Communauto expanding in Montreal to meet growing demand

In order to meet the growing demand of car sharing observed throughout the island, Communauto and the City of Montreal announced that the service is set to expand this year.

Montrealers should see more than 1,100 Communauto cars added across the island, the development of zone stations, and the arrival of the service in Lachine — which will be a new FLEX zone.

“We are very proud to offer Montrealers additional, fast and efficient transportation options,” said Valérie Plante, mayor of Montreal in a news release by Communauto Inc on Monday. “Communauto is a leading partner in reducing the number of cars on our roads, considering that each self-service car replaces between seven and 11 vehicles.”

The vehicles will gradually be added over the year, including 900 in station and 200 in FLEX mode, they say.

“The City of Montreal is a leading player in the development of car sharing,” said Sophie Mauzerolle in the news release, executive committee member in charge of mobility and transportation. “We are pleased that this expansion contributes to diversifying the mobility options offered to citizens, to reducing the use of solo cars, to decongest our roads and decarbonize our transportation, while improving the quality of life of Montrealers.”

The new cars, will also include 85 electric cars and 70 minivans.

Towards the end of the year, 400 vehicles are set to be replaced with newer models.

“We are delighted to be able to count on the support of the City of Montreal,” said Benoît Robert in the release, president and founder of Communauto. “Without this support, it would be impossible for us to play our role effectively.”

“By joining forces,” he added. “We aim to offer greener and more convenient transportation solutions, helping to shape a more sustainable future for our city and its residents.”

According to the news release, Communauto had already expanded its vehicle fleet in Montreal in 2023 by adding 900 vehicles. Bringing the total number of vehicles in the city to 3,700 — with the expansion this year, the new total should be 4,800.

They say that these additions allowed 14 per cent of Montreal households to use Communauto services, an increase of 22 per cent compared to the previous year.

These households reportedly made 2.9 million reservations, traveling 95 million kilometers.