Smoother, Better, Faster, Smarter: car2go Introduces New Cars To Calgary

One-Way Carsharing on the Rise as Company Crosses Two Million Member Milestone

CALGARY, Oct. 5, 2016 /CNW/ -- car2go, the largest, fastest-growing carsharing company in the world, announced that its Calgary area's 99,000-plus car2go members can now enjoy making trips in new, more advanced car2go vehicles. Rolling out today in Calgary, the new vehicles deliver a smoother, faster, and improved experience with the latest car2go technology. car2go will continue to upgrade the Calgary fleet of 610 vehicles through the end of the year.

car2go announced yesterday that after significant 43-percent year-over-year growth, the company has crossed the two million global member milestone with 800,000 of those members in North America. Every 1.5 seconds, a car2go member takes a trip in one of the service's 14,000 vehicles serving car2go members in nine countries on three continents.

"Calgary is one of the largest car2go cities in North America. With over 99,000 members, Calgarians are at the forefront of carsharing and the sharing economy overall," said Jon Wycoco, General Manager of car2go Calgary. "As we cross the two million member milestone globally, and continue to see growing demand for our innovative approach to mobility, we are thrilled to upgrade the car2go experience for our members. The next-gen car2gos are fully upgraded, giving members a smoother ride, better features, and more streamlined rental process while maintaining a size small enough to fit into parking spaces no regular sized vehicle could occupy."

What's NEW about the new car2go?

Smoother. Better. Faster. Smarter. Perfect adjectives for our new car2go:

• Unlocks in about five seconds, enabling members to quickly hop in and drive away.
• Bluetooth access allows drivers and passengers to rock out to their own music and make hands-free calls.
• Seat warmers ensure car2go members can warm themselves up quickly on chilly days.
• The new car2go is wider, providing drivers and passengers with a roomier interior and additional trunk storage space.
• A more powerful motor and a new six-speed twinamic dual-clutch transmission provide the smoothest, quickest car2go ride ever.
• An incredibly tight turning radius means the new car2go can almost literally turn on a dime.
• Cutting-edge safety features in the new smart fortwo car2go include a rigid Tridion safety shell made of ultra-high strength steel, crosswind assist that automatically compensates for strong gusts of wind to keep drivers on-course, anti-lock brakes, electronic stability (known as ESP® in most cars), and airbags for drivers and passengers. 

The new cars – which are "smartphone only," eliminating the need for a member card – will appear in the car2go app as the "fortwo new," with a photo of the newly designed vehicle so that car2go members can easily find and drive the new cars. Prior generation vehicles will appear in the car2go app as "fortwo."                                                                                             

New UC Berkeley research reveals how one-way carsharing is benefiting Calgary's quality of life 

Calgary figured prominently in the first-ever one-way carsharing impact study conducted in North America. The research, released by UC Berkeley's Transportation Sustainability Research Center in July, revealed car2go removes vehicles from the road, reduces kilometers traveled, and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.

• Each car2go vehicle removed an estimated 11 vehicles from Calgary's roads: more than 6,000 vehicles total.
• In 2015, car2go Calgary reduced overall vehicle kilometers traveled (VKT) by up to an estimated 52.9 million kilometers.
• Each car2go Calgary vehicle eliminated up to 14 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions.
• car2go Calgary also prevented up to an estimated 8,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions from polluting Calgary air.

Lower pricing for all and free registration + free drive time for new Calgary members

To give members a chance to get a feel for the new car2gos, and make the most of the final days of summer, car2go is offering a lower day rate for a limited time. Members can hop in any car2go smart car for just $60.00 per day (regularly $84.99).

Calgarians interested in taking a spin in the new car2go can use the promo code NEWRIDE for free registration (regularly $35) and a $5.00 drive time credit through October 31, 2016. Members are encouraged to keep up-to-date on all the latest member events and promotions by following @car2goCalgary on Twitter and connecting with car2go on Facebook.

About car2go N.A., LLC
car2go N.A., LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Daimler North America Corporation, offers an innovative mobility solution in rapidly growing urban areas via a carsharing network of eco-friendly smart fortwo vehicles around the world. A flexible and "on demand" mode of transportation, car2go complements existing public transportation by bridging the gaps between the "first and last mile" of a member's commute. Today, car2go's global operation is the largest, fastest-growing carsharing program in the world with more than 2,000,000 registered members and a fleet of over 14,000 vehicles in 30 locations across the globe.

The innovation and environmental sustainability of car2go have earned international acclaim, including TripAdvisor's 2015 "Travelers' Choice" award, "Best Carshare" from the Vancouver Courier, "2015 Best CarSharing Service" from Best of D.C., "2014 Best CarSharing App" from Best of D.C., recognition from the Austin Chamber of Commerce with the "Greater Austin Business Award" for its positive impact on the city's traffic, and the prestigious "2010 EPA Clean Air Excellence Award" from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Further information on car2go is available at car2go.com and car2go.com/NA/en/press/.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161004/415163

SOURCE car2go N.A., LLC

Dacyl Armendariz, car2go N.A., LLC (Austin, Texas), 512-580-0499, [email protected], https://www.car2go.com