CASE STUDY
Volvo / ELEC3City
A Digital Platform for an Electric Mobility Service Integrated into the Neighbourhood
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Project Highlights

Milan – Portanuova
The service was developed in the Portanuova district, with its base at Volvo Studio Milano.
2022
Year the ELEC3City project was launched.
100% electric mobility
The service uses Volvo electric vehicles.
Volvo XC40
The model used during the initial phase of the service.
Volvo EX30
One of the models introduced later as the fleet evolved.
A single digital ecosystem
Users, bookings, vehicles, access, payments, invoicing, customer support, maintenance and data are managed through integrated processes.

Volvo

A Project at the Heart of Urban Innovation in Milan

Developing ELEC3City in Portanuova means creating a mobility service within one of the districts that best represents Milan’s urban transformation. The area is home to some of the city’s most iconic buildings and business districts and has become a testing ground for new models of sustainability, technology and quality of life. Portanuova is also the first and only neighbourhood in the world to have achieved both LEED & WELL for Community certifications. In this context, Volvo’s electric car-sharing service operates within an ecosystem focused on testing new solutions for urban mobility, giving the project particular strategic relevance and international visibility.

Volvo Car Italia is the Italian subsidiary of Volvo Cars, one of the international automotive brands most closely associated with safety, innovation and technological development in the automotive industry.

As mobility has evolved, Volvo has progressively developed new solutions related to vehicle electrification and models of car use that differ from traditional ownership.

ELEC3City was developed within this context: a neighbourhood-based electric car-sharing service operating in Milan’s Portanuova district, with its base at Volvo Studio Milano.

The project was launched in 2022 with the objective of providing residents, professionals and people visiting the area with a fully digital mobility service based on Volvo electric vehicles and integrated into Portanuova’s technology and service ecosystem.

ELEC3City was created within a neighbourhood characterised by a strong presence of businesses, residential buildings, commercial activities and services, in an area of Milan particularly focused on innovation and the development of new urban models.

Volvo’s objective was to go beyond simply providing vehicles and create a service capable of integrating with the area and with the everyday experience of the people who live and work there.

The project therefore needed to bring together several elements: electric mobility, digital experience, physical infrastructure, access systems, user support and operational tools.

As with other projects managed through Playmoove, ELEC3City had to be planned and supported throughout all the phases leading up to the service launch. The technology infrastructure, operational processes and end-user experience therefore had to be developed in parallel.

Another central requirement was maintaining strong consistency with the Volvo identity. The digital experience, service level and user interactions all needed to reflect the quality standards associated with the brand.

Creating ELEC3City required much more than a platform through which users could book a car.

Volvo needed to build a highly automated service that could operate with limited impact on its internal organisation while, at the same time, providing users with a simple and reliable experience.

The platform therefore needed to coordinate a wide range of components, including:

  • user registration and management;
  • document and driving licence verification;
  • vehicle booking;
  • vehicle access and use;
  • check-in and check-out;
  • pricing;
  • payments and invoicing;
  • user support;
  • fleet maintenance;
  • management of operator activities;
  • management of any fines;
  • collection and analysis of service data;
  • integration with external infrastructure and technology systems.

This complexity was further increased by a specific requirement related to the location of the vehicles.

The cars were located in an underground car park connected to the Portanuova area. Access to the lift used to reach the vehicles therefore had to be restricted to authorised users with a valid booking.

The objective of the project was to build an electric mobility service that could be managed digitally throughout the entire user journey while remaining consistent with Volvo’s positioning and quality standards.

The main objectives included:

  • automating service operations as much as possible;
  • providing users with a simple digital experience;
  • integrating the service within the Portanuova ecosystem;
  • allowing access to the car park only to authorised users;
  • managing users, documents and driving licences digitally;
  • centralising bookings, payments and invoicing;
  • providing dedicated tools for operators and maintenance activities;
  • integrating customer service into the service processes;
  • maintaining strong consistency with the Volvo brand identity;
  • collecting data to monitor project performance;
  • creating a technology infrastructure capable of supporting future developments of the service.

