car2go Introduces a New Way of Carsharing in Minneapolis

MINNEAPOLIS, Aug. 27, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- car2go North America LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Daimler North America, will launch its unique point-to-point carsharing model in Minneapolis on Sept. 14, making it the first Midwestern city to feature car2go. A network of 300 car2go edition smart fortwo vehicles will be available for shared use in the metropolitan Minneapolis area, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Registration for membership opens today at Minneapolis.car2go.com. car2go's revolutionary model combining on-street parking with one-way trips offers flexibility and convenience to Minneapolis' existing modes of transportation.

"Carshare providers, like car2go, provide yet another way for Minneapolis residents to get around our city without having to rely on owning their own cars," said Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak. "I have talked a lot about reweaving the urban fabric for our city to continue to grow and this is another creative way to give people from all neighborhoods access to all parts of our city."

"Minneapolis' vibrant and progressive culture creates a community of residents accustomed to innovation," said Nicholas Cole, president and CEO of car2go North America. "car2go's free-floating, on-demand carsharing network will complement existing transportation options to connect residents and visitors to the many places and events unique to the City of Lakes."                

The car2go Home Area, where members can pick up or drop off a car2go, covers an approximate 55 square mile area which mirrors the boundaries of the Minneapolis city limits. Those who register to become a car2go member will receive a membership card that will allow them to gain access to and drive in any of the 300 available car2go vehicles in Minneapolis, whenever they need it, for as long as they need it, without having to commit to a return time or designated location.

car2go is one of the fastest growing carsharing programs with over 400,000 registered members worldwide and a global market leader for point-to-point carsharing. Registered car2go members in the United States have the ability to use the car2go program in all eight U.S. car2go locations, including Minneapolis, Washington, D.C., Miami, Austin, Denver, San Diego, Portland and Seattle. Minneapolis will be the 11th car2go city in North America and the 23rd car2go city worldwide.

A Different Way to Carshare
car2go provides unmatched flexibility and convenience with a free-floating network of cars that are available on-demand for point-to-point trips.

Members will be able to locate a car via a smartphone app, via the car2go vehicle finder on the car2go website, by calling the customer call center, or simply by finding an available car on the street, anywhere within the 55-square-mile Minneapolis car2go Home Area.

When members are finished using the vehicle, they can park at any city non-restricted metered or un-metered spaces with time limits of two hours or greater, or on-street in any residential neighborhood within the car2go Home Area. Parking, fuel, insurance and maintenance are included at no additional cost.

Members can use car2go by the minute, and they pay only for the time they use the vehicle, with discounted rates for hourly and daily use.

Become a car2go Member
For a limited time, all new members who use the promotion code VIKINGS will receive 30 free minutes of car2go Drive Time, and currently the one-time $35 membership fee is being waived. To celebrate its members and highlight how the service works, car2go Minneapolis plans to host an event in early October.

For more information or to register to become a member of car2go, please visit Minneapolis.car2go.com, follow @car2goMPLS on Twitter or become a fan of car2go on Facebook.

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. car2go is currently operating in 23 cities around the world.

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 toward 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, Maybach, 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 euro 114.3 billion and EBIT amounted to euro 8.6 billion.

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Image with caption: "car2go arrives in Minneapolis, Minnesota." Image available at:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130827/NY69847-a

Image with caption: "5 simple steps for using car2go." Image available at: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130827/NY69847-INFO-b

SOURCE car2go