Nissan announces car-sharing scheme with next-gen Micra

The new Nissan Micra will be available for people to buy as part of a group when it is launched globally early next year under a digital car-sharing scheme announced today by Nissan.

Called 'Intelligent Get & Go Micra', the scheme will allow users to buy a Micra as a group and use it only when they need it. The groups will be made up of three to five people, and around fifty people will be initially chosen to launch the scheme in Paris.

Ideally, Nissan is aiming for groups of four though, so users can benefit from one day a week of car usage and one weekend per month. The sign-up site will go live next month.

The software being developed to facilitate the scheme is inspired by social media, where users set up a personal profile on the app like other social networking sites. The scheme will use social networking to determine the group with which each user is best suited to share. A Whatsapp-style chat function will also allow users to be up to date with the car's availability in their particular group, in addition to an app which tracks the car's location and availability.

Renault-Nissan Alliance CEO and chairman Carlos Ghosn announced the plan in Lisbon and highlighted the profile-matching element of the scheme. Nissan claims the scheme is fully digital, using geo-location and smartphones to facilitate the car sharing.

The digital platform will match owners with compatible driving needs and owners will be billed monthly according to how much they have used the Micra. The brand hasn't yet revealed what the initial cost to users is, but members of the scheme will sign up on a 12-month contract, and will need to find a replacement for themselves, should they wish to leave before the contract expires.

The scheme will use a mid-level 0.9-litre Micra with Bose sound system. The cost of membership to the scheme includes insurance, servicing, access to the online community and the smartphone app that will host the service. A maximum annual limit of 15,000km is slated for each group’s Micra. Perishables, including but not limited to fuel and wiper blades, will be shared among the group based on the car's usage.

Nissan's youthful target audience for the Micra is why the car was chosen; the car-sharing strategy is aimed squarely at younger drivers too. It hasn't ruled out introducing other cars into the scheme, but only after feedback has been received from members driving the Micra.

Ghosn said: “We are moving toward a future where car usage may be more flexible, social and shared. At Nissan, we’re pioneering new ways to allow drivers to enjoy the freedom and financial benefits of shared car ownership. There is no better vehicle to launch this programme than the all-new Micra, which embodies the vision of Nissan Intelligent Mobility.”

The scheme will be launched first in Paris later this year, with the car-sharing beginning in April 2017. Nissan has yet to reveal further details about the scheme.