Volkswagen will be offering electric car-sharing for its customers in the next two years. The vehicle-on-demand service will be first offered in Germany from 2019 onwards and will be then internationally rolled out in other major cities in Europe, North America and Asia as well. Volkswagen has confirmed that the car-sharing fleet will consist entirely of electric vehicles. Additionally, Volkswagen will also offer what are known as micro-mobility solutions/services such as a parking app or location based services, ride hailing, pooling services and so on.
"We are convinced that the car sharing market still has potential. That is why we are entering this market with a holistic single-source concept covering all mobility needs from the short journey that takes just a few minutes to the long vacation trip. Our vehicle-on-demand fleets will consist entirely of electric cars, and will therefore provide zero-emission, sustainable mobility. That is an intelligent way to relieve the strain on urban areas", Volkswagen Brand Board Member for Sales, Jurgen Stackmann explained at an event held in Berlin.
The company recently showcased the I.D. Cityskater and the I.D. Streetmate vehicles, which could be a part of the e-mobile solutions that it will be rolling out from 2019 onwards. The vehicle-on-demand services will be available on the Volkswagen WE platform that will be managed by UMI urban Mobility International GmbH. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Volkswagen GT and is led by Philip Rath, who is the CEO of the company. The company has already started operations with a team of 30 people.
