We could resist the temptation to try LeasysGo as soon as possible!, the new car sharing service started in Turin? Certainly not, and in fact as soon as possible we took the opportunity to see what LeasysGo is and how it works. An electric and Italian car sharing, started from one of the most beautiful cities in Italy, which has the advantage of using the new FIAT 500 Electric. So off with the review of LeasysGo !: what is it, how does it work and how much does the new Stellantis car sharing cost? Let's find out together!
LeasysGo! Review: what is Turin's new electric car sharing service
Let's start from the basics: what is LeasysGo? It is none other than the electric car sharing service created by FCA, now Stellantis, to enter the shared mobility market. As then Car2Go was to Mercedes, DriveNow to BMW and today ShareNow is to both German manufacturers, LeasysGo! is up to FCA.
The relationship is clear from the name: Leasys is in fact the company that deals with long-term rental and financial services of FCA, therefore the right company to manage the company's debut in the world of car sharing. The LeasysGo adventure! starts from Turin: the reasons behind the choice of the Turin capital are many.
First of all, Turin is the historic headquarters of FIAT (it is no coincidence that the acronym stands for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino), so making the first car sharing service debut in the city of FIAT is almost a must. Furthermore, Turin is a city quite suitable and used to sharing: between ShareNow and Enjoy, the city is already prepared for the debut of a new player. Finally, Turin was also chosen because LeasysGo! does not start completely from scratch: in fact, it took over Bluetorino's operations at the end of 2020. The Bollorè group's car sharing service in fact declared the closure in August 2020, with the consequent closure of the Bairo plant, in the Canavese area, where the BlueCars, the cars used for the sharing service, were produced.
LeasysGo! then it takes the place of BlueTorino and inherits the columns scattered around the city. Unlike Bluetorino, however, we are not dealing with a car rental service with reserved parking spaces: LeasysGo! in fact it is one sharing free floating, that is, you can park your car in all paid and unpaid car parks in the Turin capital.
The LeasysGo fleet! and its plans: FIAT 500 Elettrica, columns and other cities
LeasysGo! won't use a random FCA group car, but chose to debut in the world of sharing with FIAT 500 Elettrica. The new reincarnation of the Cinquino is now built in Turin, in the Mirafiori plant, and it could only be the car of choice for Italian car sharing.
The versions made available to the public are 500th Berlina to be worn and they are part of the two richer productions, Icon and the special La Prima. Very interesting cars, equipped with 42 kWh battery and 118 HP engine, of which one will arrive soon dedicated review.
Today, however, we focus only on the LeasysGo! Car sharing service. The fleet made available to users counts at the moment 300 FIAT 500e scattered around the city. By 2021, thearrival of another 50 "Cinquini", to reach the 350 cars ready to share.
The project does not stop at only 500. Together with these in fact LeasysGo! plans to install up to 500 charging stations in the shadow of the Mole by the end of the year. A complete service therefore, ranging from the availability of cars to that of charging columns.
The future of LeasysGo! however, it will not be confined to Turin alone. In mid-April the service arrived in Milan, and by 2021 the electric 500 will also arrive in Rome. The future of LeasysGo! however he also speaks French and Spanish. Leasys plans are in fact to bring car sharing by Stellantis also to Lyon and Valencia, and who knows in what other cities.
How LeasysGo! Works: methods of use, costs and activation
We said that LeasysGo! is a free floating car sharing service, which does not require parking in dedicated spaces and which uses the brand new FIAT 500 cars. But what is the cost of LeasysGo?
The rates of LeasysGo! are different from all those offered by rivals: in fact, there is no rate per minute, but a monthly subscription, such as Netflix or Amazon Prime. And I don't mention Jeff Bezos' portal by accident: to join the "LeasysGo family!" it is in fact necessary to buy the first month of subscription on Amazon for 19,99 euros. And in fact this is the monthly fee necessary to use the service, 19,99 per month.
What can you get for just under 20 euros? In addition to access and registration to the service, the monthly fee includes 2 hours of driving to use within 30 days. To be able to compare the cost of the Italian service with the main competitors, dividing the 20 euros of the subscription by the 2 hours included, you get a cost of € 0,17 per minute. A price definitely competitive compared to the 31 cents per minute of ShareNow for Smart ForFour or the 25 cents of Enjoy, or compared to the 0,29 euro of Smart ForTwo, which compared to 500 also has the handicap of having only two seats. Then if you have to finish the two hours included but you would like to continue using the service, you can rent a 500e other times, switching to one rate per minute of € 0,29, a price in line with that of its rivals.
