Paris has become the first city worldwide to utilise electric vehicles in a car-share scheme.

Airport news for Car Rental,Travel on 03/10/2011.

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The recently launched program was modelled after the city’s super successful bicycle sharing program. And this week the car-sharing scheme got underway as the electric vehicles appeared on a number of Paris’ streets. In addition to being the first, the city also said it aimed to make the program the biggest of its kind.

Autolib was started by prominent business figure Vincent Bollore, who is has ties with French President Nicolas Sarkozy. Bollore Group launched the scheme with just a two-month trial program this week, which includes some 60 electric vehicles around the city with 10 charging stations available.

By 5 December, the city plans to expand the program to 250 of the four-seat, eco-friendly vehicles and by June 2012 is slated to utilise around 2,000 in more than 40 municipalities across the city.

Mayor of Paris Annick Lepetit said that the new system would complement the current public transport network as well as local taxis in a statement during the public launch.

Bollore’s group behind the scheme is hoping to attract around 80,000 users, which it says is required to make it profitable. Use of the cars is available via an annual subscription of 12 euros per month.

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