Brooklyn Boro

New car-sharing service ‘car2go’ launching in Brooklyn

Will it compete with Citi Bike?

September 26, 2014 By Mary Frost Brooklyn Daily Eagle
Car-sharing service car2go is launching in Brooklyn soon. Photo by ‎Aaron Rogosin Photography courtesy of car2go
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Zipcar and other car-sharing companies will soon have a new competitor in Brooklyn: Texas-based car2go will be launching “point-to-point” car sharing in the borough on October 25.

The new service may even eat into Citi Bike territory. The company says their eco-friendly cars will “complement existing public transportation by bridging the gaps between the ‘first and last mile’ of a member’s commute” – the same claim made by Citi Bike.

The company will start out with 400 “fortwo” vehicles – tiny, snub-nosed two-seaters. The electric drive car2gos have a range of about 84 miles on a full charge.

With car2go, the company says, members can use the service without committing to a specific return time or dedicated location. Users pay by the minute for use of the cars.

Members will be able to pick up or drop off a car in what is called the Home Area, which will include neighborhoods such as Williamsburg, Park Slope, Red Hook, Coney Island and Sunset Park. (They will also be able to roam outside of the Home Area but must come back “Home” to end their trip.)

Brooklyn was chosen as car2go’s 29th market, and the first in New York City, because Brooklyn is the fastest growing borough and because of Brooklyn’s “culture,” says car2go.

“With its singular history, distinct culture and unparalleled diversity, Brooklyn exemplifies a way of life that is a perfect fit for our service,” Paul DeLong, CMO of car2go North America, said in a statement.

Borough President Eric Adams applauded “the ‘drive’ of car2go to shakeup the urban transportation landscape.”

While the company did not reveal the cost to use the cars in Brooklyn, in Texas the cars run roughly 45 cents a minute, up to $15 per hour, or up to $85 a day. Fuel, insurance and maintenance are included.

Users can find cars using a smartphone app, the car2go website, or simply by finding an available car on the street, the company said.

When the ride is over, users can park at any on-street, non-metered space within the car2go Home Area. There will be dedicated parking spaces where metered parking is prevalent.

The company is a subsidiary of Daimler North America Corporation. So far, it says, there are more than 850,000 registered members.

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