At the beginning it was not present, but a new type of rate, Pay per Use. What does it mean? That like rivals it is possible to have one simple rate according to consumption, with a cost of € 0,29 per minute. A price halfway between the 31 cents of Smart ForFour and 25 of the 500 thermals of Enjoy. The downside to this service is that to access it you must still buy the 19,99 euro voucher on Amazon: at that point, if you use the service often, it might be convenient to focus on the monthly subscription.
You can then continue the rental for a whole day: in this case, the maximum fare becomes 43,5 euros, which, added to the 19 euros at the start, form one daily rate of 63,5 euros, totally in line with rivals who additionally require a rate per km, not included in LeasysGo for now. However, there are not yet "day" packages that allow you to choose to keep the car for a whole day already at the time of rental.
LeasysGo! review: who is the service aimed at?
The car sharing service aims at a metropolitan public residing in the city, who decide to use LeasysGo! as the main means of transport within it, preferring it to public transport or private cars. A commuter in fact, he will hardly be able to take advantage of all the two hours of driving, unless he has to go for work or study in areas not served by the metro such as Mirafiori or Porta Palazzo. However, the Pay Per Use system was created for them, which for the initial investment of 20 euros can be an excellent alternative to rival services.
For Turin residents, on the other hand, it is a smart solution, which allows you not to go crazy in the search for a parking space or to go out in the evening without the worry of not finding public transport to go home, when it will again be possible to do it in peace.
Furthermore, for Turin residents there is another hidden advantage. The map of LeasysGo! in fact, it allows you to easily reach Turin Caselle airport, but it also includes the major shopping centers outside Turin (The avenues by Nichelino, The Cranes of Grugliasco, Torino Outlet Village di Settimo Torinese), as well as the shops Ikea e Leroy Merlin of Collegno. A significant plus compared to other sharing services, which force you to choose hourly packages for shopping. With LeasysGo! you can go to a shopping center, park your car and then leave without "squandering" your time wallet.
Finally, a few weeks ago LeasysGo! gave the possibility to reach also the Milan-Malpensa Airport of Ferno (Varese), the largest airport in the North-West and far 145 km from Turin. A possibility for those who want to travel really interesting, an easy and more fun alternative to trains and bus shuttles.
How to sign up for LeasysGo car sharing!
Subscription to the LeasysGo! Service it's very simple. We purchased LeasysGo for this review! on Amazon for 19,99 euros. Once the payment is made we have downloaded the LeasysGo app!, available for both iOS and Android, and we have started signing up.
To use the service it is necessary register with a dedicated account. It can be accessed by creating a LeasysGo account! from scratch, or using the FCA Group's online service accounts (both of FIAT and of all other brands such as Alfa Romeo, Lancia, Jeep or Leasys), or it is still possible sign up using a social network.
You are surely wondering how to use the voucher just purchased on Amazon. In fact, the voucher will not arrive on paper or via e-mail, but rather you will need to enter your Amazon order number when registering, the classic 18-digit long code that distinguishes every purchase on the online portal. To find it, you can see directly from the app or from the Amazon site. Alternatively, Leasys will send you an email where the Amazon order number will be clearly indicated to be copied and pasted on the app.
Once you have entered your credentials, entered the order number and accepted the confirmation email of the email address, you will be asked for all the classics profiling and billing data: name, surname, address, social security number, telephone number (essential for any problems during the rental), valid identity document and driving license, credit card number to use. You have to manually enter your credit card details: in fact, the use of PayPal is not foreseen for now or other smart payment systems. The creation of a 4-digit security PIN, to be entered just before the start of the rental.
You will also be prompted forsending four photographs, the front and back of the identity card and driving license. Once you have added the photos, you will have to wait for them to come verify and register as eligible by the service waiting time about 1-2 working days. In fact, the activation of the service will only take place if LeasysGo! considers all your documents valid and suitable.
There are no particular restrictions on the use of the service: you must be of age, have a valid driving license for at least one year and be in possession of a valid credit card, or, if you do not have one, have access to a valid card of a parent, for example.
