Electric car-sharing service launches in Indianapolis

A groundbreaking car sharing service, BlueIndy launched the first 50 of an eventual 500 electric vehicles in Indianapolis this week. 

This is the first-of-its-kind electric car sharing service in the U.S. by the Bolloré Group of France, which already operates car sharing services in several other cities, including the world’s largest EV sharing service: Autolib', in Paris.

The Bluecars run on Lithium Metal Polymer (LMP) batteries developed by Bolloré and have a range of 120 miles between charges. They create zero emissions, and integrate innovative technology to make their use convenient, safe and simple.

As of today, 125 parking spaces are equipped with charge points. Reserved parking spots mean no need to look for parking. As BlueIndy builds out across the city, customers will be able to take advantage of up to 1,000 parking spaces in 200 BlueIndy stations outfitted with charging infrastructure and easy-to-use customer kiosks.

With a membership card in hand, drivers simply need to swipe their card across the BlueIndy car windshield. The car will automatically unlock and welcome the driver back to BlueIndy with their own favorite radio stations stored from previous trips.

The standard BlueIndy membership costs $9.99 per month. Members pay four dollars for the first 20 minutes they use the car, and 20 cents for each minute thereafter. Membership can be obtained via BlueIndy’s website (www.blue-indy.com) or at BlueIndy enrollment kiosks. A BlueIndy smartphone app is also available. Memberships may be purchased for a day, a week, a month, or a year.

BlueIndy’s car sharing service is a perfect complement to the city’s long-term public transit strategy, which includes expansion of IndyGo and bicycle lanes, according to the company.