Electric Cars Invade San Diego

The Padres outlook may not be so great for 2012, but in San Diego, car2go’s 2012 outlook is nothing to sneeze at.

In its first 100 days of operation in San Diego, Daimler North America Corporation’s car2go electric car (EV) car sharing program has been an incredible success.

Since the company's launch last November, 6,000 people have registered and have cumulatively taken more than 25,000 rides.

Before the car2go program started, there were about 800 EVs in San Diego. In the 100 days of car2go’s presence, 300 more EVs have hit the roads, offering a nearly 40 percent increase. Those 300 cars are being used everyday by the 6,000 members of car2go in San Diego. And there are plenty more to come, too, as car2go continues to add new customers.

When car2go initially launched its San Diego operations, the company had just about 500 rentals a week. Now the number has risen to 3,500. Since most urban trips are short both in time spent and mileage, car2go’s pricing plan actually makes the service very competitive.

“As thousands of residents of San Diego embrace car2go and the electric vehicle driving moment, they are setting an outstanding example in emissions-free urban mobility for the rest of the world,” car2go president and CEO Nicholas Cole said.

car2go is also making finding a car in the city extraordinarily easy with the introduction of a locater app. Of course, you can book an EV by phone, too, then pick up the closest one available.

Unlike other car sharing programs, you can also start your trips spontaneously without having to book in advance and commit to a return time and location.

Outside of San Diego, car2go has operations in Portland, Washington D.C. and Austin. And if you happen to go abroad, there are a number of locations around Western Europe, as well.

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