No new drivers: the 500 have 118 HP, exceeding the 95 limit imposed by the legislation for driving novice drivers. Younger people will have to wait one year after obtaining their driving license to access LeasysGo !.
How to rent a LeasysGo! Car: quick and easy from the app
We signed up regularly and just got the confirmation email which certifies the verification of our documents. We are finally ready to use LeasysGo!: as soon as we open the app we are asked to comply with the regulations for the containment of the Covid-19 epidemic, and we are informed that all cars are periodically sanitized and sanitized. For this review of LeasysGo! we went to Turin on a quiet Tuesday afternoon, with many commuters and workers wandering the streets of the city.
The LeasysGo! Application it is very well made, aesthetically pleasing and never shows obstacles or particular problems.
Before trying the service, we checked the presence of the 500 in the city. At the time of writing this LeasysGo review! we encountered one slight disparity of presence within the city borders. However, it is a disparity physiological, shared by all other Sharing services. In fact, the cars are concentrated in the residential areas during lunch breaks and in the center during working hours. A defect that could be solved with a larger fleet, and forgivable especially considering that it was only the fifth day of service. Almost three months after the debut of the service, LeasysGo! it is now definitely widespread throughout the city: there are always 500 available, whether you are in the center or starting from the suburbs, from Collegno or from Piazza Bengasi.
As you can see, the positions of each FIAT 500e free and usable. The location is very precise, and even in the vicinity of tall buildings such as the Intesa Sanpaolo skyscraper or difficult situations for GPS it does not miss a beat. You can choose the 500 based on the distance from us or from a point of interest (e.g. the station or workplace) or based on the battery percentage. You can also search by moving on the map or by inserting the filters in the appropriate section at the top right.
At the bottom instead we find 5 keys, in order: My runs, to see the last races made, Quick, to call the toll-free number and get help, the LeasysGo button! which brings us to the map, Settings e Profile, to check or modify data or payment details.
Once you have chosen your favorite 500, all you have to do is click on the placeholder indicating "your" 500. From here a menu which allows you to know the color of the car, the license plate number, the distance from where you are, the percentage of charge and the remaining autonomy. By swiping from bottom to top you can receive rental instructions or directions to reach the car. By clicking on Book you will be asked to confirm the reservation of the 500 in question.
Once confirmed, the car will be reserved for you for 15 minutes until your arrival. Once you arrive at the pickup location you can also turn on the car headlights to find it more easily perhaps in the dark, and once next to the 500 to open it just click on "Open Vehicle".
How to leave on a LeasysGo FIAT 500e!
Once you open the car, which will warn you by turning on the arrows and honking the horn, you can get on board. The app will ask you about the status of the car, the presence of any damage, lost objects or problems: once all the insertable has been inserted, it will be enough click on “Start rental” to leave. Very easy!
To leave it is necessary turn on the ignition keeping your foot pressed on the brake: once done, FIAT 500e will greet you with the notes of the Dolce Vita, while on the digital instrument panel READY will appear in green. At that point it will be enough engage forward gear by pressing button D on the dashboard on the PRND gearbox keypad, step on the accelerator and go!
For some considerations on FIAT 500e I leave you to our review of the electric Cinquino: here we focus on the LeasysGo review! and on his service.
While driving, the phone is not absolutely necessary: You can keep it in your pocket, connect it to the car's infotainment system or charge it on the wireless plate above the shift pad. On the app you can view and check the rental time in real time and your credit for remaining hours before departure.
End your LeasysGo rental! or make a stop
Once you've reached your destination, that's enough turn off the car pressing the brake and the power button, and check that all doors and windows are closed. Once done, you can get out of the car and take your mobile again. There you can select the type of stop, or if you just want to stop for a commission and close the car or end the rental. By clicking on "Ends“, The car will close and all you have to do is walk away: the rental has ended successfully.
If you would like to do one instead break, you can close the car from the app or simply take the car key placed in the glove box in the central tunnel and lock the car, taking the key with you. In this way no one will be able to "steal" your car, which will be there waiting for you.
LeasysGo! review: FAQ for all uses
Let's close the LeasysGo review! with a list of the most common FAQs (frequently asked questions).
- "Do I have to pay for the parking?". No, LeasysGo! does not require the payment of parking fees in agreed areas within the city limits: parking spaces with white stripes, obviously, with blue stripes and the Turin Caselle airport parking lot. For other types of parking, i.e. car parks outside the operational area, outside the city of Turin or underground or private car parks, instead it is necessary to pay.
