The municipality of Grenoble, France debuts the Cité Lib by Ha:Mo urban mobility project on the 1st of October. The Cité Lib by Ha:Mo is an experimental project aimed at testing the efficiency of a new urban mobility paradigm based on share vehicles. The project involves no less than 70 Toyota i-Road electric leaning trikes, vehicles which blend the comfort and weather protection of cars with the small profile, efficiency and agility of motorcycles in a package which is much easier to operate than a motorbike.
Cité Lib by Ha:Mo is dedicated to all holders of a valid driving license, meaning you must be at least 18 years old to be allowed to operate an i-Road on the streets of Grenoble. The project is based on a sharing scheme, with 27 stations (so far) across the city, and more stations are expected during the 3-year-long experiment. The total of charging points has already reached 120 in Grenoble, a city in the south-east of France, with over 157,000 inhabitants.
How does it work?
Those willing to use the leaning electric Toyota trikes must register with Cité Lib and download an application on their smartphone. This application will show them the available vehicles which are ready to use in the city, so they can reach the nearest station more easily or even plan ahead their urban scramble.
One of the really cool thing about the Cité Lib by Ha:Mo is that the electric trike users can leave the vehicles in any of the charging stations. The recently parked i-Road is being recharged and the system will display it as available for rental the moment charging will be complete. The project is aimed at reducing congestion on the streets of the French metropolis by inviting commuters to use these share electric vehicles in their way to work or around the town.
Customers can pick an i-Road from the nearest station to their home and drop it off at a place near their work or local transport hub before using another type of transportation in their journey, if needed.
How much is the fish?
Given the low per mile cost of running an electric vehicle, the price is quite cool, with multiple reductions being operated as the usage period is extended. Using the Cité Lib by Ha:Mo’s Toyota i-Road is parsed in 15-minute units. For the first 15 minute users will have to pay €3 ($3.85), with the price for the next 15 minutes dropping to €2 ($2.6), and the third 15-minute session being as low as €1 ($1.3). If the users take trips longer than 45 minutes, the price will drop even more.
The Toyota i-Road can accommodate 2 persons with minimal luggage or a rider with a more ample luggage. The vehicle is equipped with Toyota’s Active Lean technology which emulates the movement of skiing downhill. Two hub motors are installed in the front wheels and the i-Road has rear wheel steering.
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