2008
Rent a smart anywhere and anytime, at a moment's notice
Find and book via cell phone or
internet
Pilot project with 50 smart fortwos
starts October in Ulm
ZUR DEUTSCHEN VERSION |
Daimler starts mobility concept for the city
Stuttgart / Ulm
- With car2go, Daimler is launching a completely new mobility concept and
is providing a future-oriented answer to increasing traffic volume in urban
areas.
"car2go is an intelligent and creative solution
that provides a simple, flexible and value-for-money approach to mobility
with environmentally-friendly vehicles" is how Dr. Dieter Zetsche, CEO of
Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars, describes the objective of the
project. On 24 October 2008 the first pilot phase will start in the southern
German city of Ulm where car2go will be tested in real-life conditions. "Ulm
has been one of our most important research locations for many years, and
is therefore the ideal choice for testing this future-oriented mobility concept",
says Dr. Thomas Weber, member of the board of management responsible for
research and development at Daimler AG. Welcoming the commitment of Daimler
AG, Ivo Gönner, the Mayor of the City of Ulm , says "As a center of
scientific activity, Ulm offers the right environment for laying the groundwork
for new ways forward in mobility", The City of Ulm is supporting the car2go
project team, in particular with issues of traffic planning. |
Simple and economical city driving
And this is how it works: a fleet of smart fortwo vehicles will be made available
within the city, functioning for all citizens as a vehicle pool that can
be accessed at any time. Following a one-off registration process, the smarts
can be hired spontaneously in passing, or pre-booked and used for as long
as desired. The concept aims to ensure that a reliable vehicle is available
at any time, just a few minutes walk away. The customer gets in and can drive
off right away. Once the trip is completed, the driver simply parks the rental
smart somewhere within the city limits. Billing for the Ulm project is just
as straightforward and flexible as the entire operation of car2go - to the
nearest minute, for just 19 cents per minute. |
car2go in detail
On registering for car2go, the customer's driving
license is provided with an electronic chip that enables the car to be unlocked.
Customers have several possibilities for accessing a car2go. A spontaneous
"passing" rental, for example - wherever a customer finds a free smart, they
can hire it "on-the-spot". To do so, the customer simply holds their driving
license up to a reading device behind the windscreen, gets in, enters their
PIN number and drives off. Available vehicles can be located quickly and
easily via the internet or a telephone service hotline. Alternatively, vehicles
can be booked up to 24 hours in advance. In this case the location and directions
to the vehicle reserved are sent to the customer in good time via a text
message. The rental period can last for as long as desired. The vehicle remains
reserved for the customer during any stops made - when shopping, for example.
When customers wish to return the car2go, they simply leave the vehicle in
a parking space within the city limits. All "non-managed" parking spaces
within the city limits can be used, for example the car can be parked at
the side of the road or within marked parking spaces. In addition, specially
marked car2go parking spaces are provided at railway stations or airports. |
Charged to the minute
car2go is also notable for its simple and transparent payment system. Charges
are not based on distance, but on time - minute for minute - similar to mobile
phone usage. Customers can use a car2go in Ulm for 19 cents per minute -
inclusive of all associated costs such as fuel, insurance and taxes. Favorable
hourly or daily rates apply to longer rental periods. There is no joining
fee as a special motivation to try out car2go. Customers are not required
to enter into any longterm contractual commitment, and there is no deposit
or minimum usage fee. Customers pay for the actual vehicle use by means of
a convenient monthly bill.
High quality and reliable service
A service team cleans the vehicles on a regular basis and handles all technical
maintenance work. This guarantees that every customer receives a clean, tidy
and undamaged vehicle for every trip. The service team is also responsible
for refilling the fuel tank, or customers can do this themselves using a
prepaid fuel card found in the glove compartment of the car2go in return
for free minutes credited against their next trip. Customers can use the
integrated navigation system via a special car2go monitor and they can establish
a telephone connection to the service center should they have any questions
about the vehicle.
Start-up with 50 smart fortwos
The first phase of the project with 50 smart fortwos will start in Ulm on
24 October and the vehicles will initially be available to employees of Daimler
AG only. Robert Henrich, the responsible project manager in Daimler's Business
Innovation division says "Our objective in this initial project phase is
to gather practical experience of using car2go. For example we will analyze
the technical implementation, the service concept and the usage behavior
of the customers." The next pilot phase will begin in the spring of next
year, and will see the size of the vehicle fleet in Ulm increased considerably
and the group of possible car2go users expanded to include all residents
of the city and visitors. In supporting car2go, Ulm is promoting efficient
individual mobility concepts for inner city traffic and the optimum usage
of available parking space, and the city is also setting international standards.
"The implementation of the car2go pilot project in Ulm has been made pos-sible
primarily thanks to the comprehensive support of the city", Robert Henrich
continues. The firm Daimler TSS GmbH based in Ulm played a decisive role
in the development of the telematics systems, the internet portal and the
fleet management systems. |
The origin of the concept: smart - "Not just
another car"
When the first smart was produced in 1997, the new
two-seater microcar also carried with it a vision of mobility in the 21st
century; tailored to address traffic problems in large urban areas. A host
of mobility services, such as special rates for occasional rental of a larger
vehicle, cheaper car wash rates, special parking arrangements in large cities
and combined usage of car, rail and local public transport all positioned
the smart as "not just another car". The original idea of the smart mobility
concept was taken on by Daimler's Business Innovation division, which identifies
emerging business sectors and derives corresponding business models. In view
of increasing crude oil prices, higher traffic volumes in urban areas and
the growing need for individual mobility, Business Innovation devised car2go
as a tailor-made response to the issues raised by today's urban mobility. |
READER COMMENTS
Daimler Communications, 70546
Stuttgart/Germany, October 21, 2008 |
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