While cars proudly displaying the Communauto logo seem to be increasingly present on the streets of Montreal, the summer of 2023 will be remembered as a period when the availability of our vehicles was once again put to the test. Although it is encouraging to see an improvement compared to the previous year, thanks to the significant addition of several hundred new vehicles, the situation remains fragile: some car manufacturers struggle to meet the demand from commercial fleets, including Communauto.
More than 750 new vehicles in Montreal
Believe it or not, this is the number of cars that were added to our fleet in Montreal alone before the end of August. This expansion comes with a variety of models to better meet the needs of users. You can now access a range of vehicles, from compact cars to more spacious models, including minivans. Discover them: the Chevrolet Bolt, Hyundai Tucson or Venue, and the Kia Carnival.
Only 60% of the ordered new vehicles have been delivered
However, despite the impressive number of new cars, at the end of August, the delivered vehicles represented only 60% of the desired vehicles to meet the demand. Montreal and all the other cities served by Communauto still lack several hundred cars.
Manufacturer-imposed quotas
Faced with this situation, it is legitimate to wonder how this is possible, especially when we see that advertising for the purchase of new vehicles is ubiquitous, and accessibility to buying cars by individuals continues to grow.
The answer lies in the quota policy implemented by car manufacturers for commercial vehicle fleets. This policy aims to avoid saturating the used car market. In times of new vehicle shortages, sales destined for commercial fleets are the first to suffer.
It is essential to understand that this situation not only affects Communauto, which, in comparison to other organizations, is not doing so poorly and should continue to improve in the short term.
Nevertheless, we are continuing to make additions and work to add more vehicles in 2024.
Fewer station zones and more FLEX
It is important to note that even though demand for reserved vehicles may peak on weekends and during holiday periods, our FLEX service remains available. Sometimes, a little advance planning or a few minutes of waiting is all it takes for a FLEX vehicle to be within reach.
The cost of using a FLEX car is often very similar to that of a round-trip car. You can easily estimate the costs of the different rates available via the calculator on our website.