Skip to main content

First all-electric car-sharing scheme in North America to launch

ECOtality has announced a partnership with Car2go, a subsidiary of Daimler North America Corporation, to provide electric vehicle charging infrastructure to support what is being claimed as the first 100-per cent electric car sharing programme in North America. With plans for approximately 300 Smart Fortwo electric drive vehicles, the programme in San Diego represents the largest fleet of EVs in the United States.
April 19, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
RSS276 ECOtality has announced a partnership with 4190 Car2go, a subsidiary of 2069 Daimler North America Corporation, to provide electric vehicle charging infrastructure to support what is being claimed as the first 100-per cent electric car sharing programme in North America. With plans for approximately 300 Smart Fortwo electric drive vehicles, the programme in San Diego represents the largest fleet of EVs in the United States.

“Innovative car-sharing programmes like Car2go’s service are pivotal to encouraging the mainstream adoption of electric vehicles,” said Jonathan Read, CEO of ECOtality. “As we deploy approximately 1,000 Blink charging stations in the San Diego region as part of The EV Project, we are creating the robust public infrastructure necessary for Car2go’s programme to succeed. Together, we will show that EVs are a perfect fit for the lifestyle of San Diego drivers.”

Car2go’s all-electric programme will begin in San Diego in late 2011. The company provides a total of more than 40,000 members with more than 1,000 low-emission smart fortwo vehicles in four cities.
ECOtality is currently installing approximately 1,000 publicly available Blink charging stations throughout the San Diego region as part of ‘The EV Project’. Data collected by the charging stations will be analysed to better understand how EV drivers charge their car, and help to guide future rollouts of commercial charging stations.

ECOtality is the project manager of The EV Project and will oversee the installation of approximately 14,000 commercial and residential charging stations in 18 major cities and metropolitan areas in six states and the District of Columbia. The project will provide an EV infrastructure to support the deployment of 8,300 EVs. The project is a public-private partnership, funded in part by the U.S. Department of Energy through a federal stimulus grant and made possible by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Plug-in hybrid technology for Ford super-duty trucks
    April 20, 2012
    Azure Dynamics Corporation, a specialist in the development and production of hybrid electric and electric components and powertrain systems for commercial vehicles, has announced an agreement with Ford Motor Company whereby Azure will integrate its proprietary plug-in hybrid (PHEV) technology into the Ford F-Series Super Duty product line.
  • One of the world’s largest C2X communication trials hits the road
    August 8, 2012
    One of the largest ever field trials of car-to-X communication (C2X) is getting underway in Germany in a trial that consists of 120 vehicles that will take to the roads of the Rhine-Main region until the end of the year. Each car has a network link to the others, as well as to the traffic infrastructure, and they will keep each other updated about the current traffic situation.
  • California traffic deaths drop for fifth consecutive year
    April 20, 2012
    California saw a decline in overall traffic deaths for the fifth year in a row. According to federal government figures, total vehicle fatalities dropped 11.9 per cent, from 3,081 in 2009 to 2,715 in 2010. Since the latest high of 4,333 in 2005, the 2010 figures show a total decline of 37.3 per cent.
  • Russia invests in ITS technology
    May 11, 2012
    Russia’s transport systems are developing on a grand scale with ITS central to the plans, thanks in no small part to a recently relaunched ITS Russia. Jon Masters interviews the organisation’s chief executive officer Vladimir Kryuchkov Over coming years many of the biggest deployments of new technology for transport are likely to be seen in Russia. For a political and economic superpower, the world’s biggest country has only recently started to harness ITS for the good of its transport networks. But the sca