Daimler to Launch Vehicle-on-Demand Pilot Program in Germany Using Smart Cars
By Scott Doggett October 21, 2008
Daimler AG announced today that on Friday it will launch car2go, a pilot vehicle-on-demand program consisting of a 50-car fleet of Smart ForTwos that initially will be limited Daimler employees but eventually offered to the general public.
Convenience will be key to the program, which will commence in the southern German city of Ulm, where car2go will be tested in real-life conditions, Daimler said in a statement.
Following a one-off registration process, the Smarts can be hired spontaneously wherever a customer finds a free Smart, or pre-booked and used for as long as desired, at a cost of 19 cents a minute.
If all goes according to plan, available vehicles could be located quickly and easily via the Internet or a telephone.
The concept aims to ensure that a reliable vehicle is available at any time, "just a few minutes walk away."
Unlike conventional rental-car services, the customer can get in and drive off right away. Once the trip is completed, the driver simply parks the rental smart somewhere within the city limits.
On registering for car2go, the customer's driving license is provided with an electronic chip that enables the car to be unlocked.
A service team will be responsible for cleaning, maintaining and refueling the vehicles, although customers will have the option of refueling the vehicles themselves using a pre-paid card found in the glove compartment in return for free minutes credited against their next trip.
Car2go won't be the first vehicle-on-demand program. Zipcar, a neighborhood rental service offering MINIs, Volkswagens and larger vehicles, has been servicing parts of the U.S. and Britain for years at a cost of 15 cents a minute. Similar programs exist as well.
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