the store. It’s an environmentally friendly alternative. Here’s a link to a picture of these filipino cabs:

NYC East River Ferries Going Green with Eco-Friendly Upgrades: NY Waterway is introducing new technology to all 31 vessels in its fleet that will reduce emissions of pollutants known as nitrogen oxides by 30 tons each.

As part of the project, diesel oxidation catalysts, or DOCs, will be added to all 31 NY Waterway ferries. The equipment controls emissions by helping the boats burn fuel more efficiently and emit less smoke, Goodman said. In addition, nine of the oldest boats in the fleet will be outfitted with new, more environmentally friendly engines. Currently, the state does not regulate emissions from marine vessels.

http://www.dnainfo.com/20111018/murray-hill-gramercy/east-river-ferries-going-green-with-ecofriendly-upgrades

Are electric vehicles over-hyped? Just as fuel cell vehicles were over-hyped 10 years ago, electric vehicles are in a similar scenario today – but that does not mean they cannot live up to their full potential, industry experts said at a green transport seminar on Wednesday. Panellists at day two of the Clean Energy Expo Asia cautioned electric vehicle (EV) advocates about the need to manage expectations for the future of EVs.

http://www.eco-business.com/features/are-electric-vehicles-over-hyped/

AutoLib latest news: PARIS — On Oct. 8th, Mayor Delanoe invited Parisians to preview the public car service Autlolib with staff on hand for test drives. Ten of the eventual 508 stations within Paris were open to introduce the compact and environmentally friendly electric “Bluecars” produced by French investment group Bolloré. This is another step in Dealnoe’s attempt to reduce traffic within the City of Light.

The idea —The Autolib will officially debut on December 5 following the success of the revolutionary public biking system, the Vélib. The idea, much like the Vélib, is to subscribe to the service and take an eco-friendly car from point A to point B without worrying about parking along congested Parisian streets. The city hopes the system will help remove around 22,000 gas-powered vehicles from the French capital. I’m very happy Paris is embracing this program!

http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/global-observer/autolib-to-liberate-parisian-drivers/119

AutoLib, the pay as you go electric car rental service launches TODAY in Paris!!! The AutoLib project is aimed at reducing the need for the private cars that hog Parisian boulevards as well as offering locals and visitors a chance to discover electric cars. The city of Paris has spent 35 million euros ($47.8 million) in building the car rental stations, while neighboring communes have contributed 50,000 for each station. Just pick up the car at a nearby kiosque, drive to where ever you want to go in the city, and park it in designated green parking spot… and don’t forget to plug the charger in so that the next person find a full battery!