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New Car2go Service Gives You a Car Whenever You Need It

April 7, 2009 at 9:58 AM | by kjb | 0 Comments

Another car sharing program is getting into the game, and they’re starting their plan for world domination in Austin. Even though everything is bigger in Texas, this service is going to deploy about 200 Smart Fortwos onto city streets, which are certainly little guys. After a test run in Ulm, Germany—mostly with friends and family—Daimler’s new car2go service starts testing things out here in the states. Too bad SXSW is already over.

Of course everyone will immediately compare this new kid on the block to ZipCar. However, company officials insist that the car2go service is different. Instead of making a reservation, members are free just to pick up any Smartcar that they see and take it for a spin. There’s no need to decide how long you’ll need the car for, so there’s no overage fees or other penalties. Just walk up to the car and you’ll be able to see if it’s available. If it’s not, just look at the screen on the back, and it will reveal the nearest available car.

GPS devices know where the cars are at all times, but Daimler insists they will not be tracking the locations of the cars when they are in service. (So they say.) Swipe your membership card past the window and you’ll be granted access. The keys are in the glove compartment—just enter your PIN and you’ll be off to the races. When you’re done you can park it in any public parking spot, or back home in an official car2go spot.

Pricing here at home hasn’t been officially announced, but if it’s similar to what’s going on in Germany it should run about 25 cents per minute and membership is free. There will likely be flat rates for the day, and all pricing will include gas, taxes, and insurance. Unfortunately, city employees will be the lucky ones testing out the new service, but hopefully we’ll get our hands on the wheel this fall.

Related Stories:
·car2go [Official Site]
·Zipcar Killer? Daimler's Car2Go Rental System Comes To The States [Popular Mechanics]
·Daimler to Bring Car-Sharing To Texas [NYT]
·'Connect By Hertz': It's Like ZipCar But Without The Good Locations [Jaunted]

[Photo: Daimler]

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