Stellantis’ Free2move has largely flown under the radar in the United States as the company only has a presence in seven markets including Austin, Denver, Los Angeles, and San Diego. However, it appears 2023 is the year that Free2move will go mainstream as the company has used CES to reveal ambitious plans for growth.
In particular, the company announced an expansion plan that will see Free2move open mobility hubs in Dallas and Pasadena early this year. More importantly, the company plans to become the “ultimate American mobility reference” by offering new programs that will provide car-sharing, rental, and subscription services through dealers.
Stellantis and Free2move said this will benefit consumers and dealers alike with the latter gaining a variety of new revenue streams. The companies added dealers will receive dedicated support from Free2move as well as special fleet management tools for overseeing their vehicles.
Also: Hertz Expands Subscription Service Across The US, Priced From $599
Dealers will have the option of signing up for two different tiers with the first seeing them become a Free2move Mobility Corner. This is billed as a “first step” into the Free2move ecosystem and it will enable them to offer vehicles for rent and subscription.
The next step up is becoming a Free2move Mobility Operator. The company didn’t go into many specifics, but said “in addition to rental options, [this] program also includes special access to Stellantis vehicles and increased online visibility.”
The dealer program kicks off this year and is expected to rapidly increase Free2move’s footprint. In particular, the company aims to have 38 Free2move Mobility Operators and 30 Free2move Mobility Corners in 2023. This could add 3,000 vehicles to the service as well as new cities such as Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Miami, and Tampa.
While Free2move has mainly used Jeep Renegades in America, the Fiat 500e is now envisioned to be their flagship offering for “free-floating and subscription car services across the U.S. and Europe.” As you may recall, Fiat used last year’s Los Angeles Auto Show to announce the redesigned 500e will come stateside in early 2024.
Getting back to Free2move, the company said city dwellers no longer use a single mode of transportation so they’re envisioning a “near future” where their smart assistant will find the “most efficient path from A to B.” This is envisioned to take a variety of transportation modes into account including e-bikes, autonomous shuttles, private cars, and even electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. The latter isn’t too surprising as the automaker is investing in Archer Aviation and plans to build their Midnight flying taxi in Georgia.
