car2go Celebrates One Year of Carsharing in Seattle with 40,000 Members

SEATTLE, Jan. 30, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- This month, car2go North America, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Daimler North America Corporation, celebrates its first full year of point-to-point carsharing operations in Seattle. Since its launch in December 2012, more than 40,000 drivers have registered as car2go Seattle members and collectively share a network of 500 car2go edition smart fortwo vehicles, making Seattle the fastest growing car2go city in the United States.

"Congratulations on a great first year, car2go! I am very pleased to see how car2go has been so enthusiastically welcomed to Seattle," said City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen. "It has proven to be a valued transportation choice for residents who are increasingly relying on alternatives other than privately owned cars to navigate our great city."

"We are very pleased with how quickly the community has embraced car2go and integrated our carsharing service into the City's diverse mix of transportation options," said Nicholas Cole, president and CEO of car2go North America. "This overwhelming response to car2go has provided us with the opportunity to continue to grow at a rapid pace, from expanding the Home Area to increasing the size of the car2go vehicle network, in an effort to keep up with the demand of our fast growing group of members."

To keep up with the tremendous growth, 170 new cars have been added to the original fleet of 330 car2go vehicles in Seattle throughout the past year. The car2go network of 500 smart fortwo vehicles distinguishes Seattle as the largest car2go fleet in the United States and is available for members to share collaboratively in and around the City.

Additionally, the car2go Home Area was expanded in April 2013 from 42 square miles to 52 square miles to incorporate Mount Baker, Columbia City and portions of Georgetown and West Seattle. Designated car2go parking spaces, such as the recently added Fauntleroy Ferry Terminal parking, provide further convenience for commuters across the city.

Bringing unparalleled flexibility and convenience, car2go's free-floating network of vehicles helps fulfill the transportation needs of Seattle's residents. As one of the fastest growing carsharing programs globally, car2go is currently in seven countries with more than 600,000 registered members. As an added benefit, car2go members in Seattle also have access to the carsharing program in eight other car2go locations across the United States, including Austin, San Diego, Washington D.C., Portland, Miami, Denver, Minneapolis and Columbus.

For more information, or to register to become a member of car2go, please visit Seattle.car2go.com, follow @car2goSeattle on Twitter or become a fan of car2go on Facebook and Instagram.

About car2go
A wholly owned subsidiary of Daimler 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. There are currently more than 600,000 car2go members worldwide throughout 25 cities across the globe.

The innovation and environmental sustainability of car2go have earned international acclaim, including "Best Carshare" from the Vancouver Courier, recognition from the Austin Chamber of Commerce with the "Greater Austin Business Award" for its positive impact on the city's traffic, and the prestigious "2010 EPA Clean Air Excellence Award" from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Further information on car2go is available at car2go.com and media.daimler.com/ms/car2go/e.

About Daimler Mobility Services GmbH
Daimler Mobility Services GmbH, a wholly owned subsidiary of Daimler Financial Services AG, offers its customers innovative mobility services from a single source. With the car2go brand, the company is the world's leading provider of flexible carsharing programs. With the moovel brand, Daimler Mobility Services GmbH offers an intuitive smartphone app that enables customers to compare various mobility options on the basis of several parameters, and then choose the best options for traveling from Point A to Point B. The company's other activities include the development of innovative solutions for searching for and reserving parking spaces in cities.

About Daimler
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 financing, leasing, fleet management, insurance and innovative mobility services.

The company's founders, Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz, made history with the invention of the automobile in the year 1886. As a pioneer of automotive engineering, Daimler continues to shape the future of mobility today: The Group's focus is on innovative and green technologies as well as on safe and superior automobiles that appeal to and fascinate its customers. For many years now, Daimler has been investing continually in the development of alternative drive systems with the goal of making emission-free driving possible in the long term. So in addition to vehicles with hybrid drive, Daimler now has the broadest range of locally emission-free electric vehicles powered by batteries and fuel cells. This is just one example of how Daimler willingly accepts the challenge of meeting its responsibility towards society and the environment.

Daimler sells its vehicles and services 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 premium automotive brand, Mercedes-Benz, the brands smart, Freightliner, Western Star, BharatBenz, Fuso, Setra and Thomas Built Buses. The company is listed on the stock exchanges of Frankfurt and Stuttgart (stock exchange symbol DAI). In 2012, the Group sold 2.2 million vehicles and employed a workforce of 275,000 people; revenue totaled €114.3 billion and EBIT amounted to €8.6 billion.

Video with caption: "How does a 6'5" professional strongman use car2go in Seattle? Watch Andrew tell his story (no heavy lifting required)." Video available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iUIEj1cczw

Image with caption: "car2go celebrates one year of carsharing in Seattle with more than 40,000 members and 500 cars." Image available at: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140130/NY55816-a

Image with caption: "We are very pleased with how quickly the community has embraced car2go and integrated our carsharing service into the City's diverse mix of transportation options," said Nicholas Cole, president and CEO of car2go North America." Image available at: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140130/NY55816-b

SOURCE car2go North America, LLC