The auto manufacturing company has announced its Volkswagen WeShare program, which will be a car sharing program exclusively for electric vehicles. The program will initially be launched in Berlin, with 1,500 cars, all of which are Volkswagen e-Golfs. 500 additional cars are said to be added to the program by next year, which will be Volkswagen e-up! models.
The Volkswagen WeShare program will also handle charging costs to the vehicles, which will be available on-demand. The cars will not have set locations for pick up and drop off, instead, they will have a "free-floating arrangement." This means that users can drop off or pick up a car anywhere public parking is available. This makes a more convenient experience for consumers, however, this model is harder on the company due to logistical reasons.
Image Credit: Volkswagen
What's Driving This Trend
- Electric Vehicle Car Sharing
- The Volkswagen WeShare program highlights the trend of car sharing exclusively for electric vehicles.
- Free-floating Car Sharing
- The free-floating arrangement in the Volkswagen WeShare program disrupts traditional car sharing models by allowing users to pick up and drop off cars anywhere public parking is available.
- Managed Charging Services
- The Volkswagen WeShare program's handling of charging costs introduces a trend of providing managed charging services for electric vehicle car sharing programs.
Who This Affects Most
- Automotive
- The Volkswagen WeShare program presents disruptive innovation opportunities for electric vehicle car sharing within the automotive industry.
- Technology
- The free-floating arrangement in the Volkswagen WeShare program can create disruptive innovation opportunities for technology companies that provide car sharing platforms and solutions.
- Energy
- The managed charging services in the Volkswagen WeShare program open up disruptive innovation opportunities for energy companies that can provide efficient and sustainable charging solutions.
