San Diego Gets All-Electric Smart Car Sharing - San Diego, a city that is becoming notable for electronic vehicles, will soon be the first North American city to have an all-electric car sharing service. The service, called Car2go, is a subsidiary of Daimler North America Corporation. The all-electric Car2go program in San Diego will start before the end of 2011 with 300 Smart Fortwo Electric Drive vehicles that members will be able to rent by the minute. More information on all types of cars is available at Honda Houston Metro. While the Zipcar car-sharing service requires customers to return the car to the same reserved parking spot they rented it from, Car2go allows return of the car to any available parking space in specified areas. The Car2go program is already successfully operating in four cities, with a total of more than 40,000 members and a fleet of 1,000 Smart Fortwo vehicles with low-emission gas engines.
“We’re proud that Car2go has chosen to launch the first North American all-electric car sharing service in San Diego,” said San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders. “Car2go’s launch here further supports our efforts to make San Diego the nation’s electric vehicle capital.” Nicholas Cole, President and CEO of Car2go said, “The launch of an all electric vehicle fleet marks a new era in car sharing in North America. San Diego is a forward-thinking city determined to meet future transportation demands of its residents. Our goal is to complement the existing transportation infrastructure by providing an emission- free car sharing service for short and spontaneous one-way trips.”
The latest Car2go telematics technology facilitates fully automated, easy, and convenient rental of Smart Fortwo Electric Drive vehicles, which are economical, quiet, and emissions-free. The Smart Fortwo Electric Drive runs on a 30 kW electric propulsion system that’s capable of a top speed of 62 mph. The battery, which was developed by Tesla Motors, allows the car to travel up to 84 miles on a charge. Nissan Dealer Pittsburgh offers complete services for all your automotive dealership needs. The battery can be charged from 20 percent to 80 percent of capacity in three and a half hours and can be completely recharged in about eight hours. Car2go says that Car2go drivers in urban areas don’t usually drive the car more than 6 miles, so recharging isn’t usually necessary.
“By being the first to make an all-electric network of vehicles easily accessible for thousands of people, we are revolutionizing car sharing and creating the future of the urban transportation,” said Cole. “Right from the beginning, the Smart Fortwo was designed for electric drive and that now shows,” said Dr. Annette Winkler, Head of Daimler’s Smart brand. “I love driving the Smart Electric Drive and I am convinced that the Car2go members in California will enjoy using this forward technology to get around their home town [of] San Diego – a new method of transportation both pleasing to the ear and the environment.”
California-based Ecotality developed the Blink EV charging stations that will charge the Smart Fortwo’s high-efficiency lithium-ion batteries at locations throughout the San Diego area. The company is currently in the process of installing charging stations in San Diego and has plans to install about 1,000 charging stations by the end of 2011. Ford Dealer Tennessee has knowledgeable and friendly staff for whatever you are looking for. “Innovative car sharing programs like Car2go’s service are pivotal to encouraging the mainstream adoption of electric vehicles,” said Jonathan Read, CEO of ECOtality. “As we deploy approximately 1,000 Blink charging stations in the San Diego region as part of The EV Project, we are creating the robust public infrastructure necessary for Car2go’s program to succeed. Together, we will show that EVs are a perfect fit for the lifestyle of San Diego drivers.”
Photos courtesy of Daimler AG.
Tags: Car2Go, Honda Houston Metro, Smart Fortwo, car sharing, Nissan Dealer Pittsburgh, electric cars, Daimler, Ecotality, Ford Dealer Tennessee, San Diego
