New carsharing service offers premium vehicles to residents in Ottawa buildings

Lynn O'Connor drivers a vehicle available through Automondial Shared Mobility in Ottawa. (Peter Szperling/CTV News Ottawa)

It’s a new spin on carsharing.

There is a new service available in the City of Ottawa, catering to “upscale condo and apartment dwellers.”

Automondial Shared Mobility offers “premium trim,” vehicles available for exclusive use to residents in certain multi-unit residential buildings.

“We believe that just because somebody doesn’t need or want to own a vehicle doesn’t mean that they don’t want to still enjoy the driving experience,” says Bobbi Jaimet, manager of marketing, communications and business development at Automondial Shared Mobility.

“They’re new, and we rotate them out of the fleet when they’re two or three years old so that people are always getting a really nice premium trim vehicle.”

The company has placed vehicles at select apartment and condominium buildings across Ottawa, where residents can pay to access them. Jaimet says Automondial Shared Mobility is currently in eight buildings.

“I take it for usually like 12 hours at a time, and then I kind of have a good plan. So far, it’s been amazing,” says carsharing user Lynn O’Connor, who moved into a new building this year across from Tunney’s Pasture.

“I recently sold my car because I used to live downtown. It was a lot of expense. So, one of the benefits of coming to this building is that they have a carsharing program.”

O’Connor says she uses the service once a week.

“I usually go, I run errands, whether it’s to Ikea or I go to the east end, my mom lives there. So, I go visit there, or sometimes I go visit friends and it’s just been a great alternative. So, I kind of do weekly shopping. I go get all my groceries, I’ll go to Costco, I’ll do all the things I need to do.”

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According to Jaimet, the cost to use the vehicle through Automondial Shared Mobility is $17 per hour to a maximum of $62 per day and that includes everything,

“So, gas and charging are included. We have insurance for the vehicle. Winter tire changeover is included. Of course, they’re regularly maintained and serviced and cleaned regularly as well.”

For some residents, like O’Connor, that can mean substantial savings over owning a car.

“It’s usually about, I think, $70 a week,” she says. “And I don’t pay insurance, gas or maintenance, basically. So, it’s really just that fee and then I just walk away when I’m done. And it’s always been clean; it’s always been in really great condition.”

O’Connor says she would spend about $700 a month on her car when she owned one and that wouldn’t include the cost of parking in her new building.

“We’ve done this in our building to add an extra amenity that’s desirable for new residents. And it gives you flexibility to not have to actually own a vehicle and have all the extra expenses,” says Kathy Foley, experience resident coordinator at Parkdale Collective.

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“It’s a free amenity for them,” says Jaimet. “It costs the developer absolutely nothing to have one of our cars at their building. And if you look at that as compared to a lot of other amenities, such as a swimming pool, which can cost, you know, $100,000 a year to maintain a swimming pool, this costs them nothing. So, it’s a free amenity for the developer.”

According to the company, “Automondial Shared Mobility is affiliated with a dealership group that has served Ottawa since 1956 (Carling Motors Group), and hence is uniquely positioned to offer buildings high-quality inventory, selection and flexibility. Partners can choose from Volkswagen, Volvo, Mazda, Nissan, Jaguar and Land Rover brands; fuel and electric powertrains; and make changes to fleet size and mix at any time.”

Automondial Shared Mobility vehicles are currently placed at select Richcraft, Minto, Homestead, Mastercraft Starwood, Theberge Homes, and Douville, Moffet & Associés Inc. multi-unit residential buildings across Ottawa.