SOCSF™

Of fleeing “Hot Dogs” and a love-stricken filling station attendant: Surprisingly different: smart starts a new brand campaign

Stuttgart, Feb 12, 2010

Stuttgart – Surprisingly different time and again: on 16 February 2010 smart is starting a new international brand campaign and bringing fleeing “Hot Dogs”, a filling station attendant and further surprising stories to cinema, TV and computer screens. The ten second spots each show a film excerpt that arouses interest and makes viewers curious to find out more. Accordingly, they end with the question that everyone asks: “What happened?” The microsite www.the-smart-class.com – the central element of the whole campaign – provides the answer. The long version of all films is shown in this web special.

“Our new brand campaign demonstrates the features of the smart fortwo in an entertaining and typical smart tongue-in-cheek manner. All viewers will enjoy it and it is an ideal combination of classic and new media”, says Marc Langenbrinck, Managing Director smart brand and Head of Sales & Marketing smart. At www.the-smart-class.com internet users can discover the features of the smart fortwo in an interactive way – from its compact exterior, economy and environmental compatibility to its surprisingly large interior. Each film presents one of the typical features of the smart fortwo in a bizarre and amusing way.

The campaign is starting with two films and a further four will follow in the course of the year. At www.the-smart-class.com interested viewers will find the answer and the whole story behind the short off-beat clips. The protagonists in the films are part of an international, 3D animated city on the internet and invite viewers to find out more about smart. In addition, the web special gives those interested an opportunity to register for a test drive, order brochures and download wallpaper. Emailings and radio spots accompanying the campaign and an extensive online, viral and trade marketing package also guide visitors to the campaign microsite.

The brand campaign was jointly developed and implemented by smart together with four national organisations (Germany, France, Italy and Great Britain) and their BBDO agencies. smart has once again succeeded in realising a consistent international brand profile whilst considering the needs of its main markets. The films were shot in Los Angeles in December 2009.

[Editor's note: Not sure if these interesting ads will make it to North America, but interesting to watch what's happening across the pond either way..]

Just sourced some more details on the electric smart car, and how it charges it’s batteries among other features.. (Toronto, Ontario is where this comes from..)

No emissions, yet pure driving pleasure. The smart fortwo electric drive makes its Canadian debut at the 2010 Canadian International Auto Show. This technologically advanced two-seater is the first emission-free vehicle in the world with state-of-the-art lithium-ion technology and an intelligent charging management system on board. This makes the compact smart fortwo electric drive the first environmentally and customer-friendly electric vehicle, and continues smart’s tradition of introducing innovative and intelligent transportation solutions that redefine mobility.

“Environmental compatibility and the latest functionalities have been defining features of the smart fortwo since it was launched more than ten years ago. Since then, its innovative concept has combined pioneering technology to optimize urban mobility. The smart fortwo electric drive is just as convincing as its siblings with conventional drive when it comes to suitability for everyday use, safety and driving pleasure. In terms of environmental compatibility, it sets a new benchmark with its emission-free electric drive. In addition, with just 12 kwH consumption and its purely electric drive system, it is the most economical and environmentally-friendly way of driving,” stated Dr. Thomas Weber.

The electric smart will be delivered to selected fleet, business and private customers around the world as part of various “e-mobility” projects. These customers will receive a complete service package for their vehicle thanks to a “full-service rental model.” “In addition to state-of-the-art vehicle technology, we also want to provide our customers the best service possible – for us, this is an integral part of the concept of groundbreaking mobility,” commented Harald Schuff, Executive Vice-President Mercedes-Benz Sales and Marketing Organization.

The key objective of these projects is to evaluate customer behaviour and specific support services. In addition to Germany, the electric smart will also be made available to customers in Italy, Spain, England, France, Switzerland, USA, and Canada in the fall of 2010.

The concept
Thanks to its innovative vehicle concept, the intelligent two-seater combines sustainable, forward-looking technologies for urban mobility. Its unique design has led the smart fortwo to quickly become an automotive lifestyle icon. The new smart fortwo electric drive is still a smart fortwo without any compromises in terms of safety, comfort and space. A 40 hp electric motor operates in the rear of the smart fortwo electric drive, which ensures good acceleration with 88 lb-ft of torque. When fully charged, the highly-efficient lithium-ion battery guarantees a range of 135 kilometers thanks to its 16.5 kwH capacity – more than enough for city traffic. To charge the battery, the smart can simply be hooked up to a public charging station, a wall box in the garage or any household socket.

