SEAT is going to begin offering corporate carsharing services through Respiro, as was announced at ‘Madrid on the move by SEAT’, an event in the capital where the company presented its urban mobility strategy for the first time and vehicles such as the new SEAT Mii electric, the SEAT Minimó concept vehicle and the SEAT eXS KickScooter powered by Segway.
Following this debut today in Madrid, the carmaker is going to present its sustainable mobility solutions in several Spanish cities with the goal of becoming an ally for urban areas. This announcement is framed in its strategy of becoming a mobility services provider that goes beyond vehicle manufacturing and comes in response to one of the major trends in future mobility: the collaborative, shared, sustainable economy.
Respiro expands its services
Cuatrecasas is going to be the first company to use Respiro's corporate carsharing service, which will operate in Madrid and Barcelona. Other Spanish companies are also studying the possibility, including Cepsa. Cuatrecases employees will have the free use of SEAT and Respiro vehicles to make urban commutes during work hours with other colleagues at no cost. All the vehicles will be powered with compressed natural gas (CNG) in order to minimise their environmental impact.
The company moves forward in becoming a mobility services provider.
Arantxa Alonso, executive director of XMOBA, the SEAT subsidiary which owns Respiro, confirmed that “Respiro has over 12,000 users, proving that the demand is there, mainly in large cities such as Madrid and Barcelona. Our entry into corporate carsharing is a step forward in order to meet the needs of the public and provide them with cars by the minute, hour or day, in the centre of the city, at the dealership and now also at work.”
Committed to last-mile mobility
Since April 2019, SEAT and kicksharing start-up UFO have a partnership agreement whereby they are operating in Madrid, a city with now more than 13,000 users, as well as Málaga, where operations began in June and the number of users currently stands at 4,000. SEAT and UFO expect to expand the service to other cities nationally and internationally as it evolves, in cooperation with public administrations. Since its launch, the SEAT eXS KickScooter has enjoyed steady growth and sales have exceeded 8,000 units since it first went on sale in December 2018.
“Last-mile mobility is a fast-growing trend and the eXS is the first SEAT product designed specifically to enhance urban mobility. The collaboration with UFO enables us to understand and identify, and above all learn about new consumption patterns”, said SEAT Product Marketing director Lucas Casasnovas.
Boosting micromobility
SEAT is spearheading the Volkswagen Group's micromobility strategy by creating ideas and products specifically designed for short trips in urban areas. The SEAT Minimó was created for this purpose, a concept vehicle that is being developed to enhance urban mobility by combining the comfort and safety of a car with the agility of a motorcycle.
SEAT head of New Urban Mobility Concepts Jordi Caus stated that “future mobility is going to be connected, electric, shared and autonomous, and this requires innovation, coordination and future strategy to ensure mobility that is more efficient and sustainable. The SEAT Minimó combines all of these variables and minimises the difficulties of getting around in cities. It is the future of urban mobility.”
Mii electric: the new member of the SEAT family
Another novelty presented at ‘Madrid on the move by SEAT’ is the Mii electric, the Spanish brand's first 100% electric vehicle that lays the groundwork for SEAT's future offensive for sustainable mobility. The Mii electric combines practicality, dynamism, advanced technology and new levels of connectivity with an affordable price and low cost of ownership. This vehicle is ready for the daily challenges of the city and the needs of a new generation of customers.
When will the sale of the Mii electric begin?
The Mii electric is aimed at both individual customers and fleets and pre-sales are scheduled to begin in September this year.