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Car2go introduces four-seat Mercedes B-Class vehicles

Easily identified by its huge fleet of blue-and-white Smart Fortwos in cities around the world, Daimler's Car2go car sharing service is growing in Canada – both in the number of vehicles and the doors that they have. For the first time in North America, the company is renting a model with a usable backseat thanks to a new pilot program bringing 75 examples of the Mercedes-Benz B-Class to Toronto, Vancouver, and Calgary. The point of adding these hatchbacks to the ranks is to offer an option for those seeking more than the paltry room that the ForTwo offers. Car2Go imagines people using the B-Class to haul extra people in the back or just for the added cargo space. The vehicles wear the same blue-and-white look as the rest of the fleet, but they're specially identified for users in the smartphone app. Best of all, for this pilot program, their rental cost is the same 41 cents per minute as the tinier Smarts. The car sharing service has already started testing the waters of offering the B-Class in Germany. Its Car2Go Black pilot program was announced last year and placed 100 of the hatchbacks in both Berlin and Hamburg. car2go Just Got A Lot More Spacious Carsharing Leader Introduces Four-Door Vehicles For The First Time In North America AUSTIN, Texas, Sept. 28, 2015 /CNW/ -- car2go N.A., LLC, the market leader for one-way carsharing in Canada, announced today that car2go will be introducing 75 four-door vehicles to its fleet in Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary. The pilot program, which officially launches today, provides over 300,000 car2go members in Canada exclusive access to the Mercedes B-Class vehicle, a roomy, versatile alternative to car2go's signature smart fortwo vehicle. The new four-door vehicles are also equipped with the latest car2go technology, allowing members the ability to control their entire car2go experience seamlessly through the official car2go smartphone app. car2go will be introducing 75 four-door vehicles to its fleet in Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary. CLICK TO TWEET: car2go introduces Mercedes vehicles in Canadian markets for the first time http://c2g.cc/Gdscbf "As our members embark on new life chapters – whether moving to a new residence or growing their family – we want to continue providing an affordable and convenient transportation option that allows them to go wherever life takes them," said Paul DeLong, President and CEO of car2go N.A.

Car2go carsharing service will debut in Rome in mid-March

When in Rome, folks can start using Daimler's Car2go car-sharing service. The Mercedes-Benz parent says its car-sharing fleet of Smart Fortwo two-seaters will be available in the Italian capital starting mid-March. Upon the debut, about 300 cars will be available, with another 200 added by April. Lessons in Italian driving gestures will not be included. Still, the service appears to have been well-received in Italy, as Car2go made its Italian debut in Milan just this past August. The Rome service, which is technically a joint-venture between Car2go and Europcar, covers about 40 square miles and costs 29 euro cents (about 40 cents US) per minute. The company says it will provide the city's first car-sharing service in which the vehicle can be picked up and dropped off at different locations. With Rome on board, Car2go is available in 26 global cities, including London, Berlin, Vienna and Munich. Car2go has a fleet of 10,500 vehicles (including 1,200 Smart Fortwo ED electric vehicles) and services more than 600,000 customers worldwide. Car2go debuted in Ulm, Germany in 2008 and started US service in Austin, Texas in the fall of 2009. The service became available in Montreal last October. Check out Car2go's press release on its Rome chapter below. car2go starts in Rome Launch in mid-March with initially 300 out of a total of 500 smart fortwos in a business area of around 100 square kilometers Possibility of access to traffic-calmed downtown With Rome, car2go is now present in 26 European and North American cities Ciao Roma! car2go launches in Rome: car2go, the pioneer and market leader in the field of short-duration A to B car rental, is launching its service in the Italian capital in mid-March with 300 smart fortwos. car2go, the pioneer and market leader in the field of short-duration A to B car rental, is launching its service in the Italian capital in mid-March with 300 smart fortwos. An increase to 500 vehicles is already scheduled for April 2014. Following the great success in Milan, Rome is car2go's second city on the Italian market. Rome is the fifth European capital to benefit from flexible car-sharing with car2go. "Rome is the city of the smart and the perfect place for the compact two-seater. With car2go, we are bringing the success story of flexible car-sharing to Rome," comments Thomas Beermann, Managing Director of car2go Europe GmbH, enthusiastically on the new launch.

Smart considering Forfour-based SUV

Can we interest anyone in the idea of a rear-engined SUV? Because that's what Daimler is reportedly considering for its Smart brand. According to Autocar, a crossover could be the next addition to the Smart lineup. It'd be based on the same architecture as the Smart Forfour and Renault Twingo, which are built on a rear-engined platform that gives the steering rack up front more range of motion to provide the vehicle a tight turning radius. Because the Smart and Twingo don't share much with other products in either automaker's stable, they're said to be eagerly looking for ways to make the most of their investment, and spinning off a sport-ute variant could be just the ticket. The resulting crossover could end up a little longer than the Forfour and Twingo, owing to more rugged bumpers, but would likely pack the same three-cylinder engines (in atmospheric and turbo guises) and choice of five-speed manual or six-speed dual-clutch transmissions. Whether the platform could be modified to accommodate all-wheel drive as well remains a big question mark, but we'd point out that Audi managed to squeeze its Quattro system into the A1 even though the VW Polo platform on which it was based was never designed for it. Renault could prove eager to get in on the project as well with a version of its own, giving both automakers a worthwhile challenger to the nimble little Fiat Panda 4x4. The bigger question is whether it would ever make its way to US showrooms. Currently the smaller Fortwo is the only Smart being offered in North America, with the Forfour not earmarked for these shores – and Renault of course doesn't market here altogether.