The platform therefore needed to combine automation, customisation and integration capabilities, enabling Volvo to develop a new service without having to build all the required technology and operational components internally.

The Playmoove Solution

Playmoove provided Volvo with a modular platform through which the different components of ELEC3City could be digitalised and coordinated.

The solution includes functionality for managing car sharing, rental and parking, together with the tools required to manage users, vehicles, bookings, operations, payments and invoicing.

The platform manages both the end-user experience and the tools used by administrative staff and operators responsible for the day-to-day running of the service.

Particular attention was given to customising the digital experience so that the service would be recognisable and consistent with the Volvo identity.

The project therefore went beyond implementing standard functionality and required the configuration of specific workflows and the development of integrations needed to connect ELEC3City with a complex technology ecosystem.

A Service Integrated into the Portanuova Ecosystem

One of the distinctive features of the project is its integration with the neighbourhood’s digital ecosystem.

Access to ELEC3City was designed as part of a journey connected to Portanuova’s digital services.

Users therefore did not simply access an independent car-sharing application, but entered the service through a process integrated with the broader digital ecosystem used within the neighbourhood.

This required the development of a custom registration and onboarding flow, different from the standard activation process for a mobility service.

The system needed to transfer the required data and allow users to access ELEC3City while maintaining continuity with the other services available within the Portanuova environment.

This integration made it possible to position Volvo car sharing within a broader model in which mobility is one of the digital services available to people who live in and visit the neighbourhood.

Integration with Physical Infrastructure

The project also required the digital platform to connect with physical infrastructure in the area.

The vehicles were located in an underground car park, and users needed to reach the garage through a public lift located in the Portanuova area.

Playmoove therefore worked on the integration with the lift access control system, creating a workflow capable of verifying whether a valid booking was in place.

Through the system, access could be enabled according to the user’s status and booking.

The integration between the software platform and physical infrastructure therefore made it possible to support the customer digitally not only when booking and unlocking the vehicle, but also throughout the process required to reach it.

Useful information was also provided within the user experience to guide customers through the different stages of using the service.

The project also included the integrations required to communicate with the infrastructure used for electric vehicle charging.

User Management and Digital Experience

Another central element was the complete digital management of the user journey.

The Playmoove platform manages the different stages before and during vehicle use, from registration through to the completion of the booking.

The process includes the collection and verification of the required documentation, including identity documents and driving licences, making it possible to verify that users meet the requirements for accessing the service.

Once authorised, users can manage the booking and subsequent vehicle use digitally.

The workflow also includes check-in and check-out procedures, keeping the different information related to each rental experience within the same ecosystem.

The objective was to minimise manual steps and provide a service in which technology and automation made the experience as straightforward as possible.

Managing Operational Activities

ELEC3City required more than tools designed for end users.

To ensure service continuity and quality, an environment was also needed through which the daily activities carried out by maintenance teams could be organised.

Playmoove therefore integrated the tools required to support fleet operations and maintenance activities within the platform.

Operators can access vehicle information directly from the app and organise the activities required to keep vehicles available and ready for use.

The platform therefore becomes a shared tool for the different teams involved in managing the service: from end users and customer service to operators working on the ground.

This centralisation reduces process fragmentation and makes it possible to coordinate different activities within a single digital ecosystem.

Customer Service, Payments and Invoicing

Since directly managing a mobility service is not traditionally part of an automotive manufacturer’s core business, the project also required the development of a number of complementary services.

Playmoove supported Volvo not only from a technology perspective, but also in defining and supporting the processes required for the day-to-day management of ELEC3City.

These include dedicated customer service for end users, integrated with the information and processes available through the platform.

Pricing, payments and invoicing-related activities are also managed within the same ecosystem.

This approach made it possible to create a service in which the technology platform and operational activities work together, reducing the need for Volvo to build entirely new internal processes outside its main business.

Fine Management

The project also includes functionality for managing any fines received after a vehicle has been used.

When a fine associated with a specific vehicle is received, the information available in the platform makes it possible to identify the booking and the user who was driving the vehicle at the relevant time.

The system therefore supports the activities required to manage the case and subsequent communications with the relevant authorities.

