Europcar’s joint car club venture with car giant Daimler has today started operations in Vienna. Beginning in December, 500 smart fortwo ‘car2go’ edition models will be distributed throughout the Austrian capital.
The arrival of the Car2Go scheme in Austria marks the next stage in the European roll-out of the project. Similar Car2Go schemes are already in operation in Lyon, France, Amsterdam in the Netherlands, Ulm and Hamburg in Germany. Similar schemes in North America are also in operation in San Diego, Austin in Texas and Vancouver.
"With car2go you can simply get in and drive. Our customers can rent a vehicle spontaneously – without prior reservation or specifying a time of return. You can simply leave the vehicle at your destination without having to return it to the departure point", says Robert Henrich, Managing Director of car2go GmbH, explaining the special features of the mobility system.
The car2go vehicles can be rented out and returned within an operating area of approximately 80 square kilometres covering the city centre and several densely populated suburbs.
Unlike traditional car-sharing programs or car rental companies, car2go is a free-floating concept. Vehicles will not be parked at fixed stations. Instead, they are moved by the members several times a day so that public parking spaces are occupied no longer than necessary.
Customers can rent free car2go vehicles spontaneously on the street or find and reserve them via the internet and smartphone applications. The vehicle selected can be unlocked using a membership card. The car2go rental can be finished at any public parking space within the business area – no need to feed the meter. Customers have complete freedom with regard to when they start their journey, how long they keep the vehicle for and their destination.
car2go is charging a one-time registration fee of 9. 90 Euro. There is no deposit, no long-term contract and no annual membership fee. Instead customers only pay for the actual use of the vehicle, with rental periods as short as a per-minute basis. The rental prices in Vienna are 0.29 Euro per driving minute, 12.90 Euro per hour and 39 Euro per day (24 hours). During stopovers, which can be used for example while shopping, a special parking rate of 0,09 Euro per minute will be calculated.
Fuel, insurance, taxes and parking costs are fully included in this price. car2go drivers do not need to pay for public parking at meters because parking fees are included in the rental fee, determined automatically by car2go Österreich GmbH and paid to the city. The price furthermore includes mileage up to 20 kilometres. Additional kilometres will cost 0,29 Euro each.
