Though City of Austin employees have been enjoying the perks of the car sharing program, car2go, since a pilot project began in November 2009, now all Austin residents can register to drive the Smart fortwo cars that have been zipping around the Texas capital city.
In the first six months of the pilot program, a total of more than 3,000 pilot members joined car2go. Other pilot program partnerships included Lance Armstrong's Livestrong Foundation as well as Texas state employees, and Entrepreneurs Foundation of Central Texas.
Launching a pilot program was crucial for car2go to identify and resolve any hiccups before unveiling the program to all Austin residents, according to a statement released by automotive company Daimler. Car2go will be Austin's second car sharing program after Austin CarShare, a non-profit group launched in 2006.
Successful Austin car2go Pilot Program Leads to Public Launch
"Austin has responded to car2go with great interest and enthusiasm, reaffirming our belief that car2go really is an idea worth sharing," said Nicholas Cole, President and CEO of car2go North America in a statement.
"Our successful partnerships with the City of Austin and other pilot groups have provided car2go the opportunity to further develop our progressive transportation solution. Now the public will have the chance to take advantage of car2go to get around this great city in an environmentally friendly manner," he added.
The City of Austin and car2go have extended their partnership through November 2010.
How to Register for Austin's car2go
These fueled cars are spread around downtown Austin for registered clients who make a reservation or have on-demand needs. Registration is $35 USD. Pre-registration is free for a limited time. Car2go members pay for the time they spend driving the car, calculated to the minute and charged to a debit or credit card.
Austin musicians Del Castillo, Joe Ely Band, The Gourds, The Black & White Years, and The Lemurs will play for the free launch party called Rock, Register and Drive at Republic Square Park located at 4th Street and Guadalupe. The event begins at 4 p.m. and goes until 10 p.m.
Austin is car2go's North American headquarters, but the company plans on expanding the car sharing program to other cities in North America and Europe, according to car2go.
"Our public launch here in Austin will not be the end of our learning experience at car2go," Nicholas Cole continued. "Our learning curve here in Austin provides us with the opportunity to build on the foundation that will support bringing car2go to cities across the globe. We look forward to announcing next car2go cities in the coming months."
Nancy Flores - My freelance work, which ranges from writing articles, producing and editing online video and shooting photos, focuses on Mexican travel, ...
