Daimler Shares Vision for Share Now, Formerly car2go
Daimler’s carsharing partnership with BMW, Share Now, will expand its footprint using all-electric smart models and combine with different means of transport. Another initiative, the Ready to Share service allows smart owners to share their vehicles privately through the Share Now app.
As Daimler celebrates its landmark in carsharing, it looks to focus on future mobility concepts.
Photo via Daimler.
Beginning in 2009, Daimler established the first fleet for free-floating carsharing in Ulm with 200 smart vehicles. A year before, SHARE NOW, previously known as car2go, started operation as the first location-independent carsharing system worldwide. Today, Daimler and SHARE NOW celebrate 10 years of service provided.
The anniversary celebrates 20,000 vehicles, including 3,200 electric cars, and four million customers worldwide in 31 cities across 14 countries culminating more than 100,000 drive days, with more than 12,000 of them in all-electric power.
In addition, an all-electric smart fleet numbering 400 vehicles has been in flexible carsharing operation since the beginning of the year.
"Each of our vehicles already replaces up to eight private cars today,” says Simon Broesamle. “In high-density metropolises such as Paris, the all-electric smart is the most popular carsharing vehicle for the customers of SHARE NOW and an optimal complement to the public transport network and other mobility solutions.”
Through its “ready to share” service authorized users have access to safe and secure keyless entry functions.
As Daimler celebrates its landmark in carsharing, it looks to focus on future mobility concepts. Ultimately, the company plans to expand convenient, safe, and sustainable means of transportation for its customers. This includes taking public transportation in account along with mobility sharing services. Also, in development are digital services that would calculate the route and open up the possibility to book and pay for all stages and services.
The company also hopes to develop smart, a car brand that would be able to complete the systematic switch from combustion engines to electric powertrains. By 2020, it will gradually reduce the range combustion engines in all European markets and switch to completely emission-free for the smart fortwo, fortwo cabrio, and forfour.
In 2019, Daimler AG and BMW Group created a joint venture with five mobility services. SHARE NOW and DriveNow form a joint carsharing service, with a fleet comprised of the smart, Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Mini brands.
Originally posted on Automotive Fleet
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