Episode 10 – From Zero to Launch: Montreal Carsharing

Episode 10: The one where they find out that when it snows, IT SNOWS!

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Since launching Leo Carsharing in Montreal, Vulog has been working alongside a local dealership group to deliver a smarter, more convenient mobility solution. Through this ongoing series, we’ve been bringing you behind the scenes to explore what it truly takes to build, and now operate a successful carsharing service at scale.

Winter is com— is already here! 

Preparing a carsharing fleet for winter is not just about compliance, it’s about ensuring safety, availability, and reliability, across every vehicle.

In Québec, winter tires are mandatory by November 30th. However, the real challenge wasn’t the deadline itself. It was the fact that snowfall arrived earlier than expected – on November 10th, and not all of the tires had been changed yet!  Of the 600 vehicles, 50 had still not been transitioned and these vehicles were now immobilized. The importance of preparedness was a costly lesson learned. 

Vehicles had to be moved at night to minimize disruption and traffic impact, while during the day, cars were cleaned, fueled, equipped, and fitted with winter tires with the support of our local partner. Additional equipment, such as snow brushes, was also deployed across the fleet to help users manage snowy conditions.The operation progressed at a rate of around 100 vehicles per week. 

This created a continuous operational loop where fleet availability and preparation had to be balanced in real time, a key learning for shared mobility operations in seasonal environments.

There is a Leo car under there!

Keeping the fleet operational, one snowflake at a time

If preparing the fleet was one challenge, operating it during snowfall introduced another layer of complexity. With an average of more than 200 cm of snowfall each year and strict snow removal regulations requiring constant attention to where vehicles are parked, we knew the season would be demanding. While the weather is beyond our control, the key is having the right strategy to respond effectively.

In Montreal, vehicles cannot be driven unless the snow is cleared off of them and so during lighter snowfall – between 5 and 10 cm –  a blue snowflake indicator shows up in the app. This signals to users that the car needs to be cleared before driving. To ensure users take the time to properly clear the vehicles for a safer journey, the first 15 minutes of their trip are offered free of charge. 

However, heavier snowfall brings more significant disruption. When the city initiates snow removal operations, parking becomes temporarily restricted across multiple streets, with strict enforcement, fines, and risk of towing. This created a major operational challenge: ensuring vehicles are always parked on the correct side of the street at the right time.

To address this, Leo deployed a combination of operational and user-driven solutions:

• A red snowflake indicator in the app highlights vehicles parked in zones affected by snow removal
• Customers  are incentivized with 24 hours of free driving (per user per day) to move vehicles to compliant parking areas
• SMS and push notifications are sent to guide users ahead of snow removal operations
• On-the-ground teams reposition vehicles when needed to avoid fines and disruptions

Snowflakes in the Leo App indicate which cars need to be cleared of snow (blue) and which need to be moved (red)

Lessons from Winter Operations

This first winter in Montreal has reinforced the importance of preparedness combined with technology, operations, and user participation to keep our fleet up and running, in even the worst conditions. 

It is also now abundantly clear the impact that weather can have on our service. Overall usage can drop by up to 50% during major snow events, even with all the right strategies in place. The beau temps could not come sooner! 

Next Time on From Zero to Launch: Montreal Carsharing

With winter coming to an end, a new operational challenge is already on the horizon: spring cleaning!  As the city transitions into the new season, street cleaning regulations, a familiar headache for many city residents, will once again require careful coordination to ensure vehicles are parked correctly and avoid penalties. Fortunately Leo Carsharing has a surprise in store for both its users, and for Montrealers as a whole,…but more on that soon!  

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Check out our past episodes: 

Episode 1: The one where they figure out how to launch a carsharing service in just 8 months

Episode 2: The one where they put the “car” in “carsharing”

Episode 3: The one where they build their dream team

Episode 4: The one where they take on risk

Episode 5: The one where they finally say the name of the company

Episode 6: The one where they build the buzz

Episode 7: The one where they paint the town purple

Episode 8: The one where they look back at the journey so far

Episode 9: The one where they learned to get “street smart”