HOMEInvestor Relations
To access this section
Need an access?
Press releases
2011-04-08Europcar and Daimler launch car2go service in Hamburg
Back Print Download
Europcar and Daimler launch car2go service in Hamburg
- With 1.8 million residents, Hamburg is the first major city to host innovative concept in urban mobility
- More than 1000 pre-registrations, and 300 smart fortwo dispatched during the event across the city
- International roll-out of car2go expected to follow
Hamburg, Germany - April 7, 2011 – Europcar, the leader in car rental services in Europe, and car2go, a subsidiary of Daimler AG, officially launched car2go services, an innovative concept in urban mobility, in Hamburg yesterday. Members of the media, customers, as well as representatives of Europcar, car2go and Daimler AG, participated in the launch ceremony, which took place at Hamburg’s FischMarket.
The "car2go edition" vehicles are the latest-generation, two-seater smarts equipped with state-of-the-art telematics and an innovative solar roof. They can be spontaneously rented for a price of 29 cents per minute or a maximum of €14.90 per hour (the cheaper of the two is always automatically charged), used for any length of time and then simply left again at any free public parking space within the area of operation.
Further to the success of car2go in Ulm, Germany and Austin, Texas, Hamburg with its population of 1.8 million is the first major city to see the roll-out of car2go. It is expected to be followed by an international roll-out of the service.
The service is provided through a joint venture between car2go GmbH and Europcar Germany, with Europcar holding a 75 percent share of the joint venture. The service is fully operated by Europcar and benefits from the company’s exhaustive expertise in fleet management, distribution and related logistics. Europcar’s extensive rental network will also provide outlets for registration, complementing the car2go locations.
Commenting on the launch, Philippe Guillemot, Chief Executive Officer of Europcar Groupe, said: “Europcar has been anticipating changes in travelers’ needs and offering mobility solutions for the past 60 years. With car2go, we are now expanding our offering to provide urban residents with a new lifestyle service and mobility by the minute. Through such innovations, we demonstrate our commitment to constantly enhancing the customer experience, and answer all needs related to the car. This explains why Europcar is the industry leader in Europe today.”
Robert Henrich, Managing Director of car2go GmbH says, "car2go is characterized by its unique flexibility and opportunity to use the vehicles spontaneously, making it ideal in combination with local public transport. After piloting the scheme in Ulm and Austin, Hamburg is the first city where we are launching this new environmentally friendly form of urban mobility on the market and here, too, we will demonstrate that a system like car2go can be financially successful in a large city."
Unlike station-based car sharing and car rental, Hamburg drivers can find car2go vehicles anywhere in the covered area and rent them immediately, without a reservation. The vehicles may be parked in any public car park, as well as specific car2go reserved spots, and all parking fees are included in the rent. The rental can therefore be done on a one-way basis.
There is no additional deposit or minimum charge, and no monthly or annual fee: customers pay purely for the period of usage. Registered car2go customers also benefit from special advantages when renting with Europcar.
Contacts:
car2go GmbH Andreas Leo Tel. +49 (0)151 5860 7150 andreas.leo@daimler.com |
|
Daimler AG |
Europcar
Marine Boulot Burson-Marsteller Paris
Group Communications Director Tel. +33 (0)1 41 86 76 76
Tel. +33 (0)1 30 44 94 30 lorie.lichtlen@bm.com
marine.boulot@europcar.com helene.boulanger@bm.com
ingrid.de-valbray@bm.com
Further information about car2go, Daimler and Europcar is available on the internet:
http://www.car2go.com/
http://www.media.daimler.com/
www.europcar.com/corporate
About Europcar:
Europcar is the leader in car rental services in Europe. Present in 150 countries, the company provides customers with access to the world’s largest vehicle rental network through franchise operations and partnerships. Through Europcar’s portfolio of brands, the company and its franchisees generated more than €3 billion in revenue in 2010, including nearly €2 billion in consolidated revenue. With 6,500 employees committed to delivering customer satisfaction and an average fleet of close to 200,000 vehicles, Europcar is conscious of its corporate citizenship responsibilities. Winner of the first World Travel Award recognizing the World's Leading Green Transport Solutions Company, Europcar also was honored with the Award in 2010, the second time it was presented. Europcar is owned by French investment company, Eurazeo.
For more information: www.europcar.com/corporate
About car2go
car2go is a mobility concept from Daimler AG. It redefines individual inner city transport: for the first time, smart fortwo vehicles can be rented anywhere, at any time, and at low cost (charging by the minute). Customers find and book vehicles using their mobile phone, smartphone or via the internet, either spontaneously or in advance. The rental itself is handled via an innovative telematics unit in the vehicle. At present Daimler operates this innovative concept in two cities: Ulm, Germany (since October 2008) and the Texan capital of Austin, USA (since November 2009).
Key characteristics of car2go are:
Availability: a large number of vehicles distributed across the entire city
Flexibility: open-ended and one-way rental is possible at no extra charge
Simplicity: fully-automated, easy-to-understand rental process
Cost transparency: charging by the minute, no contract, no basic or monthly fee, no minimum rental duration
With car2go city driving becomes as easy as using a mobile phone.
About Daimler
The company's founders, Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz, made history with the invention of the automobile in the year 1886. 125 years later, in the anniversary year 2011, Daimler AG is one of the world's most successful automotive companies. With its divisions Mercedes-Benz Cars, Daimler Trucks, Mercedes-Benz Vans, Daimler Buses and Daimler Financial Services, the Daimler Group is one of the biggest producers of premium cars and the world's biggest manufacturer of commercial vehicles with a global reach. Daimler Financial Services provides its customers with a full range of automotive financial services including financing, leasing, insurance and fleet management. As an automotive pioneer, Daimler continues to shape the future of mobility: the Group applies innovative and green technologies to produce safe and superior vehicles which fascinate and delight its customers. With the development of alternative drive systems, Daimler is the only vehicle producer investing in hybrid drive, electric motors and fuel-cell systems, with the goal of achieving emission-free mobility in the long term. This is just one example of how Daimler willingly accepts the challenge of meeting its responsibility towards society and the environment. Daimler sells its products in nearly all the countries of the world and has production facilities on five continents. Its current brand portfolio includes, in addition to the world's most valuable automotive brand, Mercedes-Benz, the brands smart, Maybach, Freightliner, Western Star, BharatBenz, Fuso, Setra, Orion and Thomas Built Buses. The company is listed on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt and Stuttgart (stock exchange abbreviation DAI). In 2010, the Group sold 1.9 million vehicles and employed a workforce of over 260,000 people; revenue totaled €97.8 billion and EBIT amounted to €7.3 billion.