Volkswagen launches 'We Share' EV car sharing in Berlin

Volkswagen is to launch its 'We Share' electric car sharing service in certain cities, starting in the German capital Berlin.

It will comprise 1,500 e-Golf when the service begins operating in the second quarter of 2019, with an additional 500 e-up! following later.

These vehicles will gradually be replaced by the first models from the new Volkswagen I.D. family from 2020.

Jürgen Stackmann, Volkswagen Brand Board Member for Sales, commented: “Because of the size and density of its population, Berlin is the ideal market and has the greatest potential. Many people who have already tested car sharing live there – and the numbers keep on growing.”

Volkswagen is also aiming to draw attention to the benefits of e-mobility and stimulate interest in the technology with the high-visibility fleet of 2,000 We Share vehicles.

According to Jürgen Stackmann, “we are democratizing e-mobility. From 2020, ’We Share’ is to support the market introduction of the new generation of our new, all-electric I.D. models and thus make a significant contribution to the Volkswagen brand’s e-mobility offensive.”

We Share takes to the road with what is known as free-floating car sharing, ensuring the spontaneous availability of electric vehicles for customers at all times. At a later stage “We Share” will be adding smaller vehicles as micromobility solutions to its fleet of electric cars.

Following the launch in Berlin, We Share is initially scheduled to roll out in further major cities in Germany. In parallel, there are plans to expand into core European markets and selected cities in North America from 2020. The primary focus will be on cities with a population of over one million.