Communauto launches one-way FLEX carsharing service in Hamilton

HAMILTON - The City of Hamilton and Communauto, the oldest and largest Canadian carsharing organization, are announcing the launch of a new carsharing service in Hamilton: Communauto FLEX.

Starting today, a fleet of 25 FLEX cars will be deployed in an area covering 12 square kilometers, across Wards 1, 2, and 3. The launch of the service was made possible by City Council’s approval last year of the Free-Floating CarShare Pilot Program. The one-way FLEX service is an addition to Communauto’s existing round-trip station-based service, which has been operating in the city for nearly 13 years.

With the addition of FLEX service, Communauto be will providing a total of 60 carshare vehicles for members in Hamilton - 35 round-trip vehicles, and 25 one-way FLEX vehicles.

“Communauto is proud to be able to launch FLEX service in Hamilton, and nearly double the fleet size available for residents in the city,” said Benoît Robert, CEO of Communatuo. “Communauto aims to offer a sustainable and economical alternative to car ownership, in complement to transit and active mobility. By adding FLEX vehicles to our offer in Hamilton, it’s another great addition that further develops mobility options in the city.”

“One of the City’s key strategic priorities is expanding transportation options to residents, and we are very pleased to do so today with the launch of the new free-floating carshare pilot program, Communauto FLEX,” said Mayor Fred Eisenberger. “This program gives residents more flexibility in how they get around by providing people access to a vehicle without the need to book in advance, allowing Hamiltonians to choose the most appropriate method of transport for their trip. Thank you to our Sustainable Mobility team and our partners at Communauto for bringing this program to life.”

Communauto FLEX: a new flexible mobility option

One-way FLEX service, or free-floating carsharing, is accessed by members through the Communauto app. Available vehicles appear on the map, and can be blocked for use, with a free 30 minutes given to reach the vehicle and begin a trip. Users can make stopovers, run errands, or make out-of-town trips with the vehicles. Once they’re done, they just have to park the vehicle in an on-street parking spot in the FLEX Zone, where free-floating carshare parking is allowed. Then, the vehicle becomes available on the app again for the next user.

FLEX service is geared towards short, one-way trips, and users can easily be spontaneous, where the existing round-trip service is well-suited to multi-hour or longer trips, and vehicles must be reserved in advance (also through the Communauto app) before use.

Users of FLEX vehicles will continue to have access to Communauto’s affordable driving rates. The base Open plan FLEX service has no monthly fee, and its usage costs $0.41/minute, $10/hour, or $50/day. Each trip has 75 kms included in the price, and additional kms are billed at $0.21/km. Other rate plans are also offered, allowing members to use cars for as little as $2.95/hour, plus $0.27/km, with fuel and maintenance included.