Citroën and PSA Finance France have teamed up with the car-sharing platform TravelCar.com to create an unprecedented long-term hire solution that gets users a new Citroën C1 for €0/month,
as long as they make it available for car-sharing.
"The launch of the Citroën / Travel Car / PSA Finance France offer at 0 euro is a concrete response to the challenge of the very dynamic and highly competitive environment of New Mobility Projects. This offer was built agile and frugal, without creation of new systems and can be extended to other countries, contributing to the development of profitable growth of the Group's activities.
This offer fully sets Banque PSA Finance as a provider of mobility services for the customer. In addition, based on a no down payment financing product, this offer allows us to broaden our customer base, in line with the strategic way set out in the PUSH TO PASS plan. " Nicolas DESROUSSEAUX, New Mobility Project.
Citroën’s latest tagline, “Citroën Inspired by You”, is more than just a slogan : it’s a reality. Thus, at a time when increasing numbers of car-owners are looking at new mobility solutions (carpooling, car-sharing, etc.) so that they can spend less on their car, Citroën and PSA Finance France are getting ready to launch an unprecedented long-term rental concept in partnership with TravelCar.com, the pioneering car-sharing start-up.
The concept is simple: the more you share your car, the less it costs !
This new long-term hire concept will be launched in France in January 2017. Created by PSA Finance France, the plan lets customers leave their car at a TravelCar.com partner branch when they aren’t using it. TravelCar.com takes care of everything else: renting the car out to third parties, insurance formalities, and payment to the customer for each mile travelled. This extremely flexible turnkey solution lets customers seamlessly use or share their vehicle as they see fit, without the need for direct contact with the people hiring the car.
The more a customer shares their car, the more they save. And that’s not all. If the customer makes their car available for hire for 20 days in a month, TravelCar.com will pay them a guaranteed sum (even if the car isn’t hired during these 20 days) that will cover the entire rental cost of a Citroën C1* (€149/month), bringing the car’s monthly cost for the customer down to €0. It’s a “must” for people who only use their car on weekends or for a few days a month.
The same system will be available for every car in the Citroën range in 2017, but only the Citroën C1’s* monthly cost will be covered in full by the guaranteed sum paid for allowing the car to be hired for 20 days per month.
This new concept follows PSA Group’s acquisition of shares in the start-up TravelCar.com (announced in June), as part of its “Push to Pass” plan’s mobility policy.
Details of the C1 for €0 month deal with TravelCar.com
· *Available model: Citroën C1 5-door VTi 68 BVM Feel - opaque paintwork, no options.
· Long-term rental for 36 months/75,000 km (upon acceptance by PSA Finance France).
· €0 deposit, €149/months rental.
· 0 restrictions: no obligation to share car.
· 0 parking or insurance fees when car is available for hire.
· If the car is made available for hire for 20 days in the month, the owner will receive a guaranteed minimum payment of €149 (or more depending on the mileage accrued when hired). This then covers the entire monthly rental cost of the car.
· For a C1, customers get €0.05/km in car-sharing.
· National network or collection/drop-off points (city centres, train stations, and airports).
For Mathieu BELLAMY, Citroën’s Director of Strategy :“This deal is a perfect illustration of our vision of a people-minded brand. Citroën is more inspired by its customers than ever before, and is planning to bring them a unique experience to make their driving lives easier. That’s what this win-win partnership is all about: TravelCar.com can benefit from the strength of our network, and Citroën can offer its customers an astute turnkey deal to optimise their budget”.
As for Ahmed MHIRI, founder and CEO of TravelCar.com : “TravelCar.com brings innovation in service and practical mobility. Working with Citroën to imagine the mobility of the future and release surprising concepts, like the €0 car, is proof that the automotive industry is evolving, and in the best possible way for consumers. An innovative start-up and a major group is a winning combination.”
Last but not least, Laurent AUBINEAU, Digital and Marketing Director at PSA Finance France, concludes : “PSA Finance France is proud to have helped create this concept for Citroën, and our teams are playing an active role in PSA Group’s drive to deliver new mobility services”.