Car Sharing
Leveraging NFC technology to turn smartphones into keys is an idea that's gaining ground, not just for home access but for cars as well. With this and more in mind, automotive supplier Continental has begun testing a smartphone app enabling real-time centralized control for access to, and charging of, electric vehicle fleets. The system is aimed squarely at the fast-growing consumer segment of member-based car-sharing schemes, as well as corporate and government electric car fleets. Read More
Two seats, limited parking and a gas engine too much? Then worry no longer inner-city traveler, thanks to Innovative Mobility Automobile's single-seat electric Colibri, parking opportunities just doubled. Read More
Last February, we reported on the Hiriko Fold electric car. The product of MIT's CityCar project, along with Denokinn (the Basque Center for Innovation) and a consortium of Spanish businesses, the tiny vehicle can actually tuck its rear end beneath its chassis – this allows it to fit into even the smallest of parking spaces. Recently, it was announced that a fleet of the cars will be used in a car-sharing program in Berlin. Read More
Visteon's e-Bee concept car showcases new ideas for mobility
Automobile systems manufacturer Visteon has unveiled its Nissan Leaf-based e-Bee concept car, designed to showcase some of the company’s visions for mobility technology in the year 2020. Car-sharing will apparently be much more prevalent by then, as many of the car’s features are centered around allowing multiple users to adapt it to their liking. Read More
Want to make some money off that OnStar-equipped Cadillac of yours, that sits unused all day? Thanks to a new partnership between GM and RelayRides, you can now rent it out! Read More
Daimler-owned car sharing scheme car2go has announced it is to expand its area of operation into three new North American cities in the coming weeks - Toronto, Calgary and Miami. The new cities will join existing programs in Austria, France, Germany, Netherlands, Canada and the United States. Read More
Renault has announced that it is to trial a car-sharing scheme, Twizy Way, that will see a fleet of 50 Renault Twizys take to the streets of the French new town of Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines. Read More
car2go, the car-sharing service that began in Ulm, Germany in 2008 before spreading to Austin, Texas, Hamburg, Germany and Vancouver, Canada, has now announced it will launch a service in San Diego that will be the first car-sharing program in North America with a 100 percent electric vehicle fleet. The San Diego car2go program is due to start operations before the end of 2011 with 300 smart fortwo electric drive vehicles. Read More
As project leaders for the public/private EV Project (which has also received a funding injection from the U.S. Department of Energy), it is the responsibility of clean electric transportation and storage technologies experts ECOtality to oversee the installation of thousands of commercial and residential electric vehicle charging stations in various locations throughout the U.S. EV owners visiting select IKEA stores in the Western United States will soon be able to top up while they shop, thanks to a partnership formed between the home furnishing retailer and ECOtality. Read More
After first launching in Ulm, Germany in 2008, then subsequently establishing operations in Austin (Texas) and Hamburg, the car2go car-sharing program is now coming to Canada. As of this June, registered members of Vancouver, British Columbia’s car2go group will be able to use any of the 225 purpose-designed Smart Fortwos in the local fleet, which can be picked up and dropped off at designated parking spots throughout the city. Read More
