Episode 1 – From Zero to Launch: Montreal Carsharing

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Vulog is launching a brand-new carsharing service in Montreal! We are teaming up with a local dealership group to bring Montrealers a smarter, more convenient way to get around. We want to bring you along for the ride with an exclusive, first-of-its-kind series that takes you behind the scenes to show what it really takes to build a successful carsharing service from the ground up.

So, how do you start a carsharing company from scratch, and get everything ready for launch in just eight months? The Montreal carsharing project first started taking shape in September, with the ultimate goal of launching in May 2025. In order to make it happen a plan of action was put into place, identifying both the major challenges and opportunities presented by the market, as well as key steps and stakeholders for every aspect of the project. Then the race was on. Before we jump into the details of specific steps, let’s take a look at the challenge we set to conquer, and the overall timeline.

The Challenge: Launching a Full-Scale Carsharing Program in 8 Months

It all started with laying out the initial goal: a free-floating carsharing program in the city of Montreal with a fleet of 600 vehicles in 2 different models, ready for launch in May 2025. That meant identifying and connecting with the key public and private stakeholders who would be open to the project, sourcing vehicles, finalizing registration, not to mention beginning the search for an insurance provider for our soon-to-be fleet.

It also became apparent quickly that we also needed to find ways to address the challenges posed by this new locale such as the city’s public parking and street cleaning policies (more on that later), as well as how to deal with the deep snowbanks during a Canadian winter. We may have mobility projects in 50 cities around the world, but Montreal is certainly one of the snowiest we have ever seen!

A typical February day in Montreal.

The Timeline: How To Fit All the Carsharing Pieces Together

One of our first steps was to lay out a timeline of what key steps needed to be achieved, and when, over the next 8 months

Click on the image for an expanded view. A condensed look at the operations timeline, displaying the time it took to finalize each key area before launch.

The Timeline: September to December

We began by identifying and reaching out to key stakeholders in September. This notably included the city, the parking authority and the other mobility operators in the city. After establishing our connections and building our network, we moved on to identifying vehicle suppliers in October and exploring financing options and insurance options. Once the crucial elements were secured, we started putting feelers out, looking for dedicated Montrealers to make up the new team.

The Timeline: January to March

The founding three members of our Montreal Carsharing Project team officially started on February 3rd (you’ll meet them a little later) and immediately flew to Lyon in order to learn from the best: The Leo&Go Carsharing team. Meanwhile, we began the search for local companies to establish partnerships for maintenance and cleaning operations. Design and branding research also started in February as we partnered with a design school to brainstorm a logo and brand identity that would represent the city.

The Timeline: April to Launch

The final checklist is now being drawn up, to ensure that everything is ready to go in the final months before the launch. This includes the delivery and preparation of the vehicles, the installation of our Vubox hardware, the publication of the website, communicating about pre-registration and more. Everything will be getting a double, double-check to ensure a clean and successful launch on May 1st. Stay tuned!

Next Week on From Zero to Launch: Montreal Carsharing

In next week’s episode, we will look more deeply into what it took to source and finance the vehicles that will make up our carsharing fleet (spoiler: it took a lot of work and a Christmas miracle!)

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