- A fleet of 100 urban electric vehicles primarily comprised of Renault ZOE models available in Paris starting September 14th and expanding to 500 vehicles in spring 2019
- A range with attractive prices for customers: e·co is the most affordable ride-hailing service (excluding ridesharing), with rides starting at just five euros
- A profitable business model for chauffeurs
- An offer that is part of Groupe Renault’s mobility strategy
In partnership with Renault and RCI Bank and Services, Marcel developed e·co, the first range of 100% electric, chauffeur-driven vehicles for on-the-spot rides in Paris. This range means emissions-free[1], quiet rides that are more enjoyable for customers, chauffeurs, and urbanites.
e·co provides an innovative and responsible mobility solution featuring the best prices on the market (excluding ridesharing) and the same service quality as that of Marcel’s Berline range (offering a selection of drivers, services on board, etc.). Rides start at just five euros.
e·co, which has been tested under real-world conditions since July 2018, has been endorsed by the first customers and chauffeurs to try it. This range meets the expectations of users looking for sustainable mobility solutions that combine service quality, peacefulness, flexibility and low prices.
Emissions, noise, and saturation: e·co provides a concrete solution to urban mobility issues.
Offsetting emissions isn’t enough; they need to be reduced. e·co provides a comprehensive solution to the city and its inhabitants using vehicles for short-distance rides, with no emissions1 and no noise pollution.
e·co is also helping implement Pollutrack, a system sponsored by the City of Paris which involves placing pollution sensors on the tops of 100 e·co electric vehicles in an endeavor to improve tools used to monitor and evaluate air quality in Paris.
An appealing business model for chauffeurs
As soon as they start, e·co chauffeurs are guaranteed immediate, lasting, high profitability. Chauffeurs save 20-50% compared to a standard ride-hailing business model based on:
- savings on gasoline (an average of €700/mo. less than they would spend on a vehicle with a combustion engine)
- some of the lowest service fees on the market (only 13.6% of the pre-tax price vs. 25% for the leading ride-hailing platforms), guaranteeing chauffeurs better revenue
- low leasing fees
'The e·co model is honest, fair and respectful, enabling chauffeurs to estimate their revenue and organize their work hours better, and maintain a good quality of life. The launch of e·co is perfectly in line with the Groupe Renault mobility strategy developed in conjunction with the City of Paris[2]. At Marcel, we believe that technology can and must serve to achieve more seamless and more sustainable mobility in order to share urban spaces better. We maintain that with an alternative business model like e·co, we are working towards urban mobility that is reasonable, responsible and fair to everyone'.
Bertrand Altmayer, Co-founder and CEO of Marcel
ABOUT
Marcel - Marcel, a French start-up created in 2014, is a public ride-hailing service that facilitates professional and personal travel within the Ile-de-France region. The start-up has over 1,700 partner chauffeurs, 100,000 users, 1,260 corporate clients, and roughly 50 employees. Marcel was acquired by RCI Bank and Services[3] in September 2017.
Marcel has developed a fair, unique and innovative business model for ride-hailing services: it provides chauffeurs with the conditions they need to have a good quality of life by charging some of the lowest service fees on the market and offering them the ability to better estimate their revenue. Customers benefit from fair, optimized prices quoted in advance on all of their rides. Marcel gives its all each and every day to provide eco-friendly solutions for sustainable urban mobility: with e·co, the first range of all-electric chauffeur-driven vehicles, Marcel has substantially reduced its GHG emissions. The emissions from the remainder of its activity are 100% offset with a VCS (Verified Carbon Standard) project.
[1] Zero atmospheric emissions of CO2 or pollutants (excepting from abrasion of wear parts).
[2] See press release by Renault and the City of Paris on 07/04/18 regarding new urban electric mobility services.
[3] RCI Bank and Services provides financial solutions to facilitate access to automobility offered by Alliance brand networks and clients: Groupe Renault (Renault, Renault Samsung Motors, Dacia) across the globe, Nissan Group (Nissan, Infiniti, Datsun) primarily in Europe, Brazil, Argentina, South Korea and in the form of joint-ventures in Russia and India, and Mitsubishi Motors in the Netherlands.
