Ulys
With a record 807,000 new subscriptions in 2022, VINCI Autoroutes’ all-digital brand consolidated its leading position in road mobility multi-service subscriptions in France. Ulys gained even more recognition and more subscribers after VINCI Autoroutes granted a 10% reduction on toll payments to travellers who used holiday vouchers to buy or top up their Ulys Liber-t Vacances electronic toll badge. At end-2022, 5.4 million Ulys badges were in circulation.
In 2022, VINCI Autoroutes also launched Ulys Electric, a one-size-fits-all EV charging payment solution. This new single-account service lets travellers use their badge to pay for e-tolls in four countries (France, Spain, Portugal and Italy), for parking in 500 carparks, and for EV charging at 60,000 stations across France, regardless of the operator. The Ulys app also allows travellers to find charging stations on their route and provides each charge point’s power, price, plug type and availability in real time. An Ipsos study conducted for VINCI Autoroutes found that as well as using their electric vehicles for daily trips, nearly half (45%) of EV drivers now use them to go away for the weekend or on holiday. That indicates how quickly the e-mobility experience is improving on motorways.
Environmental ambition
VINCI Autoroutes’ environmental policy is in line with the objectives fixed by France’s National Low-Carbon Strategy (SNBC) and by the EU’s Fit for 55 package, which both establish a road map for carbon neutrality by 2050. Forward-looking scenarios, in particular those developed for the SNBC, suggest that road travel will remain the main mode of transport for a long time. In 2050, it should still account for nearly 80% of the movement of people and about 85% of the movement of goods in France. The transport sector is currently the biggest GHG emitter and represents over 30% of France’s emissions, and road transport accounts for 95% of these emissions. Therefore, to transition to a low-carbon economy we must massively decarbonise road use. VINCI Autoroutes firmly believes that, as the backbone of the road transport system, the motorway network can and must be a driving force in this transformation and is already taking action to accelerate its conversion into a low-carbon infrastructure.
1A high-power Ionity EV charging station at the Bréguières Nord service area (A8) between Nice and Mandelieu in the south of France.
2 In Tours, central France, the A10 crosses the city and caters to both commuters and through-traffic.
3 Clear waste sorting instructions help users get it right in 19 VINCI Autoroutes service areas.
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The Ulys Electric app launched in March 2022 makes it easy to pay for EV charging.