A conversation with Seattle
Car2go rolled out an updated app today that includes a new “radar” feature that alerts you when a car2go is available in a specific area. Turn the radar “on” by pressing the little radar button in the bottom righthand corner of your screen, and it automatically uses your current position. Continue reading With New “Radar” Feature, Car2go Now Finds You
Everyone who tries car2go seems to love it — in principle. $0.38-per-minute, one-way trips, street parking included: What’s not to like? A few things, it turns out: cars that won’t go, cars that won’t let you leave, and “free” driving credits that fail to appear. Continue reading So How Do You Like car2go’s Glitchy Smart Cars and Customer Service?
On March 18, 2013, the Seattle City Council voted unanimously to approve increasing the cap on car2go’s Seattle fleet, from 330 to 500 cars. The 500 leaves room to grow on — the fleet will likely add another 100 cars, to 430 total, as part of the concomitant expansion of car2go’s home area footprint to Southeast and West Seattle on April 1. Continue reading car2go Expands to Keep Up with Demand in Seattle
To get some perspective on the 18,000 new car2go members in Seattle — after just 90 days — take a look at how the company grew in its North American home base, Austin, Texas. Ten months after opening up membership to Austin residents (a previous pilot program was aimed only at city employees), the car sharing service had 15,000 members. Continue reading 90 Days In, Seattle’s car2go Membership is Blowing Up
Since Car2Go is new in town, customers are still learning how it all works. The basic idea is easy enough, especially if you’ve ever tried Zipcar. You unlock (and lock) your Car2Go with a membership card waved over a windshield-mounted reader, pop inside, and after punching in your PIN on a dash screen, you’re off. But here are a few things you might not think about until they happen. Continue reading 4 Things to Know About Using Car2Go
Now there are company-run car-sharing services (Zipcar, who’ll give you $75 in driving credit if you sign up now; Car2Go, offering 30 minutes of drive time) and individual car-sharing services employing electronic thumbs: Sidecar matches drivers with passengers, who can tip if they want, as does Lyft (also coming to Seattle). RelayRides lets car owners rent their actual cars. Continue reading Car2Go, Shared Life, and the Productivity of Possessions
The total cost of my Car2Go trip ($11.13) was almost exactly the price of a one-hour usage of a Zipcar, even though I’d spent two hours at the party, and left whenever I felt like it. It’s also nice to return at a reasonable pace, rather than driving like a bat out of hell while cursing red lights. Continue reading As Car2Go’s Seattle Run Begins, Avis Buys Zipcar