Daimler’s Car2go subsidiary has announced the introduction of the first all-electric carsharing fleet in North America. According to company, the plan calls for 300 zero-emission Smart ForTwo electric cars to arrive in the city of San Diego by the end of the year.
The car2go program is already very successful in four cities with more than 40,000 members and 1,000 smart ForTwo vehicles with low-emission gasoline engines.
The announcement was made yesterday by the Mayor of San Diego, Jerry Sanders, the President and CEO of car2go, Nicholas Cole, and the CEO of ECOtality, Jonathan Reed. San Diego will be the first city in North America with a 100% EV carsharing program.
“The launch of an all electric vehicle fleet marks a new era in carsharing in North America,” said Cole. “San Diego is a forward-thinking city determined to meet future transportation demands of its residents. Our goal is to complement the existing transportation infrastructure by providing an emissions- free carsharing service for short one-way trips.”
The Smart ForTwo electric drive is powered by a 30 kW electric motor. In San Diego, the fleet’s lithium-ion batteries can be recharged at designated EV charging stations. On a single charge, the electric Smart is said to have a driving range of up to 84 miles (134 km).
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