Back in September of 2017, we published this blog post talking about the launch of Free2Move, Peugeot’s brand for new mobility solutions. The question at that point in time was: can the mid-tier carmaker survive the Uber age of shared mobility? While not known for best in quality, performance or innovation, Peugeot made forward-thinking moves towards a shared mobility vision with the launch of Free2Move, and here is our 2018 update on where they stand now.
What is Free2Move?
In response to the growing use of carsharing services in what is called the “Uber age,” Peugeot launched Free2Move as its mobility and smart services brand in October, 2017 in Seattle, Washington.
This brand will develop sustainable, smart, safe and shared mobility solutions for everyone, uniting all of the PSA Group’s new mobility solutions to provide a full spectrum of consumers’ transport needs including:
- Free2Move Car Sharing – car sharing services run by the Group
- Free2Move Aggregator – this application aggregates all shared mobility, allowing users to choose other alternatives like bikesharing and scooter sharing
- Free2Move Smart Services – connected services to make life easier and save time
- Free2Move Fleet Sharing and Free2Move Fleet Management – corporate fleet services
- Free2Move Lease – financial solutions to make vehicles more affordable
This is an additional service to align with the PSA Group’s foundational strategy:
“To make excellent vehicles available by supplying mobility services that are adapted to customers’ needs: mobility is at the heart of the Groupe PSA’ strategy.”
Why did Peugeot launch this new mobility service?
Simply put: to stay alive. Carlos Tavares, the chief executive of France’s Groupe PSA, simply stated about the 207 year old company: “We are dinosaurs. And if we don’t want to disappear like dinosaurs, we have to operate in a different way.”
The goal? PSA would like to turn occasional car buyers into lifetime transportation subscribers through its Free2Move service, which aims to be a single, worldwide app supporting everything from car sharing and leasing to corporate-fleet management. Importantly, Free2Move will not be limited to PSA’s brands, and it is the Trojan horse for Tavares’ plans to reenter the American market, where PSA hasn’t sold cars for 26 years.
What we love about this Maas app
In a fast-paced, changing industry it can become a “do or die” scenario, and we love what Peugeot is doing with their new app for several reasons:
- While this middle-tier carmaker will still be limited by restrictions like being able to afford new engines and electric-vehicle platforms, they are making a move in the right direction of the future and may be able to become a front-runner in the growing shared mobility space.
- Instead of operating localized carsharing services, Free2Move aims to provide a single app that lets you book a car from any provider, anywhere in the world.
- This Free2Move launch is not monopolized by men, but instead involves many women leading the movement, which is about as far from the dinosaur auto industry as it gets!
Free2Move’s Suppliers as of 2018
Free2Move has been steadily growing since their launch at the end of last year, both in member and supplier count in Germany, Italy, Spain and France. Alongside its growth is the increase in the awareness of the MaaS (Mobility as a Service) movement, which allows citizens to create a trip with a variety of shared mobility options and pay one price or one ticket from A to B. The shared mobility suppliers that the Free2Move app now supports include one-way providers, round-trip providers, and peer-to-peer providers such as:
- Electric scooter providers: Sco2t, emmy, COUP, eddy, Cityscoot,
- Bikesharing providers: StadtRAD Hamburg, Nextbike, Donkey Republic, Call a Bike,
- Round-trip carsharing providers: Flinkster, Stadtmobil, Cambio, Ubeeqo, Zipcar
- One-way carsharing providers: car2go, Driveby, DriveNow, BeeZero, emov, Enjoy, Share’ngo
- Peer-to-peer carsharing providers: Drivy, koolicar
The Maas Movement
As more and more shared mobility service providers come onto the market, the consumer is starting to require a mobility as a service (MaaS) solution like Free2Move. This service aggregates all of the available shared mobility and public transit options available to get from point A to point B, and provides a centralized payment option with one price or one ticket for all of the transportation options within a trip. These apps also provide real-time updates and accurate arrival times, making the journey more convenient for everyone.
Learn more about Peugeot’s future vision here.
Interested in keeping up with the Uber age yourself? Click here to inquire about our available carsharing and shared mobility information downloads.
