I was invited to travel to Holland last month to learn about a new network of all-electric cars that just rolled out in both Amsterdam and San Diego on the 18th by Car2Go, a subsidiary of Daimler, maker of the Mercedes Benz. The Car2Go model places a huge emphasis on making things as easy as possible for customers and has already been tested (albeit with conventional gas motors) in cities like Austin, Texas; Vancouver; Lyon, France; and the German cities of Ulm and Hamburg. Car2Go members can pick up a car by either reserving one online (after finding it on the Car2Go website) or just walking up to one on the street. Unlike other car share services like Zip Car and Ucarshare, Car2Go customers don't need to drop it off where they got it — anywhere within a designated zone is fair trade for a drop off.

 

 

Throw in per-minute pricing and a dense saturation of cars (there are 300 cars to start in both Amsterdam and San Diego) and you get an extremely easy-to-use and convenient way around town. Being able to drop the cars off wherever is most convenient for the drivers is a hugely beneficial feature that I expect the other car share services will have to match to stay competitive. It beautifully bridges the gap between the ease and convenience of personal car ownership and the financial and environmental savings of public transportation.

 

Here's a good video that explains how it works.