Communauto to expand fleet, bring flex service to Lachine

Car-sharing service Communauto announced a major expansion in Montreal on Monday, adding more than 1,100 vehicles to its fleet and bringing its flex service into the Lachine borough.

The flex model allows drivers to pick up and drop off cars anywhere within Communauto's service area.

The service will also add more stations in Dorval, Cartierville, Montréal Nord, Rivière-des-Prairies and to Bois-Franc.

Communauto president Benoit Robert said 14 per cent of Montreal households use Communauto. It now operates in 17 boroughs, as well as Laval and Longueuil, and is continuing to expand.

"Often, we start with a smaller zone in an area where we want to break the ice, and this is followed by an extension of the zone. We've done the same thing in Bois Franc, Cartierville. Communauto is developing on a stepwise basis because it's useless to be in an area where demand is not there," said Robert.

Communauto is aiming to add 900 station-based vehicles by the summer and 200 flex-based vehicles by the fall, including more minivans.

The new vehicles will come in addition to the company's fleet of 4,800 cars in the Montreal area. 

"I'm looking forward to the day we talk about 10,000 or even 20,000 cars," said Robert.