Intelligent charging management: charging and paying, as easy as using a mobile phone
As the world’s first series-production electric car, the smart fortwo electric drive is equipped with an intelligent charging management system. The on-board electronics allow for the permanent exchange of information with the grid. As such, electricity billing, for example, can be arranged in a very convenient, simple and secure way. Regardless of where the smart fortwo electric drive has obtained electricity, the customer will only receive one electricity bill from their own energy supplier. Drivers can also check the charging status and therefore the current range of their electric smart in any place and at any time by using a smartphone or other internet interfaces. The heating and air-conditioning systems are also controlled by the power electronics unit, which allows drivers of the smart fortwo electric drive to pre-heat or cool their cars as soon as the vehicle is connected to the grid supply – no other car offers this convenient option.

The electronics of the vehicle also form the basis for future applications, such as active management of the charging process. The electronics can retrieve the maximum available charging capacity as well as the corresponding electricity costs when the vehicle is hooked up, allowing it to calculate the most cost-effective time for recharging. If the electric smart is to be parked for a long period of time, charging can be carried out at times when there is a lower electricity network load, for example.

smart solutions for electric mobility
With the smart fortwo electric drive, smart is continuing its success story as the founder of the intelligent city vehicle. The new electric smart has redefined urban mobility by focusing on a purely emission-free way of driving. As such, the brand is not only demonstrating its role as a trendsetter, but also its technological innovation power: the smart fortwo electric drive is the ideal solution for emission-free driving for the future.

Just got an email from smart Canada that I thought I’d share, a story about 7 cars taking a 12 day road trip up through British Columbia, to the Arctic Circle, and back!

Here are some videos from one of the reporters who went along for the drive/ride:

http://painkillerz.ca/magazine.php?id=1385

There is a facebook fan page for the event as well.. it is located here..

http://www.facebook.com/pages/smart-Winter-Expedition/277093290107?ref=ts

Check them out!

Here is the official press release from Daimler:
After covering more than 7700 kilometres on some of the most scenic, remote and challenging roads in Canada, the smart Winter Expedition concluded over the weekend. The expedition began on January 26th, in Kelowna, British Columbia, and throughout the course of two weeks, 46 participants over three waves made their way up and down the west coast, through the Yukon and all the way to Inuvik, N.T (68° 22′ North Latitude) before ultimately completing their journey on February 6 at the smart Centre in North Vancouver.

The rear-engine, rear drive smart fortwo has a balanced chassis and excellent weight distribution that allows it to perform very well in snow and icy conditions. The caravan of smart fortwos remained poised and easily navigated the ice covered roads, changing elevations, blowing snowdrifts, poor visibility and strong crosswinds they encountered throughout the 12-day program.

The smart fortwo’s myriad of standard active and passive safety systems including Electronic Stability Program (esp®), traction control, cornering brake control, anti-lock brakes, electronic brake distribution and brake assist always kept drivers safely in control despite the extreme conditions. In addition, steering wheel shift paddles, which are standard on the passion model, allowed for easy downshifting to effortlessly climb steep mountain inclines or reduce speed in advance of sharp, slippery corners.

From the changing elevations on the Coquihalla and Alaska Highways to the notoriously challenging Dempster Highway and everything in between, the smart fortwo performed very well throughout the entire expedition and proved that the difficult conditions could be surmounted by the vehicle’s intelligent design.

The comfortable, spacious interior featured a radio 10 sound system with a 6-disc CD changer and Aux jack to keep passengers entertained, while the automatic temperature control and heated seats kept occupants warm despite the harsh temperatures outside. In addition, the 340 litre cargo compartment provided ample capacity for both the driver and passenger to store their voluminous suitcases and bags for the long, cold journey.

“The smart winter Expedition was planned to demonstrate what our 16,000 + loyal customers already know; the smart fortwo is a safe, comfortable and extremely versatile vehicle regardless of the prevailing climatic conditions, varying terrains or distances traveled,” said Marcus Breitschwerdt, President and CEO of Mercedes-Benz Canada. “The compact smart fortwo offers class leading fuel efficiency, low emissions and the highest levels of safety and technology in its category, which serves both the driver and passenger well whether they are navigating congested urban streets, suburban areas or even traveling on remote stretches of highway north of the Arctic Circle in the middle of winter.”

