“Fully electric carsharing is an optimal test environment for electric cars. The technology is subjected to maximum strain and proves its suitability for everyday use under real conditions,” said car2go CEO Olivier Reppert at the Future Mobility Summit in Berlin. The valuable knowledge gained on a day-to-day basis is of benefit not only to vehicle manufacturers, but also for the “ overall system of electric mobility” including electricity providers, network operators, battery manufacturers, research institutions, cities and, of course, the users.
“We are convinced that the future of carsharing is electric – which is why we are promoting its systematic development. Fully electric carsharing fleets further strengthen the already positive effects of carsharing, for example the improved air quality in metropolitan areas. Additionally, we help cities solve the chicken-and-egg problem incurred with the charging infrastructure. Hence, we make a significant contribution towards the further promotion of electric mobility as a whole,” explains Reppert.
car2go already operates purely electric carsharing fleets in three locations (Stuttgart, Amsterdam and Madrid) with a total of 1,400 vehicles which are used by 365,000 customers. Thus, car2go is one of the world’s largest providers in the electric carsharing sector. An additional 400 electric cars will be introduced by the end of 2019 in Hamburg.
“Electric mobility and carsharing both follow the same strategic goal: to make cities a cleaner and better place to live. But there is more to it,” states the car2go White Paper. “We understand purely electric driving to be an interaction of a variety of components – from the battery to the electricity network, to the charging infrastructure and then the undeniably positive customer experience.” It is about promoting the overall system of electric mobility.
