Volkswagen is to roll out vehicle-on-demand services, in particular car sharing, based entirely on electric vehicles from 2019.

VW’s WE platform will offer electric vehicle-on-demand services, in particular car sharing

The services on the WE customer platform will launch in Germany first with an international rollout from 2020, initially in major cities in Europe, North America and Asia.

The move was announced by Volkswagen Brand Board Member for Sales, Jürgen Stackmann, at an event in Berlin.

Stackmann said: “We are convinced that the car sharing market still has potential. That is why we are entering this market with a holistic single-source concept covering all mobility needs from the short journey that takes just a few minutes to the long vacation trip. Our vehicle-on-demand fleets will consist entirely of electric cars, and will therefore provide zero-emission, sustainable mobility. That is an intelligent way to relieve the strain on urban areas.”

The vehicle-on-demand services will complement ride hailing and pool offered by VW’s Moia brand and will be managed by VW subsidiary UMI Urban Mobility International GmbH, which started operating this year. CEO Philip Reth commented: “Our customers expect an environmentally friendly fleet that takes them to their destination quickly and at a fair price – and that is exactly the experience we will be delivering.”

The news comes as Volvo announces its launch of its ‘M’ mobility brand that will provide on-demand access to carsharing and other services while both Peugeot and Renault are looking to introduce electric car sharing in Paris.