Recife inaugurates Brazil's first electric car-sharing system

Today, December 15th, the first system for sharing eletric cars of Brazil.

Following the trend seen in cities like Paris, Berlin and London, the system known as use car sharing (from English – car-sharing) the initial testing phase begins. At the moment, only 20 people, previously selected, will be able to use the vehicles that will be in three stations in the city.

The vehicles are compact 100% electric cars manufactured by the Chinese company Zhidou, with autonomy to run up to 100 Km and ability to take 2 people. The cars are monitored, and like the points, they maintain a direct connection with the command center where the movement is controlled.

The initiative is an alternative, already tested and successful in other cities, in the search for sustainability and for relieving traffic in large cities. O carsharing is a vehicle rental model in which the customer rents the car for the number of hours used, that is, specific for quick use. For this, the customer enters into a long-term contract with the carsharing, which allows you to use company cars without the intervention of a company agent. The main objective of this service is to reduce the excessive use of the car, reducing the emission of carbon dioxide through the sharing of vehicles, which are scattered throughout the city.

Anyone who wants to use the electric car for the first time will have to register in person at the Porto Digital office to receive instructions and sign a liability waiver for any charges for damages or fines. Then you will need to download the application light port, which will allow the removal of the vehicle at the stations.

“If the driver of the reservation chooses to offer a ride to a user also registered in the system, the value will be divided between the two”, informs the company. According to her, route sharing will be possible because, before picking up the car, the user will inform at which station they will return the car. The system itself, managed by the Serttel, will check if there is another person interested in the route.

To use the electric car, you will need to make a plan monthly in the amount of R$30, to be charged to the credit card. In addition to this amount, the user pays a R$20 for a 30-minute ride. If the driver exceeds this time, he will be charged R$ 0,75 per minute.

Each month the service will be opened to 20 more people and already in March 2015, three new stations will be inaugurated.

The loan system is part of the technology park project Digital Port and its operation will be similar to the one implemented for bicycles, popular in several Brazilian capitals.