Could France become the leader in electric vehicle technology?
And what does that mean for the future of sustainable urban
mobility? Photo by Lea Marzloff. Could the City of Lights soon
become the City of Electric Cars? Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoë,
building on the success of the city’s popular Vélib curbside
bike rental scheme, is planning to deploy a fleet of 2,000
electric cars that customers can pick up and drop off at rental
stands around the city. Another 2,000 vehicles will be offered
in two dozen surrounding cities. The green scheme, dubbed
Autolib (short for “automobile” and “liberté”), is scheduled for
launch as early as the end of 2010, although city officials say
the startup date could be closer to mid-2011. Advocates say the
system would reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 22,000 tons a
year while improving traffic congestion as fewer Paris residents
would need to own cars. It would be the first major city to
offer such a service. “This could revolutionize transport,”
Delanoë told French radio sta