Autopuzz bought 3,500 Autolib’ and refurbished them to resell them to private individuals at very attractive prices. There are still a few hundred copies still on sale. With bonuses, discounts and the ecological bonus, you can even get it for 1 euro. But is it really a good plan?
The final shutdown of Autolib’ made an impression, because this electric car sharing service had 154,000 subscribers and allowed the use of one of the 4,000 electric cars named Bluecars. On the other hand, it also generated significant financial losses that neither the public authorities nor the Bolloré group, which had the delegation, wanted to bear.
Autolib’ offered users a small car as well as dedicated parking to cover all the journeys between two terminals located in the municipalities served. Although the service was loss-making for the communities, it was very practical for the users.
3,500 Bluecars were bought by Autopuzz from the Bolloré group, to clean them and change worn parts (brakes, suspensions, etc.). The idea behind: resell them to individuals with discounts.
1 euro Autolib in the best case
Count 5,990 euros, and 7,490 euros with paint. These are the discounted prices without aids and other bonuses. The offer proposed by Autopuzz is very attractive on paper, with discounts, the conversion bonus (up to 5,000 euros), the ecological bonus (1,000 euros), aid from local authorities (metropolises, departments, regions), it is possible to obtain an Autolib’ for 500 euros and even 1 euro in certain cases. There are still 500 copies left, which you can find in agencies in Bordeaux, Lyon or Lorient and even in Paris.
However, it should be noted that these Autolib’ are not necessarily a good investment. They are designed for daily use and are not suitable for long journeys due to their limited real range of 150-200 km.
The main problem is the battery (30 kWh) which uses lithium metal polymer (LMP) cells and quickly loses range when not plugged in, completely discharging in just three days. To avoid this, it must be kept at a temperature of 60 degrees, which involves permanent recharging when not in circulation, which consumes a lot of energy, especially in cold weather. In addition, the battery can be damaged after four months without charging, according to the manufacturer BatScap.
Limited charging power
The charging power limited to 4 kW also makes long journeys difficult. Indeed, it takes about 10 hours to fully charge the little Bluecar (10 A max on a domestic socket).
Finally, it is important to note that finding spare parts for Bluecars can be difficult, as these cars are no longer mass produced. If the car battery is damaged, it can also be difficult to find alternatives, as the batteries are specific to Bluecars.
However, Autopuzz is quite confident in its ability to provide after-sales support, thanks to its network of partners. Customers can also benefit from a basic warranty included in the offer, as well as an extended warranty offered to cover electronics problems. However, it is important to note that spare parts and after-sales service can become long-term issues for owners of Bluecars, especially if demand increases as the cars age.
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