JCDecaux promotes eco-friendly mobility with the roll-out of new electric vehicles for the regulation of its self-service bikes

JCDecaux S.A. (Euronext Paris: DEC), the number one outdoor advertising company worldwide, is rolling out a new fleet of electric vehicles for the regulation of its self-service bikes in Lyon and Nantes.

A first in France
Renewed last year, Vélo’v in Lyon and bicloo in Nantes feature major innovations and were designed to further simplify active mobility and limit CO2 emissions, consistent with the commitments of Lyon Métropole and Nantes Métropole. As part of this eco-friendly mobility policy, and in line with its objective to reduce energy consumption and limit CO2 emissions, JCDecaux has decided to introduce “zero-emission” electric vehicles in its regulation vehicle fleet. This is the first time in France that electric-powered light vehicles have been used to tow trailers.

The new vehicles are zero-emission and silent in operation, and are also more ergonomic. Working together with its partner Durisotti (a company that converts light commercial vehicles into goods-transport and passenger-transport vehicles) and an ergonomist, JCDecaux has redesigned and refitted the vehicles and trailers to meet the specific needs of employees in the field, who make up to 24 stops a day. The new vehicles can be used to transport up to 19 bikes and reduce the physical demands of the job thanks to a lower trailer that makes loading and unloading easier.

Pilot implementation in Nantes and Lyon
In Nantes, where five electric vehicles have been implemented, 100% of the regulation vehicles have a neutral carbon footprint. In Lyon, five of the seven regulation vehicles are now electric.
The electric vehicles round out the fleet already used by JCDecaux to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions as part of the operation of bicloo and Vélo’v services, comprising electric-powered cleaning vehicles, electrically-assisted bikes with trailers for equipment maintenance in the field (four in Nantes, 16 in Lyon) and the “bicloo mobile”, an events vehicle running on natural gas (NGV).
 Group commitment to limit CO2 emissions
The initiative is part of JCDecaux’s objective to reduce fuel consumption per 100 km by 20% by 2020 and, more broadly, reduce its energy consumption and CO2 emissions. For example, 24 electric vehicles were introduced in Paris as early as 2010 for the maintenance of 400 automatic public toilets. This transition was made possible by the design of the toilets themselves, which are connected to the water network for automatic cleaning and equipped with a storm-water recovery system for their maintenance. In addition, since 2013, all new JCDecaux employees benefiting from a company car have been trained in eco-driving, the aim being to reduce their fuel consumption as well as road accidents.
 Rémi Pheulpin, Executive Vice-President, Research, Production and Operations of JCDecaux, said: “The roll-out of these electric regulation vehicles is part of JCDecaux’s long-standing commitment to the environment. As pioneers in sustainable mobility, we are duty bound to shrink our carbon footprint in each phase of our business. This is why we chose to innovate for the renewal of our self-service bike rental offers in Nantes and Lyon, by creating the first electric-powered light towing vehicles. As part of our policy of continuous improvement, we are increasingly committed to the well-being and health of the general public and our employees.”