- Number of cars in this new one-way car sharing service boosted to 50
- Stations added at Landmark Tower and other key locations to reach 54 sites
- Innovative vehicles used for business and leisure in the city
YOKOHAMA, Japan(November 15, 2013) - Membership registrations for “Choimobi Yokohama," a new one-way car sharing service using NISSAN New Mobility CONCEPT ultra-compact electric vehicles, have topped 2,700 in the first month. The scheme was inaugurated with the City of Yokohama on October 11.
Nissan and Yokohama have also been working together to expand the service. Twenty more cars have been added to the fleet, bringing the total to 50. The number of stations has increased to 54, from the 45 at launch. Yokohama's Landmark Tower is now among the key sites served. People in Yokohama will also be able to look out for a one-off “special design" vehicle tastefully decorated in the Choimobi blue theme color. Other unique vehicles will follow as “Choimobi" collaborates with companies, organizations and other stakeholders in Yokohama to create a more vibrant city.
During the one month since the service was launched “Choimobi Yokohama" has been used primarily to complement existing public transport as a new type of mobility, saving time and money. Deployed in a one-way car-sharing scheme the NISSAN New Mobility CONCEPT creates a new segment somewhere between an automobile, a motorcycle, and public transportation. The integration of car-sharing, ultra-compact EVs and public transportation gives people new options of how to get around the city.
CASE STUDIES
(1) Efficient and economical business mobility
“I used the Choimobi to travel from Yokohama Station to PACIFICO Yokohama. Up to now, the combination of train and walking has required about 30 minutes travel time over that distance, costing 180 yen, one way. With the Choimobi, the time was slashed to around 6 minutes and the cost to just 120 yen."
(2) Effective use for strolling around Yokohama in an area
“Arriving at Yokohama Station by train, we then used the combination of Choimobi and walking to make the rounds of China Town, Yamashita Park, the Red Brick Warehouse, the Minato Mirai district and other popular tourist spots. While conventional travel modes have limited the number of locations you can visit in one day to two at most, this new approach expands the daily sightseeing, dining and other pleasures to a larger number of spots.
(3) New mobility style generating communication with the local community
“Though I was a ‘paper driver' with a license but rarely if ever driving, the darling design and compact size suggesting the cars are easy to operate inspired me to get behind the wheel for the first time in ages. With a station opened in my own neighborhood, I'm attracted to using the cars as a new means of mobility different from walking, riding the train, bus or other public transportation. "We were also frequently talked to in the car, while waiting at intersections or on other occasions, leading to pleasant new communication."
Nissan will continue with City of Yokohama on the Choimobi Yokohama service in the ongoing quest to improve the quality of transport for those living in the Yokohama area. The scheme will contribute to the development of a new and more convenient future of urban mobility.
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