Paris Mayor Plans Self-Serve Electric Car Pools
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden 
on 03.26.08
Photo courtesy David Megginson at flickr
Paris' Velib bike self-serve systems, with 10,000 cycles at 750 locations, seems to be a hit even though it's not free.
So Parisian mayor Bertrand Delanoe (up for re-election) says if re-elected he is planning to both beef up public transport and next year start a similar self-service electric and/or hybrid-electric car system called autolib. Starting with about 2,000 cars and 300 free re-charging stations at various points in the city, the system might reduce car congestion and parking issues but be considered competition with Parisian taxi drivers. Car-sharing subscriber programs already exist in the city, and this service, modeled on a eponymous car sharing program in Lyon, is expected to cost around 250 Euros ($388) each month - cheaper than the total cost of car ownership, says the Mayor's office. Norwegian THINK is preparing a bid for the project. Via ::Wikio (French)
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Paris Mayor has been reelected last week and Autolib is set to be launched in 2009. If the Police Prefecture agrees, the city may let these "clean" cars be driven in the bus lanes...
In the meantime, the Velib system offers 20.600 bikes at 1450 locations.