If there is one message that Île-de-France Mobilités has been hammering home for years, it is that public transport is absolutely essential for travel in the Paris region. Metro, RER, bus or tram remain, in the vast majority of cases, the most efficient way to get around.
A car when you need it
But we must also recognize nuances: in the outer suburbs, in rural areas or for certain one-off journeys, the car sometimes remains essential. It is to respond to these specific situations, when we cannot do otherwise, that the region is preparing the launch of a public car-sharing service by 2027.
Car sharing, still discreet in France, consists of renting a car for a few hours or a few days, self-service. No vehicle to Buy, no insurance to manage, no technical inspection to anticipate. We reserve, we drive, we return. The idea of IDFM is to offer an alternative to owning a first, second, or even third vehicle in a household. Because a car that is immobilized most of the time is expensive. Insurance, maintenance, parking… the bill adds up quickly. With car sharing, these constraints disappear.
The region also highlights the impact on public space. A shared car could replace up to three private vehicles. Fewer cars parked permanently means more space freed up for communities. And potentially less traffic and pollution.
The service will be based on a so-called “loop” system. Concretely, subscribers collect and return the car at the same station. It’s less spectacular than “free-floating”, where you leave the vehicle wherever you want, but it’s also simpler to organize. This prevents one neighborhood from finding itself saturated while another lacks cars.
Ultimately, 5,000 vehicles will be deployed throughout the region. They will gradually be electric, according to the announced schedule. The first 500 are expected by the end of 2027. They will be installed mainly on roads and accessible via a subscription or a specific contract. The choice of locations will not be made lightly. Calls for applications will be launched between 2026 and 2027 in order to work with interested communities.
Today, car sharing already exists in Île-de-France… but in a fragmented manner. Some areas are well equipped, others almost not, particularly in the outer suburbs. By taking back control, Île-de-France Mobilités wants to take second place to this solution.
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