car2go and The Parking Spot: Airport Parking Made Easy in Austin, Texas

AUSTIN, Texas, April 8, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- On April 11, 2013, car2go North America, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Daimler North America Corporation, will debut a partnership in its corporate headquarters city of Austin, Texas, with The Parking Spot, the leading near-airport parking company in the United States. This new partnership will allow car2go members to park their car2go edition smart fortwo vehicles at The Parking Spot, located adjacent to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.

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"As the first car2go city in North America, Austin is at the forefront of innovative solutions that address urban mobility issues such as airport transportation and parking," said Paul DeLong, Chief Marketing Officer of car2go North America. "car2go is committed to providing the most convenient and flexible mobility services to our members, and we are thrilled to partner with The Parking Spot to provide an added element of accessibility to our members who live in, work in, and travel to Austin."

"Airport parking has never been easier than with The Parking Spot, and this partnership with car2go further enhances our commitment to providing innovative transportation solutions to and from the airport. It's a tremendous complement to our business," said Chris Maguire, sales manager of The Parking Spot in Austin, Texas.

More than 32,000 members in the Austin community have used car2go since the company opened to the public in March 2010. The Austin network of 318 car2go edition smart fortwo vehicles, comprised of 300 fuel-powered and 18 electric-drive car2gos, travel an average distance of 3 to 5 miles per trip within the 46-square-mile car2go Home Area in Austin. car2go provides a great transportation option for short or long trips in and around the city. The partnership with The Parking Spot will be the first airport parking option for car2go members in North America.

How To Use The Parking Spot Airport Shuttle Service
Eight designated parking spaces will be reserved for car2go vehicles at The Parking Spot, located at 1600 Highway 71 East. Members do not have to pay The Parking Spot for using designated car2go parking spaces; instead, an additional $5 charge will be billed to the member's account for each trip taken to or from The Parking Spot. Parking is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

If the "Lot Full" sign is displayed or the car2go spots are occupied, car2go members will be directed to end their trip in car2go designated overflow parking spaces. Due to the nature of airport travel, no stopovers will be allowed at this location; all trips must be ended when leaving a car2go at The Parking Spot.

car2go members from anywhere in the U.S. can also pick up a car2go from The Parking Spot on their way into Austin. They should make sure a vehicle is available before boarding The Parking Spot shuttle at the airport. Members can reserve a car2go through free iPhone and Android apps, the Facebook finder/reservation system at austin.car2go.com or by calling 877-488-4224.

Dropping off a car2go:

1. Drive to The Parking Spot, located adjacent to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (1600 Highway 71 East, Austin, Texas 78742).
2. Take a ticket* to open the gate at the entrance and follow the blue and white car2go signs to the designated parking spaces.
3. Unload luggage, end the trip, and wait at the vehicle to board The Parking Spot shuttle to the airport.

*Members should properly discard entrance tickets, as they are not required to exit The Parking Spot.

Picking up a car2go:

1. Reserve a car2go via the car2go mobile app, website or by phone. (Reservations expire 30 minutes after the car is booked.)
2. Board The Parking Spot shuttle at the airport and inform the driver that a car2go has been reserved. The shuttle will drop members at the car2go designated spaces.
3. Swipe into the reserved car2go vehicle to begin the trip, exit The Parking Spot (no ticket necessary), and return to the car2go Home Area.

To become a car2go member, registration is available online at Austin.car2go.com or at the car2go Austin office, which is now located in The Hartland Plaza at:

For more information about car2go, please visit Austin.car2go.com, follow @car2goAustin on Twitter or become a fan of car2go on Facebook at www.facebook.com/car2go.Austin.  

For more information about The Parking Spot, please visit theparkingspot.com, follow @TheParkingSpot on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TheParkingSpot.

About car2go
A wholly owned subsidiary of Daimler North America and a brand of Daimler Mobility Services, car2go offers an innovative mobility solution redefining individual transportation in rapidly growing urban areas by offering a network of several hundred environment-friendly smart fortwo vehicles for rent. It provides an innovative mode of "on-demand" transportation, which complements existing public transportation alternatives by bridging the gaps commonly associated with the "first and last mile" of a public transit commute.

car2go is currently operational in 18 cities worldwide: Austin, Texas; Vancouver, British Columbia; San Diego, California; Washington, D.C.; Portland, Oregon; Toronto, Ontario; Calgary, Alberta; Miami, Florida; Seattle, Washington; Ulm, Germany; Hamburg, Germany; Amsterdam, Netherlands; Vienna, Austria; Dusseldorf, Germany; Berlin, Germany; Stuttgart, Germany; Cologne, Germany and London (UK). In November 2011, car2go launched the world's largest all-electric vehicle carsharing network in the cities of San Diego, California, and Amsterdam, Netherlands, with the deployment of 300 car2go smart fortwo electric drive vehicles in each city. In November 2012, car2go launched its third all-electric carsharing network in the City of Stuttgart, also with 300 car2go smart fortwo electric drive vehicles. Currently, there are more than 300,000 car2go members worldwide. car2go will open in Birmingham, England in Q2/2013

The innovation and environmental sustainability of car2go have earned international acclaim: In 2012, car2go was named the "Best Carshare" by the Vancouver Courier. car2go has also been recognized by the Austin Chamber of Commerce with the "Greater Austin Business Award" for its positive impact on traffic, received the "Clean Tech Media Award" in the category of "Mobility" in Berlin and has been honored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with its prestigious "EPA Clean Air Excellence Award." Further information on car2go is available at car2go.com and media.daimler.com/ms/car2go/e.

About The Parking Spot
The Parking Spot is more than just a space to park your car. We focus on hospitality, making it easy, comfortable and affordable to get a superior airport parking experience. Founded in 1998, The Parking Spot is the leading near-airport parking company in the United States with 34 locations at 22 airports.

At The Parking Spot, guests ride to and from the airport in the company's distinctive yellow and black spotted shuttles, which pick up guests at their vehicles or valet lobbies and run continuously to the airport. Shuttle drivers offer complimentary luggage assistance upon departure and return. Additionally, guests are provided with a complimentary newspaper upon arrival and chilled bottled water at exit and may also join the Spot Club™, the industry's most flexible airport parking rewards program that offers free parking with as few as seven paid days. Our lots are spacious, fully-fenced, well lit, and open 24 hours a day 7 days a week. The Parking Spot's Austin location features fully covered self- and valet parking as well as car care services, including car washes and oil changes.

Related Links
car2go Official Website
The Parking Spot Official Website

SOURCE car2go North America, LLC