A process that normally takes place after vehicle use is therefore also managed within the same operational environment, maintaining the relationship between vehicle, booking and user.

A Project Involving Multiple Technology Partners

One of the complexities of the implementation phase was the number of stakeholders involved.

Launching ELEC3City required coordination between Volvo, the Portanuova ecosystem, infrastructure providers and several technology and consulting companies.

The Playmoove technical team therefore worked directly with the other parties involved, contributing its experience in the digitalisation of mobility services and supporting the management of the different integrations.

This role was particularly important during the onboarding and pre-launch phase, when different technology components needed to be integrated into a single workflow.

The ability to work directly with different systems and providers made it possible to manage the integration activities without transferring their full complexity to the client’s management team.

Implementation

The project was characterised by particularly tight implementation timelines.

A significant proportion of the required functionality was already available within the Playmoove ecosystem, while certain project-specific integrations needed to be developed specifically for ELEC3City.

These included, in particular, the connection with Portanuova’s digital systems and the integration with the infrastructure used to access the garage.

The Playmoove team therefore worked on configuring the platform and developing the missing components, adapting the system to the specific requirements of the project.

At the same time, the activities required for the launch were managed together with the training of the teams involved in customer support and in presenting the service at Volvo Studio.

The result was an ecosystem in which technology, physical infrastructure and operational activities could work together from the launch of the project.

A Platform That Evolves with the Service

ELEC3City was designed from the outset as a service capable of evolving over time.

The platform therefore needed to allow functionality, processes and configurations to be modified without rebuilding the technology infrastructure each time the project evolved.

The fleet followed the same path.

The service was launched using electric Volvo XC40 vehicles, and as it evolved, new models from Volvo’s electric range were introduced and evaluated, including the EX30.

The same technology infrastructure was therefore able to support the evolution of the fleet and the subsequent requirements of the project.

This represents one of the central elements of the Playmoove approach: building a technology foundation capable of supporting not only the service in its initial configuration, but also the changes that may emerge over time.

Data and Reporting

Managing a digital service generates a significant amount of information relating to users, vehicles and usage patterns.

For this reason, ELEC3City includes a back office through which the data required to monitor the project can be accessed.

The platform centralises information relating to bookings, fleet utilisation and other components of the service, providing dedicated reporting and analysis tools.

Data availability makes it possible to monitor how the service is operating from different perspectives and identify areas where action may be required.

The back office therefore becomes not only an administrative tool, but also a component supporting operational decisions and the ongoing evolution of the project.

Results

The first result of the project was to make it possible to create an electric car-sharing service deeply integrated with an existing urban and technology ecosystem.

Playmoove brought together within the same digital infrastructure a wide range of components:

  • user digital experience;
  • booking management;
  • access control;
  • integration with physical infrastructure;
  • document verification;
  • vehicle management;
  • customer service;
  • payments and invoicing;
  • maintenance activities;
  • fine management;
  • data collection and analysis.

The platform also made it possible to develop workflows specific to ELEC3City while retaining an infrastructure already structured for managing mobility services.

Another result concerns the level of automation achieved.

Digital management of the different stages reduces the need for manual intervention and makes the service compatible with an organisation such as Volvo, whose primary core business remains automotive.

Over time, the project has also been able to evolve, supporting the introduction of new vehicle models while maintaining the same underlying technology infrastructure.

Why Playmoove

One of the reasons Volvo chose Playmoove was the need to start from a platform already structured for mobility services while maintaining a high level of customisation.

ELEC3City required specific workflows, a strongly customised end-user experience and numerous integrations with external systems.

Playmoove was able to combine an established platform with the ability to develop and configure components specifically for the project.

Another important element was the ability to support the client with the operational aspects of the service, providing expertise developed directly within the shared mobility sector.

The result is a technology infrastructure in which software, integrations and operational processes work together to create an experience aligned with the quality standards required by the client.

The ELEC3City project therefore demonstrates how a modular and open mobility platform can be used not only to digitalise a mobility service, but also to integrate it within a complex urban ecosystem, bringing users, vehicles, infrastructure and operators together within the same environment.