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Car2Go expands service in New York City

New York City residents can expect to see even more blue-and-white Smart Fortwos buzzing around the Big Apple because the Daimler-owned Car2Go carsharing service is expanding into Queens starting August 29. The growth means that those in Long Island City, Astoria, Woodside, and Sunnyside can now rent the little hatchbacks by the minute. To support the expected new users, Car2Go is adding 100 more Smarts to the fleet in the area to bring the total to 550. The carsharing service launched in trendy Brooklyn in October 2014 and has seen success with over 27,000 members logging more than 250,000 trips. By expanding into Queens, Car2Go is trying to offer an easier way to travel between the two boroughs without having to go through busy Manhattan. The added locations also take the company's service area in NYC up to 44 square miles, eight-square-miles larger than before. Related Video: car2go Opens A Road To Queens With One-Way Carsharing Expansion Will Improve Cross-Borough Access Between Brooklyn and Queens and Extend the Reach of Public Transit car2go to Bring 100 smart Vehicles to Long Island City, Astoria, Woodside and Sunnyside Beginning August 29th NEW YORK, Aug. 11, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- car2go N.A., LLC announced today that it will bring its popular one-way carsharing service to Long Island City, Astoria, Woodside and Sunnyside in Queens, New York beginning August 29th. On the heels of exponential growth in Brooklyn, car2go will be making it easier for members to explore several Queens neighborhoods, and travel to and from Brooklyn at their own convenience. The move represents an important step toward an outer-Manhattan carsharing system, representing a new mobility option for the diverse and vibrant communities that are less accessible via public transit. CLICK TO TWEET: car2go expands to Queens (LIC, Astoria, Woodside & Sunnyside) on 8/29 - sign up at http://c2g.cc/qXpjQr w/ promo code QUEENS "Since the twilight of the trolley system many decades ago, there really hasn't been a reliable option for New Yorkers to travel between Brooklyn and Queens without going all the way through Manhattan," said car2go Brooklyn General Manager Tom McNeil. "Queens is a bustling hub of cultures, small businesses, international cuisine and affordable housing opportunities that have long been a challenge to access.

Should Smart bring the Forfour to the USA?

With sales not improving much even with the new Fortwo, should Smart bring the other car it sells around the world? It's called the Forfour because, well, it's for four people. Smart has said it would cannibalize the Fortwo's sales, but sales are money and the automaker should be happy if it can sell more cars and have a real presence in the market. Many people say the only reason they don't buy the Fortwo is the lack of a backseat or because with the price range of the tiny car you can get something bigger. Those issues are resolved with the Forfour. Besides, the USA market is showing some willingness to accept small hatchbacks if they offer good value for the money or are fun to drive that's the reason Fiat came back to the USA with the 500, Chevrolet sells the Spark and Sonic, Ford offers the Fiesta, Toyota imports the Yaris, the Honda Fits is in its third generation, that's why Hyundai keep selling the Accent and Kia the Rio, and Nissan brought the Versa Note, even Mitsubishi sells in decent numbers the dull looking Mirage. The Smart Forfour would be a nice addition to the segment. And an interesting one too as it would be the only one with the engine located in the back, that's right, in the back, below the cargo area. Power is provided by the same engine that moves the Fortwo: 0.9L turbo 3 cylinder with 89 HP, the transmission can be a 5 speed manual or a 6 speed double clutch automatic. Now let's think for a minute: manual, RWD and rear-engined...sounds like fun. While the Fortwo is a niche car bought only for the enthusiasts, ads companies or Car2Go, the Forfour belongs to a real segment with plenty of competition that don't offer the funky style and other features the Smart does. So, the question is: should Smart bring the Forfour to the USA? Let us know in the comments below. Image Credit: Alfonso Rascon smart smart forfour open road

Recharge Wrap-up: Tesla tour recounted, Smart using Renault electric motors

A man recounts his recent Tesla factory tour in a new video. When Michael Brown toured Tesla's Fremont facility on September 10, he learned a bit about the production process, saw the enormous stamping equipment Toyota left behind, and even caught a glimpse of the finished Model X SUV. Brown was told very few people in the factory had seen the production version of the Model X. Check out the video above, and read more Teslarati. Johnson Controls is expanding production capacity for Absorbent Glass Mat batteries for fuel-saving stop-start systems. With the market for stop-start batteries possibly growing from 22 million to 56 million by 2020, Johnson is investing $555 million from 2011 to 2020 to be able to build more batteries in the US, Germany and, China. The company is planning to build a $200-million battery plant in Shenyang, China capable of producing 6 million batteries per year. "Johnson Controls is currently the world's leading provider of batteries for Start-Stop vehicles and we plan to stay that way," says Johnson's Lisa Bahash. Read more at Green Car Congress. Renault will provide electric motors for the new Smart ED. The electric versions of the Smart Fourtwo and Forfour will use the same motor as Renault's Zoe EV. The batteries for the Smart cars will be manufactured by Daimler's own Deutsche ACCUmotive. The Renault-powered Smart Fortwo and Forfour Electric Drive are slated to go on sale in 2016. Renault and Daimler have had a working alliance responsible for 13 projects since 2010. Read more from Automotive News Europe. Related Gallery Tesla Factory News Source: Teslarati, YouTube: Michael Brown, Green Car Congress, Automotive News Europe Green Plants/Manufacturing smart Tesla Renault Electric Hybrid Videos recharge wrapup