Victoria hotel launches car share initiative

A Victoria hotel has launched an innovative car share program for its guests, believed to be the first of its kind in the world.

In a local initiative, Victoria’s DoubleTree by Hilton hotel announces the MY STAY. MY CAR. program which allows hotel guests the opportunity to use an environmentally-friendly vehicle during their stay, for $20 per night.

The fleet includes two hybrid cars and two electric vehicles, the latter being an innovative single passenger vehicle made by Electra Meccanica, a Canadian-based designer and manufacturer of electric vehicles.

The electric SOLO cars are made in Vancouver, based on a chassis built in Victoria.

“It doesn’t get much better than this,” said Mayor Lisa Helps. “We have a locally-made car which is electric, which will transport guests not only around the city but around the region. When they leave Victoria, they will go away with a unique experience.

“This program exists nowhere else in the world.”

The compact one-seater SOLOs take roughly three hours to charge, have a 160 km range, go from 0 to 100 km in 8 seconds, and have a top speed of 130 km.

“With so many travellers arriving to Victoria’s Inner Harbour on foot via float plane or ferry, we’re thrilled our hotel is able to offer them this easy, cost effective and green way to explore the Island,” said Francis Mairet, principal of Mairet Hotels who manages the Victoria property.

The car share program is offered through Turo, a car sharing marketplace where local car owners provide travellers with vehicles similar to Airbnb for homes.

The environmentally-friendly cars offered at the hotel will provide guests to Victoria with a viable option for green travel while they visit.

“This is one more example of the many, many examples of innovation we are seeing in the tourism and hospitality sector,” said Paul Nursey, CEO of Tourism Victoria. “This is one of those things that you can’t be against. It’s green, it’s an innovation, it’s a customer amenity, and I applaud this company for taking the step to make it happen.”