Further information about the smart, including highlights from the winter expedition, route maps and photos can be found online at www.thesmart.ca

The new smart fortwo edition highstyle makes its Canadian debut at the 2010 Montreal International Auto Show, held from January 15-24, 2010. The new smart fortwo edition highstyle features exclusive paintwork in stylish chocolate brown metallic, elegant 12?spoke 15″ alloy wheels, and an exclusive interior trim that boasts a harmonious mix of fabric and leather. The smart fortwo edition highstyle is available with a 70 hp gasoline engine. Style, savoir vivre and zest for life go hand-in-hand with environmentally friendly technology.

The smart fortwo edition highstyle continues the series of distinctive and intelligently designed special models from smart. A pioneer in urban mobility, smart continually questions the status quo and takes a unique approach to transportation. The new special model from the environmentally friendly lifestyle brand combines cutting edge environmental technology and functionality with a discerning sense of style. In the smart fortwo edition highstyle, joie de vivre and classy elegance are combined in perfect harmony.

Even at first glance, the new special model demonstrates its high standards of style and individuality with its fashionable chocolate brown metallic finish. The 15 inch alloy wheels feature an elegant 12-spoke design, and aluminium edition highstyle logos on the A-pillar and rear tailgate complete the exterior appearance.

The upscale interior design also demonstrates a young spirit and an open, new way of thinking with a confident style. The metallic leather trimmed seats and matching door contrasts feature a light and dark fabric ensemble reserved exclusively for this special edition. Decorative brown seams also provide a subtle, matching reference to the exterior colour. The 3-spoke, leather trimmed sport steering wheel features paddle shifters and matches the leather gear shift knob. The additional trim components are finished in matte silver to complete the high quality, dynamic interior.

The new smart fortwo edition highstyle is based on the passion coupé. Generous standard features include: power windows, air conditioning with automatic temperature control, electric power steering, the smart sound system with an MP3 interface and a panoramic roof with sunscreen. The standard equipment of the edition highstyle also includes dashboard instruments and the radio 10 with 6 disc CD changer.

A hallmark for fun, fuel efficiency and versatility, the new edition highstyle retains the smart fortwo’s trademark characteristics. With a combined fuel consumption value of 5.4 l/100 kms, the smart fortwo is the two-time winner of the ecoENERGY award as the most fuel-efficient vehicle in the two seater category.

smart is staying true to its brand slogan “open your mind” and opening to outside ideas with a design contest. From 6 January 2010 fans of smart and design worldwide are invited to design a smart fortwo on the website www.styleyoursmart.com. smart is looking for the coolest smart design and will award prizes with a total value of €5000 to the winners.

Marc Langenbrinck, Managing Director smart brand and Head of Sales & Marketing smart says “In our daily contact with our customers we keep experiencing how passionate they are about smart. Many of them personalise their smart with products from our wide range of accessories. Lots of them go even further and realise their own ideas. We are now taking this up. The design contest offers all smart drivers and fans a platform to lend expression to their creativity.”
Participants can give free rein to their imagination. A design configurator is available on the online platform www.styleyoursmart.com. It offers a multitude of colours, prints, patterns and shapes. At the same time budding artists can also develop their own graphic ideas. In addition, they can exchange views with other contestants and comment on and rate ideas and designs. In this way a design community for car enthusiasts and smart fans will be created.

Designs can be put online until 23 February 2010. An independent expert jury will subsequently select the best contributions based on the community ratings. The winners will be announced on the website on 26 February 2010 and can look forward to prizes totalling €5,000.
“Style your smart” is one of more than 1200 ideas submitted by the “Business Innovation Community”, a Web 2.0 platform on the Daimler intranet. Employees can post their ideas here – and their colleagues from other departments and regions can comment on them, rate them and further develop them.

About smart:
smart is a success story. The smart fortwo has been on the market for twelve years now, and it has an impressive track record. Since 2009 the intelligent two-seater has been represented in 41 countries worldwide. In December 2009 the new smart fortwo electric drive with a lithium-ion battery was handed over to selected customers in Berlin. smart combines unique driving pleasure with comfort, agility, safety and ecology and, with a length of just 2.69 metres, it is the perfect city car. The smart fortwo established the microcar segment and created a totally new class of vehicle – the “smart class.”

