IKEA France offers EVs for hire, in car share deal with Renault

Wondering how to get that flat-packed, king-sized MALM bed frame back to your home?

IKEA customers in France will soon be able to hire an electric vehicle from the store’s car park, and use it to transport all of the Swedish furnishings, thanks to an innovative car share deal with French car maker, Renault.

The partnership, announced on Thursday, will see IKEA France stores offer a mix of vans, utilities and hatch-backs to customers via the Renault MOBILITY app, which allows registered users to hire a car on the spot via their smartphone.

(See how it’s done in the video below.)

The scheme – which will be launched at IKEA’s Paris-Villiers store, and then rolled out to every store in France by September this year – will initially offer customers a mix of electric and petrol fuelled vehicles, depending on the infrastructure at each store.

But the ultimate goal is for the entire fleet to be electric, in line with IKEA’s target of offering 100 per cent pure EVs to its staff and customers by 2020.

All told, the program will make nearly 300 of private and commercial vehicles – including the Trafic, Kangoo, Kangoo Z.E., and ZOE models – available to the general public at the stores.

“With this new partnership, we are looking to provide consumers with a service that enhances our accessibility and complements our existing offer,” said IKEA France customer relations director, Vicente Cubells.

“Fast, easy to use and at an attractive price, this new rental service allows users to adopt a simple mode of transport with, eventually, a fleet comprising 100 per cent electric vehicles.

“This demonstrates our commitment to a more sustainable way of life,” Cubells said.

Renault’s MOBILITY car-sharing program was officially introduced to the French market in 2016, and initially extended to company fleets only.

Since then, it has been rolled out throughout France, with 180 self-service vehicle rental fleets available 24/7 both within the Renault network and at deisgnated locations in cities, public parking lots and other sites.

Renault says users can sign up to the digital service in just 15 minutes, with just “a few clicks, a selfie and some information” – the latter being a valid driver’s licence and credit card details.

They can then use the app to choose the vehicle type best suited to their transport needs, choose their fuel type, and rent the car for anywhere between an hour or a day.

“This partnership with IKEA France underlines the relevance of Renault MOBILITY’s car-sharing offer and is part of our … development strategy in France,” said Renault’s national Sales Director Philippe Buros.

“This mobility solution, accessible to all, is based on a 100 per cent digital customer journey and the Renault network to guarantee our customers a high quality service,” he said.