We got some special news for the North American citizens with a more eco-friendly approach when it comes to transportation. Daimler’s subsidiary, Car2Go, a company which offers carsharing services will bring a fleet of Smart ForTwo electric models in North America, a total of 300 units following to be available. According to the official details, the car rental company will bring the electric vehicles in San Diego starting this year.
According to San Diego’s Mayor, Jerry Sanders, this will be the first city in North America to receive a 100% EV carsharing program through an already successful network such as the Car2Go program.
If the European cities which benefit from this carsharing program are using the same Smart ForTwo model but fitted with efficient gasoline engines, San Diego will get fully electric models able to provide a driving range of almost 135 kilometers on a single charge.
“The launch of an all electric vehicle fleet marks a new era in carsharing in North America,” said Nicholas Cole, President and CEO of Car2Go N. A. “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 electric ForTwo is powered by an electric motor offering 40 horsepower while the energy is stored in lithium-ion batteries. Of course, the new electric fleet will need some charging stations, therefore, the city has to accommodate some charging points for the electric models.
“Right from the beginning, the Smart ForTwo was designed for electric drive and that now shows,” says Dr. Annette Winkler, Head of smart. “I love driving the smart electric drive and I am convinced that the car2go members in California will enjoy using this forward technology to get around their home town San Diego – a new method of transportation both pleasing to the ear and the environment.”
