Transport Malta signs agreement with CAR2GO for electric car-sharing service

Announced today by Transport Minister Ian Borg and Gil Laser, CEO of CAR2GO, the system is set to launch soon, with a fleet of 150 vehicles and 225 charging pillars. The government installed 102 charging points, thus exceeding the “EU set national target of 500 for 2020” by 52 points.

The fully electronic service, which Borg described as a “strategic” investment, contributes greatly to Malta’s target of having 5000 electric vehucles registered on the road, by 2020. “This will also be an opportunity for the public to try out an electric car before investing” said Borg.

The vehicles, said the minister, will be permitted to park only in “designated car spaces”, distributed “fairly around 40 strategic locations”. Through one-to-one consultations with local councils, to “avoid negative impact on street parking”,  Transport Malta will be responsible for selecting the parking locations.

Studies showed that between 85% to 90% of its lifetime, a private passenger car “is not being used”. Through the use of this service, said the ministry, “precious road space” can be better utilized as cars are used when really needed.

“A would-be car owner will save time and money, spending much less than owning, servicing and operating a personal car”, Borg added.

Laser said that car-sharing would also aid in the reduction of traffic on the road, by shifting people to alternative transports, enabling them to use their car only for specific journeys.

Through a mobile, web application or phone booking, members of the service can book a vehicle, which is accessed through an RFID card. The service, said Borg, is “self-drive” and the user “will be charged a fee for the duration the car is being used”.

Borg emphasised that the initiative “falls within the scope of the Malta National Electromobility Platform”, which was set up in 2013, with the aim of promoting and bringing about the electrification of transportation in Malta.