Meet Felix: The Eco-Friendly Uber
We all know that Uber — “the smartest mode of transportation” — has transformed the taxi industry in major cities. Uber is everywhere. For many of us, it's a daily habit.
But now there's a new player in town. And Felix is hoping to have the same impact.
Felix launched an app last month based on the Uber concept — but with a twist. Felix has no cars, only motorcycles.
Perhaps you've heard of motorcycle taxis like Sumer or YoCab, but Felix is doing it better with its eco-friendly motorcycle fleet. Felix does not use the usual Honda Goldwing or Suzuki motorcycles, preferring the C-evolution BMW motorcycle known to be environmentally friendly. Felix is betting that its concept will set it apart from the competition.
Image Credit: Felix
Environmental issues have became a matter of the utmost importance for the French population so their current environmental consciousness might guarantee the success of this start-up. The idea came to Felix creator Thibault Austray and his friend after their visit to Cambodia when they were forced to use motorcycle cabs for fast transportation during rush hours. "We thought about offering such a service in Paris. To make it different from other traditional platforms, we decided to merge the traditional taxi ordering concept with the Uber method in one eco-friendly idea," says Austray. And just like Uber, the company makes its profits by keeping 20% of each fare.
I decided to personally embark on this experience and order a ride from Opera Garnier to Place de la Bastille. The exact fare is specified before the reservation similar to an Uber. For now, the instant reservation service only covers a certain area in the center of Paris but it should expand in the coming weeks according to the developers. A key feature available now is the ability to make early reservations in all of Paris, including to and from the airports.
Yet, ironically, when comparing the fares, it seems that taking an Uber to the airport is less expensive, especially considering that the motorcycle used for this particular ride was not eco-friendly. The driver arrives to the Opera and offers us a full kit: gloves, a helmet and a jacket. BMW partnered with Felix on this and provided kits for all the C-evolution motorcycles.
Image Credit: Felix
"The reactions are very positive regarding the initiative. Up until now we had 6 drivers, and we are hoping to expand more in the near future. The company's growth rate is notably high, around 30-40% per week, and this is still the beginning," Autstray says. He adds that of those who have tried the app at least once have became loyal customers, and for him, this is very promising.
The ride from Opera to Bastille took around 20 minutes. Citymapper predicted a 26-minute car ride or 21 minutes on the Métro, so Felix wasn't far off. What Felix has over Uber, taxis and the Métro is the benefit of traveling through the breathtaking streets of Paris on a beautiful day. On the other hand, you will definitely need to think twice before ordering a Felix on a cold or rainy day. For that reason, Felix could simply be a spring/summer trend, but it's still a real revolution in the field of eco-friendly transportation. In time, perhaps we will see it take off in other countries, ones with more tropical or hot weather where Felix can operate year round. Regardless, Felix is worth a go, at least once on a nice day.
Have a safe ride!