- "Can I leave the operational area?". Yes, you can safely exit the operational area: it is possible to go wherever you want within the Italian territory. For example, we went to Superga and around Turin for the LeasysGo review! and FIAT 500e. The only foresight needed is that of terminate the rental within the operating area of belonging. This means that one day if you start the rental in Turin you will not be able to interrupt it in Milan: you will always have to finish it within the operational area from which you started.
- “Are there dedicated parking spaces? I don't want to look for a parking space. " Yes, there are car parks dedicated to LeasysGo! within the city: they are called e-Parking Leasys, and also include charging stations dedicated to the small 500s.
- "Do I have to charge the cars once the rental is over?". No: in the case of "traditional" parking you do not have to worry about the battery. Even parking in an e-Parking Leasys stall equipped with columns you do not have to do absolutely anything: in fact it is not required to charge the cars, as it once was for BlueTorino. The car will communicate autonomously to the LeasysGo Team! its position and its state of charge, and an employee will take care of putting it in charge and sanitizing it.
- "If I remain on foot with the car unloaded?". In this case you will have to call for assistance from the LeasysGo! app, who will take care of sending assistance to your position.
- “If I take a 500 for a day and I want to load it, how do I do it? Do I have to have a charging cable? " Although it is an extreme situation, LeasysGo! provided all 500e of the service with a charging cable present under the boot floor, in the spare wheel housing. So if you want to recharge "your" 500 around Italy you can do it.
- "If I make an accident or get a fine?". All FIAT 500e by LeasysGo! I'm insured regularly and equipped with Kasko policy. In the event of an accident, then it will be enough fill in the CID and contact Customer Service. In case of fine instead the service will deliver the fine to your home, and ask you for one practice management fee, which varies according to the type of infringement.
- "What if I forget something in the car?". If you still have time, go to your rented car, open it and take what you have forgotten. If, on the other hand, some time has passed and the car has been rented again, contact Customer Service from the app to find out if they have found your lost item.
Conclusions: pros and cons of LeasysGo!
By carrying out this review, LeasysGo! convinced us a lot: the app is well designed, user-friendly, and the service is immediate and worry-free. Furthermore, the FIAT 500e impressed us with their qualities, clearly detaching all rivals of other sharing services in the city. Turin then turned out to be a perfect city to start from, thanks to the relatively low traffic and ease of use of a car in city borders.
It is certainly not perfect service, as no one can be. Switching from one app to another, such as a messaging app to inform someone that you are leaving, the LeasysGo app! it needs quite a bit of loading time to work as it should. Finally we have found a car malfunction, making it impossible to book a 500e very close to our starting point, forcing us to move to another nearby car. A problem that we feel we can attribute to a software youth defect, since then also in the following days and after several rentals and reservations, the problem never came again.
LeasysGo! tries to attack the Italian car sharing market with a different formula. Top-of-the-range cars, neat and very pleasant to drive, usable through a monthly subscription which, if you use the service consistently, makes them convenient. LeasysGo! ran for cover by creating the Pay per Use rate, since for sporadic users the 20 euro fee could be a major drain. In any case, thanks to the very wide range of action on Turin and its surroundings LeasysGo! it can be a faithful companion not just for the home-work, but also for the Sunday trips or for the errands in shopping malls, often difficult to reach by public transport. This is why we promote LeasysGo !, an excellent ally for everyday life in the city. The leaders of the car sharing world would do well to fear this all-Italian newbie ...
Subscription LeasysGO subscription! Prepaid with 120 min per ...
- With the purchase of the Amazon Voucher "LeasysGO!" worth € 19,99 access, at the additional cost of € 19,99 per ...
- ATTENTION !!! Vouchers and instructions will be sent by e-mail. You will not receive any shipping at home. The...
- The service is active in the cities of TURIN and MILAN. The subscription guarantees 120 minutes of monthly mobility with ...
Subscription LeasysGO subscription! Pay per Use - The New ...
- With the purchase of the Amazon Voucher “LeasysGO! on Demand "worth € 19,99 access the Car Sharing program ...
- ATTENTION !!! Vouchers and instructions will be sent by e-mail. You will not receive any shipping at home. The...
- The service is active in the cities of TURIN and MILAN. You will be able to subscribe to the “LeasysGO! on Demand "with ...
