Car-sharing: Vulog wants to make Lyon its showcase

It has now been fifteen years since the start-up Vulog has been talked about in the world of mobility with its technological platform which allows operators to launch and operate fleets of vehicles (cars, scooters, bicycles, scooters ) on all continents.

The Nice company, which raised 26 million euros at the start of the year, is working with Stellantis, Toyota, Volkswagen, Hyundai or Kia, which have taken the turn of mobility in recent years in order to anticipate the decline in sales. vehicles and meet the new needs of city dwellers.

Lyon, a showcase

Vulog could have been content to play the intermediaries. But the scale-up has decided to move up the value chain and will launch, this Wednesday, in Lyon and Villeurbanne, its own car-sharing solution. The service is called “Leo & Go” and will have a fleet of 300 vehicles (Toyota Yaris and Peugeot e-208). It will be intended for the general public, but also for businesses and administrations. Leo & Go will operate in “free floating” and will be available at a price of 30 cents per minute of use.

“We are convinced that we have to drastically change the way we travel in order to reduce our carbon footprint. However, we find that things are not moving fast enough ”, observes Gregory Ducongé, the boss of Vulog.

“Cities do not always understand the value of car-sharing because they fear that it will compete with public transport. Operators are also sometimes afraid to get started because they are afraid of not reaching the break-even point, ”he continues.

After careful consideration, Vulog decided to take the plunge. “The best way to demonstrate that car-sharing is possible and that it can have a positive impact on cities is to have its own service,” says the entrepreneur.

The start-up is getting its hands dirty in Lyon (Rhône), but ensures that it does not have a vocation to deploy elsewhere. The capital of the Gauls should rather serve as a showcase for its know-how. Vulog will be able to test its latest innovations there for its existing customers and will try to convince new ones to collaborate with it by taking them to Lyon.

A city that wants to transform

The choice to settle in the second city of France, became obvious. “It is a city that has the will to transform,” says Grégory Ducongé. In June 2020, Lyon elected an environmentalist mayor who wants to reduce the place of private cars. A low-emission zone has also been set up to fight against pollution, and the Lyon metropolis intends to limit traffic speeds to 30 km / h in 2022.

A year ago, Bluely, Bolloré’s car-sharing service, left the market. Vulog will face competition from Lyon Parc Auto (Citiz and Yea !). The company Wesk (Shaary) also wants to deploy a fleet in the city, believes “Le Progrès”