As we reported back in April, Daimler’s car sharing program - car2go - was to reach Canadian shores, with Vancouver, British Columbia, as the first city in the country to benefit fro this mobility service. The company has made available no less than 225 fuel-efficient, low-emission smart "car2go edition" vehicles as of June 18, for “on-demand” rentals.
For the last two moths, approximately 2,000 Vancouverites have registered and received their membership cards, members who are now able to drive the vehicles.
Following the overwhelmingly positive response, car2go has extended the free registration period (which represents a CAD35 value) until July 3rd.
As a sustainable transportation option, car2go is also playing a role in the City of Vancouver’s goal to become the “greenest city” in the world by 2020. Members can rent a car2go “on-demand” or reserve a vehicle up to 24 hours in advance. The car2go vehicles that are readily available to be driven can be viewed on the internet or with a smartphone app, and can be driven for as long as needed without committing to a return time.
The rental can simply be ended by leaving the vehicle at any “permit only” on-street parking spot in downtown or residential neighbourhoods within the defined business area, or in one of the specially marked car2go parking spaces.
Members pay for what they use by the minute with discounted rates for hourly and daily use and are only charged for the time they use the car2go. Rates include fuel, parking, mileage, insurance, maintenance and GPS navigation.
car2go now has a global network of more than 40,000 members and 1,000 smart vehicles. The program will further expand in other North American and European cities in 2011.
Source: www.autoevolution.com
Ryan Reynolds is an American actor that has steadily moved up the ranks from comedies to action movies such as Blade and X-Men Origins. We love the guy for his sense of humor and we’re eagerly anticipating the arrival of the ‘Green Lantern’ comic-based movie in which he will star.
It seems that the Hollywood star also likes the idea behind electric cars, as Reynolds has joined up with Nissan to promote their LEAF all-electric vehicle. The carmaker’s new “Innovation for Endurance” program has just formed another partnership with him.
The collaboration will include Facebook videos, and work with top fitness industry professionals, including appearances and blog posts.
“I believe it’s possible to take great leaps forward without sacrificing a way of life. For me electric vehicles, like the Nissan Leaf, are not only representative of taking back the power, but also a significant statement about conscious ways of living,” Reynolds said.
Just as a reminder, the LEAF is motivated by a 107 hp electric motor that runs on power supplied by lithium-ion cells. Given a full charge, the LEAF will run for 100 miles before you have to plug it back in and can reach a top speed of 90 mph. A full charge takes up to 8 hours on a standard outlet, but buyers can go for the DC 50kW quick-charger, which recharges the battery up to 80 percent in under 30 minutes. US prices for the 2011 Nissan LEAF will start at $32,780 but with a federal tax-credit that all comes down to $25,280
Source: www.autoevolution.com
As the company readies the new B-Klasse for its world premiere at the Frankfurt Auto Show this September, the current version is doing pretty well, having attracted a lot of fans mostly in Germany and China. In fact, the automaker today announced that more than 700,000 units of the B-Klasse have been delivered to customers worldwide since the vehicle was launched on the market in 2005.
A total of 52,640 customers worldwide have bought a B-Klasse car since January, representing an increase of 26.8% from last year. In Germany, sales rose by 31.5% during the first five months of the year, to 17,826 units.
The most important market for the B-Klasse is Germany, which accounts for about one third of the series’ sales worldwide, followed by China and Italy. In 2009, the B-Klasse was introduced to China, where it has met with great success, with sales rising by 140.3% last year, to 12,217 units. Sales have continued to be very dynamic this year as well, rising to 5,966 units (as compared to January-May 2010: 3,030 units).
“The B-Klasse enabled Mercedes-Benz to set new benchmarks in the premium compact segment,” said Joachim Schmidt, Executive Vice President Sales & Marketing, Mercedes-Benz Cars. “Although its successor is about to be introduced, the B-Klasse is still extremely popular with customers. Since the beginning of the year, the vehicle has been posting especially strong growth in its two main markets, Germany and China.”
The first units of the new B-Klasse will be delivered to customers in Western Europe later this year. It will be manufactured in a production network encompassing the Rastatt plant and a new facility in Kecskemet, Hungary.
Source: www.autoevolution.com
