Jaunted - Tag: velib bikes

Paris, Australia Plan Velib-syle Public Electric Car Networks

Victor Ozols — 2008-11-08T13:19:14-05:00

Electric cars seem like a great idea, but its hard to believe they'll ever really catch on with the driving public without some serious incentives. Officials in France and Australia, however, think they have it figured out: they plan to launch low-priced electric car sharing networks modeled after the wildly successful bike-sharing program Velib. Autolib will station 4,000 battery-powered electric cars in and around Paris, with users paying a monthly membership fee of between 20 and 30 euros and rental fees of between four to five euros per hour for the cars. To go along with the rollout, the city plans to install 1,400 electric charging stations, so you'll never be far from the juice you need to keep going. (After all, electric cars can only operate for an hour or two before they bonk.) A similar effort is going on in Australia, where an outfit called Better Place is working with a Renault-Nissan alliance to introduce electric cars, charging spots, battery exchanges, and renewable energy technology to the good people Down Under. When will all of this be completed? It depends on who you ask. French officials claim their system will be up by 2010 and the Aussies are predicting a 2012 launch, but it's doubtful that automakers will have fleets of acceptable vehicles ready in that time frame. But in any case, it's nice to see zero-emission vehicles get a little encouragement, and we look forward to zipping around Paris or Perth in a snazzy electric car.

[Photo: EV World]

Related Stories:
· Autolib, Paris's Public Electric Car Service [concierge.com]
· Electric Car Network Down Under [psfk.com]
· Better Place [Official Site]
· Electric Car Tours [Jaunted]

Bike Sharing Travel: Options around the World

pbb — 2008-07-18T12:35:18-05:00

Yesterday we happily posted about Velib Bikes and the transformative effect they've had on Paris. But it's hardly the only bike-sharing program in the world; lots of other European cities offer similar schemes.

Instead of covering them all ourselves, we rely on The Bike-Sharing Blog, an aggregator of public cycling news from a consulting firm that specializes in the subject. Perhaps the coolest thing they've put together? A bike-sharing world map that tracks which cities have programs and gives links to those individual websites. Find it embedded after the jump.

Paris: Bon Anniversaire, Velib!

pbb — 2008-07-17T11:00:17-05:00

Happy belated birthday, Velib! The Parisian bike-sharing program turned one on July 15, and things are still going gangbusters with 1,451 stations, 20,600 bicycles and 3 million subscribers. There's even an iPhone app to help you find the Velib locations closest to you.

While haters will point out that a few dozen people have been injured and even killed while touring the city on Velibs, the environmental impact of the cycle-sharing scheme can't be denied. Biking advocates on the other hand wax poetic about how much nicer the program has made the city for residents and visitors alike.

After the jump, a well-done video about Velib's first year.

Paris: Cruising Paris: Fat Tire Style

CourtScott — 2008-06-06T14:00:01-05:00

Yes, Velib bikes will get you around Paris, but unless you're familiar with the city, you may be too distracted by trying to read rue signs to see the sights. Before you know it your 30 Velib minutes are up and you're racing to find the nearest bike rack.

Enter Fat Tire Bike Tours, the best four hours (and $37) you might spend in Paris. Run by a group of young, in-the-know Americans, they've got a laid back attitude and effortless cool that makes for a surprisingly refreshing guided tour experience.

Adventures of Link: Springtime Pedals

pbb — 2008-04-29T17:17:04-05:00

Yeah, pedals, not petals. Something about this super nice weather has us wanting to rent a bike and ride around some parks. Picnicking and day drinking are, of course, optional.

In Paris, those Velib bikes are the way to go, and other European cities have similar bike-sharing programs. Stateside, Washington, DC is launching a similar program next month, starting with a fleet of 120 bikes. The initiative is called SmartBike DC, though its set-up seems a little less tourist-friendly than some other programs. (Something about a $40 annual fee...)

At NYC's Central Park, you can go official and rent bikes at The Boathouse or just grab one from a tout in Columbus Circle. Oh, and if you shoot a crazy video while biking, do send it our way.

Related Stories:
· Velib [Official Site]
· DC to Launch Nation's First Euro-Style Bikes [AP, via Google]
· Bike Rentals at the Boathouse [Official Site]
· Europe Loves "Free" Bikes [Jaunted]
· Even Americans Can Ride Velibs [Jaunted]

Paris: Paris Gives Tourists Nearly-Free Cars

amandak — 2008-01-08T09:20:01-05:00

After the successful introduction of the nearly free bike rental program called Velib in Paris last year, the city's mayor has just announced they're going to follow it up with a similar scheme using small cars.

The Voiturelib program will involve a fleet of small blue cars at stations around the city. Tourists and residents will both be able to pick up a car without booking ahead, use it for a small charge, then leave it at another station anywhere in Paris. (God knows the one thing Paris needs is more clueless drivers.)

They're going to start the system up with 2,000 cars and see how it works out. We can just imagine the day when tourists hop in all the cars at once and get stuck at the impossible traffic roundabout at the Arc de Triomphe.

Related Stories:
· Paris to Offer Public Electric Cars [Jamble]
· Velib Bike Rentals Super Popular in Paris [Jaunted]
· One Velib, Si'l Vous Plait [Jaunted]

[Photo: ohad*]

Europe Loves "Free" Bikes

pbb — 2007-10-29T09:20:01-05:00

We know all about Paris' Velib bike rental program, but as it turns out, the City of Light isn't the only European destination with a biking obsession. Barcelona, Seville and Stockholm all have bike rentals available, though the Spanish programs seem like a bit more of a hassle than they might be worth.

In Barcelona, the scheme is called Bicing and will cost you €1 for a weekly subscription and about $1 an hour after your first, free 30 minutes. You'll have to register for the rentals before arriving in Spain, unless you're planning to be there awhile and don't mind waiting for your rental card to show up.

Seville's program is Sevici, and it's €5 for a weekly subscription with small charges added for riding time. Its burly bikes are more reminiscent of Paris', while the Barcelona bikes are a bit lighter duty.

That same style of bike is also in play in Stockholm, where the rental season is set to wrap up this Wednesday. While that may seem like bad news, do you really want to be riding on two wheels in the dark, frigid Swedish winter? Better to wait until next April when the program restarts with more bikes and more stations all over the city.

Related Stories:
· Free Bikes in Spain [Budget Travel]
· Bicing [Official Site]
· Sevici [Official Site]
· Stockholm City Bikes [Official Site]
· Velib Bikes coverage [Jaunted]