Mobility car sharing near EPFL and Lausanne
To verify This page has 2 items that could not be confirmed on an official page. Check them yourself before relying on them:
How students near EPFL can use Mobility shared cars for an occasional trip (IKEA run, moving a few boxes, a weekend outside the rail network). Orientation only, not insurance or legal advice. Prices change; confirm in the Mobility app or price calculator before you book.
Companion pages: Getting around · Half-Fare & SwissPass · Driving licence · Accident insurance
What Mobility is
Mobility is the Swiss car-sharing service: you reserve a car in the app or customer portal, open it, and drive off. Mobility says the trip price includes fuel or charging, vehicle taxes, insurance, servicing, cleaning and repairs.
Cars are station-based: every Mobility vehicle must be returned to the place where the reservation started. It is not a free-floating "drop anywhere" service like Lime scooters.
You pay per trip: an hourly rate plus a kilometre rate, which depend on the vehicle category. Longer reservations switch automatically to a day package.
Source: Mobility, Car sharing in Switzerland
Cars on the EPFL campus
EPFL Mobility lists Mobility car-sharing stations on the Lausanne campus at:
- Esplanade
- Rivier
- Quartier Nord
- EPFL Innovation Park
EPFL says the cars are available 24/7 for private or professional use, can be booked on the Mobility website or app, and are unlocked with the Mobility app or a SwissPass card.
For stations in Lausanne, Renens and the rest of Switzerland, use Mobility's location map.
To verify: Mobility stations named off campus in Lausanne / Renens (only the map is linked).
Source: EPFL, Carpooling, car-sharing and rental cars
Which offer fits a student?
Prices below are copied from mobility.ch on 5 Oct 2026 (CHF, VAT included). The per-category hourly / km table loads inside the page; use Mobility's price calculator for an exact trip quote.
| Offer | Who | Activation | Monthly cost | Drive rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| mobilityPLUS via EPFL | People studying or working at EPFL | Free (instead of CHF 39.90) | Under 28: none. Otherwise first 3 months free (new customers only), then CHF 9.90/month | from CHF 2.00/h and CHF 0.60/km |
| mobilityPLUS u28 (general) | Anyone under 28 | CHF 39.90 one-off | None | from CHF 2.00/h and CHF 0.60/km |
| mobilityEASY | Anyone | CHF 39.90 | None | from CHF 3.00/h and CHF 0.65/km, plus a journey start fee of CHF 2.50 to 5.00 |
mobilityPLUS can be cancelled at the end of the following month; mobilityEASY at any time.
For most EPFL students under 28, the EPFL mobilityPLUS link is the cheapest entry: no activation fee and no monthly fee. Register through the EPFL-specific page so the waiver applies: Mobility & EPFL. EPFL's carsharing page points private users to the same no-activation-fee link.
EPFL's Travel by car page also mentions a free three-month trial for the EPFL community; on the Mobility offer page this appears as "first 3 months free" for new customers.
To verify: per-category hourly / km table (renders client-side, not captured; only "from" rates quoted). To verify: whether the EPFL private-offer link checks EPFL email / status at signup (pages do not say). To verify: EPFL "free three-month trial" wording vs Mobility "first 3 months free" (treated as the same; moot for under-28s).
Sources: Mobility & EPFL · Mobility for u28 · mobilityEASY · EPFL, Travel by car
Not for private student use
- EPFL professional accounts: from 1 July 2026, EPFL replaced the old transferable Mobility cards with professional accounts linked to units and laboratories, for work trips by EPFL employees. Ask your unit's administrative manager only if you are employed and travelling for work.
- CAMIPRO: since 1 March 2024 the CAMIPRO card can no longer be activated as a Mobility card.
- Student associations can request a shared association account by writing to business@mobility.ch (details on the EPFL carsharing page).
Sources: EPFL carsharing · EPFL CAMIPRO, Mobility Car Sharing
How to join
- Open the EPFL offer page (or the Mobility app) and register.
- Pay any one-off fee in the customer portal (my.mobility.ch) or the app under "Customer account", by credit card or TWINT. With the EPFL waiver there may be nothing to pay.
- Verify your driving licence in the Mobility app.
- Choose how you open cars: the Mobility app (Bluetooth), a Mobility Card, or your SwissPass linked in the portal under Profile > Access media.
Mobility says registration by card or TWINT is very fast; if you pay by bank transfer, the account becomes active two to three working days after the payment arrives.
Accounts are personal and non-transferable: whoever drives must be registered with Mobility.
A SwissPass is optional here. It is one way to open the car, not a requirement; the app works on its own.
Source: Mobility FAQ (home page)
Driving licence
Under Mobility's General Terms and Conditions (applicable from 15.04.2026):
- You must hold a driving licence valid in Switzerland for the vehicle category, and upload a clearly legible copy before the contract starts.
- Your right to drive starts only after Mobility has verified the licence; Mobility may check with the licensing authorities whether your licence is valid, suspended or withdrawn.
- Under 18 with a licence: only with a legal caregiver's consent.
Separately, Mobility's FAQ: the "Emotion" category (specific premium models named at booking) can be booked only from age 25 (not available under 25 or for learner drivers).
If you drive on a foreign licence, check whether it is still valid in Switzerland for you. Residents generally have to exchange it within 12 months; see the kit's Driving licence page.
Sources: Mobility GTC · Mobility FAQ · Mobility home FAQ
Insurance and deductibles
Mobility users are covered by third-party liability, comprehensive (casco) and passenger insurance, included in the price.
If there is damage, a deductible applies per claim (GTC, 5 Oct 2026):
| Item | CHF |
|---|---|
| Third-party liability deductible | 1,000 |
| Comprehensive deductible | 2,000 (van: 3,000) |
| Maximum deductible per claim | 3,000 (van: 4,000) |
| Extra: young driver (under 28) | +500 |
| Extra: full licence held less than 3 years | +500 |
| Extra maximum per claim | 1,000 |
So a 22-year-old who passed the test two years ago can face both extras.
Optional liability reduction (12 months) lowers the deductible:
| Option | Deductible | Price |
|---|---|---|
| L | CHF 0 | from CHF 209 |
| M | CHF 250 | from CHF 169 |
| S | CHF 1,000 | from CHF 129 |
Mobility notes that liability reduction renews automatically (12-month cover for another year, 3-month cover for another 3 months). Cancel in time if you stop driving.
Mobility's passenger insurance pays limited lump sums (for example CHF 10,000 on death, CHF 50,000 disability, CHF 10 daily benefits) and Mobility recommends that customers take out their own personal accident insurance. See Accident insurance for students for how accident cover works in Switzerland.
Sources: Mobility GTC (sections 18 and 19) · Mobility & EPFL
Using the car: fair-play basics
- Check the car for damage before you drive and report it in the app.
- Return it on time to the same station. If you will be late, extend the reservation in good time or call the 24-hour service centre.
- Leave more than one-third fuel or charge.
- Electric cars: plug in and start charging before you end the reservation.
- Cancelling a reservation can cost a fee depending on timing; see Fair Play & fees.
Not following the fair-play rules leads to extra fees.
Abroad: foreign travel is allowed only to countries covered by Mobility's insurance. Customers domiciled outside Switzerland may drive only within Switzerland.
Sources: Mobility FAQ · Mobility GTC
Contact
- Mobility 24-hour service centre: +41 848 824 812
- EPFL questions on booking procedure / carpooling: mobilite@epfl.ch