As of October 26, one of Daimler North America’s subsidiaries, car2go North America, will be open for business in Columbus, Ohio, and its metropolitan area. The 12th car2go market in America, Ohio is part of the migration the car-sharing model is making toward America’s Midwest from its east and west coastal roots.
A unique aspect of this addition to the Columbus area is that it will work in concert with Columbus’ already successful public bussing system, COTA, as well as their bike sharing program known as CoGo. This will offer even more flexibility and expediency to people in need of transportation.
Mayor Michael B. Coleman said, “car2go is an exciting addition to our transportation portfolio. When paired with taxis, COTA buses, and CoGo Bike Share, our residents will be able to travel between local destinations without the need to own a personal vehicle.”
The area at which one can drop off or pick up a car2go vehicle is known as the Home Area. This covers about a thirty square mile radius which incorporates the Columbus city center, spanning the residential neighborhoods of German Village and Merion Village on the south-side moving up through downtown, Clintonville and the Short North, west to Franklinton and east to Botanical Gardens and Franklin Park Conservatory.
Registration gets you a membership card, giving you access to the 250 vehicles car2go will have to offer in Columbus. You will be free of prior time commitment and the freedom to travel as you choose, making this extremely user-friendly.
Join the 450,000 registered car2go members and you will also have access to its vehicles in the 9 U.S. car2go markets, located in the following cities and their metropolitan areas: Washington DC, Seattle, San Diego, Portland, Minneapolis, Miami, Denver, Columbus, and Austin. This is a very rapidly expanding company on its way up.
No other car-sharing company offers this kind of on demand flexibility. Using a smartphone app, members can locate available car2go cars. This information is also accessible via its website’s online vehicle finder, the customer call center, or you can even simply find one physically parked in the 30 mile Home Area radius.
Once you are finished using a car2go vehicle, you can park on any residential street in the Home Area, any non-metered or non-restricted metered parking lots and spaces. Parking, maintenance, insurance, fuel are included at no further charge.
Get in on car2go’s limited time offer of 30 free minutes of usage and waived one-time membership fee of $35 by using the promotional code CBUS. Columbus will be hosting a sort of grand opening event on October 26th in order to explain and introduce car2go’s services.
To register, feel free to follow them @car2goColumbus, visit Columbus.car2go.com, or become a fan on facebook at www.facebook.com/car2go.Columbus.
