Cookie Consent by Free Privacy Policy website As part of the urban collëctif, citroën, accor and jcdecaux, invent the urban mobility of tomorrow, autonomous and for everyone
september 29, 2021 - Citroen

As part of the urban collëctif, citroën, accor and jcdecaux, invent the urban mobility of tomorrow, autonomous and for everyone

  • The Urban Collëctif is a new #partnership between Citroën, #accor and #jcdecaux, three French companies with an international presence in the daily lives of city-dwellers around the world and a shared vision for the future of urban #mobility.
  • Their common ambition is to optimise #mobility so that everyone can reclaim urban spaces and significantly improve the quality of life.
  • This ambition relies on an innovative concept dubbed Citroën Autonomous #mobility Vision, which combines a high-tech and universal #mobility platform, The Citroën Skate, with three new service Pods – Sofitel En Voyage, Pullman Power Fitness and JCDecaux City Provider – each offering a unique experience to explore cities in a new way.
  • Using autonomous, electric and agile Citroën technology, this disruptive, open-source urban #mobility concept aims to decongest cities while also meeting citizens’ growing needs in terms of #mobility, services, safety and well-being in cities.
  • This new concept of responsible and tailor-made urban #mobility relies on an open-source approach: The Citroën Skate platform can accommodate all compatible Pods developed by a partner, thereby expanding #mobility and service offerings.

THE ESSENTIALS

Transport is an essential requirement in daily life, especially in cities. With their strong appeal, cities are seeing their populations increase so travel conditions need to be revamped. At the same time, the Covid-19 crisis has heightened city-dwellers’ expectations for cleaner, safer, more flexible modes of travel that comply with social distancing rules, thereby influencing the development of the urban landscape and smart #mobility solutions for the future. The emergence of autonomous vehicles could help reduce congestion in cities; however, these solutions have no medium-term economic viability due to the high cost of autonomous driving technologies compared with uptake.

To respond to this problem, Citroën, #accor and #jcdecaux have teamed up to form a creative and committed #partnership called The Urban Collëctif. Driven by the belief that future #mobility must address safety and well-being, The Urban Collëctif has created a revolutionary #mobility concept, drawing on its 200 years of combined experience in innovation. Using an open-source model dubbed Citroën Autonomous #mobility Vision, this concept relies on:

  • an autonomous and electric #mobility platform: The Citroën Skate
  • and Pods for different services and applications.

By separating the platform from the #mobility services, this concept offers the opportunity to maximise the use of autonomous technology while expanding service offerings. The Citroën Skate can move all Pods on demand using a dedicated track, while offering unrivalled comfort thanks to Citroën’s century-old expertise.

Pods designed for The Urban Collëctif illustrate the potential of open-source approaches by offering three innovative and highly different #mobility services: Sofitel En Voyage, an exclusive urban #mobility experience, Pullman Power Fitness, a new way of playing sport while moving, and JCDecaux City Provider, an innovative on-demand urban #mobility service.

“At Citroën, we examine medium and long-term trends to anticipate consumer expectations and needs. We believe that this new concept can redefine the framework of urban #mobility: shared, electric and autonomous. With the solution we are presenting in #partnership with #accor and #jcdecaux, we are inventing autonomous #mobility for all.”

Vincent Cobée, Citroën General Manager

“We are delighted to be teaming up with Citroën and #jcdecaux for this innovative project. With nearly 5,200 hotels worldwide, our Group is active in the local ecosystem and committed to offering ever more exclusive experiences, both to travellers and local communities, while contributing to the development of sustainable cities. Extending the hotel experience outside the walls of our establishments is in line with our bold and modern vision of hospitality.”

Sébastien Bazin, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Accor

“Teaming up with public and private partners to develop innovative and useful solutions to sustainably improve city life is fully in line with JCDecaux’s mission. The result of a close collaboration with Citroën and #accor, The Urban Collëctif symbolises JCDecaux’s desire to continue to innovate and imagine the urban #mobility services of the future.”

Jean-Charles Decaux, Co-Chief Executive Officer of JCDecaux 

01. AN ON DEMAND SOLUTION TO EASE CONGESTION IN CITIES AND ENHANCE COMFORT 

  • MOBILITY – A MAJOR CHALLENGE FOR CITIES OF THE FUTURE

Whether it involves accessing work, education, healthcare or leisure activities, #mobility is an essential need. Along with cars and bikes in offering freedom and escape, the future of #mobility is set to be shared, diverse comfortable, urban, and long distance with the growth of distance purchasing and home deliveries, the complexity linked to traffic jams and parking in urban centres, and the difficulty of meeting everyone’s travel needs regardless of the region, the #mobility paradigm is shifting.

