Accessing a Vehicle

Once you’ve located a FLEX vehicle using our mobile app, you can block it free of charge for up to 30 minutes, giving you time to reach it.

You can only block the same vehicle one additional time if you do not access it within the first 30 minutes. A notification in the app will let you know when your first block is set to expire (less than 5 minutes remaining) allowing you to add a further 30 minutes to the blocking period.

Not at all. If the vehicle is available, you will be able to access it.

You will know if the vehicle is available by looking at the card reader:

• a green flashing LED, the car is available
• a red flashing LED, the car is already being used by another member
• both green and red LEDs flashing, the car has been blocked for use by another member (that member could be you, if you already blocked the car)

No. You may not release a FLEX vehicle in another city even if FLEX service is also available there.

You must always bring the vehicle back to the city or regional area where you started your trip and release it inside the FLEX zone or at a FLEX drop-off point.

The one exception to this rule is in the Ottawa-Gatineau region. Members using a FLEX car in this service area can release the vehicle within the zone in either city.

If you open the Communauto app and can’t see any FLEX cars, you should also see a banner with an explanation. If all FLEX cars are in use, you can refresh the app or check back later to see if a car has become available. If there is a temporary technical issue preventing FLEX cars from being displayed, the banner will provide more information.

On the home screen (Explore) you can change the display style for the map pins, making the station icons smaller and allowing you to better see the available FLEX cars.

You can also toggle the view between station-based and FLEX cars when searching for a vehicle.

There are multiple factors that determine whether the FLEX service can operate in a specific Communauto city, and which parts of the city can be included in the FLEX zone:

• Municipalities usually need to approve the operation of on-street carsharing.
• The zone must include streets or other parking options where FLEX cars are permitted to park at the end of a trip.
• Some neighbourhoods cannot be included because of potential conflicts with other on-street parking needs, or because parking rules are not suitable year-round.
• It is also important that the zone covers an area where members will frequently start and end trips, so the cars circulate regularly.

These are just a few of the things taken into consideration when planning the coverage of our FLEX zones. Rest assured that our team is committed to continuing to develop our network.

One-way FLEX

One-way FLEX vehicles, also known as the “regular” FLEX option, allow trips to start at point A and end at point B anywhere within the FLEX service area of the city or region where the car is based. With these vehicles, it’s possible to begin a trip at one location and finish it at a different location within a large territory.

Return FLEX

Return FLEX vehicles are assigned to a smaller zone, typically an area of a few city blocks that can be quickly covered on foot. The zone for a particular Return FLEX vehicle is indicated on the map in the Communauto app. Return FLEX vehicles must be brought back within the boundaries of their zone at the end of the trip. Otherwise, they enjoy the same parking privileges during the trip as One-way FLEX vehicles.

At the moment, Return FLEX cars are only available in Montreal.

The information above is also available in the icon legend found in the Communauto app (bottom left, just above the Explore button).

See also:

Is there a difference in price for One-way FLEX and Return FLEX trips?

Yes, for trips under 4 hours, a Return FLEX can often be the lower cost option. The difference may seem subtle, but it’s tied to a pricing rule called the ‘4‑hour minimum charge.”

For more details, see: How is the cost of my trip calculated when I use a FLEX vehicle?