car2go Expands and Upgrades

Having tried for a short period of time what operators like Zipcar have been doing for much longer, German group Daimler is finding a great deal of satisfaction in the way in which the car2go car sharing program is shaping up in the US.

Being present in Austin, Texas, for little over a year, the car2go program has proven to be, if we are to judge by what Daimler is saying, a big hit. In response to the increasing demand for the service, the group decided it’s time to increase the operating area of the service by 63 percent in the Texan city and add an extra 100 vehicles to the fleet currently deployed there.

In all, car2go will soon operate 300 vehicles, all of which will be a model purpose built for car sharing operations (the existing fleet will be replaced with the new models as well). Called car2go edition, the new models are smart two-seaters equipped with a new telematics hardware, a new control unit with a large easy-to-use touchscreen, and a bettered user interface. Most new models will be equipped with a 100-watt solar roof, which is fully integrated with the on-board electronics.

“We knew Austin was going to be a great city for car2go when we started receiving requests to expand our operating area the first week we launched,” said Nicholas Cole, car2go CEO said.

“Today, we are excited to give our members what they’ve asked for by expanding our operating area to a total of 52 square miles and increasing our current network of vehicles.”