Cities are constantly growing and are attracting those seeking jobs, high-quality services and cultural, social and community life. The World Bank predicts that two thirds of the population will live in cities by 2050. In this context, how can we improve daily journeys? In increasingly sprawling, traffic-clogged cities with sometimes saturated public transport networks, imagining the transport of the future opens up new horizons. The game is changing, soft #mobility is increasing and autonomous #mobility is expanding the range of possibilities. 

  • CITROËN AUTONOMOUS #mobility VISION – A NEW MODEL FOR SHARED AUTONOMOUS MOBILITY

Given this observation, it is necessary to rethink urban #mobility so that everyone to enjoy all the opportunities offered by urban centres, without any of the disadvantages. Making the city more fluid, more pleasant and more human is the promise of Citroën Autonomous #mobility Vision.

This is a revolutionary open-source #mobility model that is collective and shared, offering autonomous #mobility which adapts to demand. The model relies on a fleet of The Citroën Skate transport robots which move around cities non-stop and are, paired with Pods that promise unique experiences. The Citroën Skate is the medium and the conveyor of #mobility. The Pod, attached to The Citroën Skate, allows its users to enjoy their preferred service, whenever they wish.

The separation between The Citroën Skate and the Pods is the cornerstone of the concept, offering fluid and inventive urban #mobility. By creating an autonomous and electric The Citroën Skate fleet, as well as Pods that respond to targeted needs, such as those of our partners’ - #accor (Sofitel En Voyage and Pullman Power Fitness) and #jcdecaux (JCDecaux City Provider) -mobility is being reinvented and improved, both individually and collectively

This technological solution that offers a multitude of possible uses draws on a fleet of The Citroën Skates and Pods, driverless, autonomous and interconnected, which travel quietly and improve traffic fluidity by at least 35%. To achieve this, The Citroën Skates are designed to travel in dedicated lanes, and are fitted to integrate into the urban environment in the most efficient and economical way. Proposing an autonomous vehicle on public roads for private customers, beyond the technological challenge, would be extremely expensive. On the contrary, the Citroën Autonomous #mobility Vision is based on the perfect adequacy between the Pods, The Citroën Skate and the infrastructure. Therefore, thanks to the use of dedicated lanes, the overall solution cost is optimized. Moreover its use is maximized through an on demand smart fleet management.

02. THE URBAN COLLËCTIF: CROSS COLLABORATIONS AND UNBRIDLED CREATIVITY

Citroën, #accor and #jcdecaux, three international companies with 200 years of combined experience in innovation, boldness and services, have formed an engaged and visionary collective – The Urban Collëctif. This collaboration has produced a shared vision of urban #mobility in order to shake things up, take time out and put the fun back in city travel by combining the three partners’ collective intelligence and experience in the fields of #mobility, hospitality and cities.

This brand new #mobility platform offers urban experiences curated by three partners’ know-how and expertise. It is built on a layer of technological, electric and autonomous Citroën #mobility - The Citroën Skate. The three Pods illustrate the concept and extent of its potential, which is possible because of its open-source approach. Two Pods were developed with Accor and highlight two of the luxury, top-of-the-line brands in its portfolio: Sofitel (Sofitel En Voyage) and Pullman (Pullman Power Fitness). The third was designed with #jcdecaux: JCDecaux City Provider

  • THE #accor PODS: SOFITEL EN VOYAGE & PULLMAN POWER FITNESS

Through its Sofitel En Voyage and Pullman Power Fitness Pods, #accor, a world leader in the hotel industry, is inventing “mobile hospitality in the city”, enabling all of its customers as well as city-dwellers to immerse themselves in its brand experience outside its hotel walls.

With 200 years of combined experience in interior design and French #automotive design, this #partnership has given rise to innovative and daring Pods. During development with the Citroën teams, particular attention was paid to the quality of the materials, colours, assemblies and details, as well as the interfaces.

Damien Perrot, Global Senior Vice-President Design at Accor, comments: “Each Pod is a bold and modern interpretation of interior and #automotive design. They are designed beyond the conventions and standards that the industry is using today, with precision engineering, high-end materials, refined aesthetics and revamped functions and applications. Thanks to this unprecedented #partnership, which is highly innovative both in form and substance, we are creating endless opportunities for the future.”

Eventually, the two Pods could be reserved using the ALL - #accor Live Limitless app, the everyday lifestyle companion that brings together and enhances all the brands, services and partnerships operating within Accor’s ecosystem.

Steven Taylor, Chief Marketing Officer at Accor, notes: “The presentation of the Sofitel En Voyage and Pullman Power Fitness Pods is a new example of our augmented hospitality strategy. We are resolutely focus

Further information in the press release to download