Since mid November 2009 the new smart fortwo electric drive has been rolling off the production line at the smart factory in Hambach, France. Unlike its predecessor, the electrically driven smart fortwo of the second generation is fitted with an innovative and highly efficient lithium-ion battery. It is housed in a space-saving position between the axles, which means that neither the space nor the safety concept of the intelligent two-seater vehicle are compromised in any way. A 30 kW electric motor is fitted at the rear. This provides for good acceleration with 120 Newton metres of torque immediately available and high agility thanks to the no-shift electric drive. The smart fortwo electric drive can be fully charged at any household socket for around two euros. This enables it to travel around 135 kilometres – more than enough in city traffic. The smart electric drive is the ideal alternative for urban mobility with zero local emissions. To start with, the new smart fortwo electric drive will be leased or rented to select customers in Berlin and other cities in Europe and the USA. From 2012 it will be available to anyone interested.

Marc Langenbrinck, Managing Director smart brand, Head of Sales & Marketing smart says “In 1998 smart revolutionised urban mobility with the unique smart fortwo vehicle concept. Now smart is once again taking on a pioneering role and redefining zero-emission urban mobility. We are the first manufacturer in Europe to launch a series-produced electric vehicle in eight countries at once. Daimler is spearheading electromobility with the smart fortwo electric drive. The smart fortwo electric drive is a further logical step in the evolution of the smart brand which already boasts the fleet with the lowest fuel consumption of all manufacturers.”Environmental compatibility and state-of-the-art functionality have been defining features of the smart fortwo ever since it was launched more than ten years ago. Since then its innovative concept has combined sustainable, forward-looking technologies with individual urban mobility. With a length of just over two and a half metres the extremely compact vehicle can also park perpendicular to the flow of traffic. In addition, the space-saving and environmentally friendly two-seater currently has the lowest fleet consumption and it brings its occupants to their destination comfortably and safely . Its unique design set it apart from all other cars on the road and it quickly became an automotive lifestyle icon that is completely at home in happening cities around the world.

smart fortwo electric drive offers innovative driving fun
Series production of the new smart fortwo electric drive started in mid November and represents the logical continuation of an ambitious goal: the production of a well-engineered, attractive city car that has no local exhaust gas emissions i.e. a zero emission vehicle. In 2007 smart kicked off zero-emission motoring in London with its tough city traffic conditions. Since then 100 smart fortwo electric drives of the first generation have been used by customers there in real-world conditions. The feedback from the UK capital has been very positive and confirms the high degree of maturity of this vehicle concept. In 2008 smart presented the concept for a second generation smart fortwo electric drive, a more advanced electric drive with an innovative lithium-ion battery. This technology has decisive advantages over other types of batteries including better performance, shorter charging times, a long life and high reliability. Marc Langenbrinck says “The second generation smart fortwo electric drive is based on a successful and accepted vehicle concept with cult character and inherent resource-saving characteristics. Its innovative electric battery drive makes it the perfect car for the city: it is agile, economical and climate-friendly. Motoring with zero local emissions in an urban environment has become a reality – without any compromises.

Electric drive factored in from the very first concept
The smart fortwo electric drive is a smart fortwo that does not make any compromises with regard to safety, comfort and space. Electric drives have been part of the smart concept right from the start. The later integration of the components needed for electric drive was planned at a very early stage. For example, there is space for the battery in the underfloor between the axles where the tank is usually located. That is why the electric drive module does not limit the space available in the smart fortwo electric drive in any way; there is just as much interior and luggage compartment space as in a smart fortwo with a combustion engine.

Powerful drive
An agile 30 kW magneto-electric motor is installed at the rear of the new smart fortwo electric drive and reacts directly without delay. Powerful torque of 120 Newton metres is immediately available. This results in a surprising amount of power when pulling away. The smart fortwo electric drive accelerates from 0 – 60 km/h in 6.5 seconds – just as quickly as a petrol model which it initially leaves behind it. After a year of driving the first generation smart fortwo electric drive in everyday conditions on British roads one of the participants in the large-scale London trial said “You can beat anything at the lights”. As the smart fortwo electric drive has been designed primarily for urban mobility its maximum speed has been deliberately limited to 100 km/h.

Thanks to the power characteristic of the electric motor, just one single fixed gear ratio is needed. There is no need for any gear changing – a major advantage in dense city traffic. To reverse, the engine’s direction of rotation changes. “Fantastic and easy to drive. You just get in, turn on and go” was how experienced users from London summed up the smart fortwo electric drive.
The second generation smart fortwo electric drive is powered by a lithium-ion battery with capacity of 16.5 kWh. It can be charged at both normal household sockets and special charging stations.
A fully charged battery is sufficient for up to 135 kilometres of driving fun (NEDC). This range is more than enough for city traffic as studies have shown that cars drive an average of 30 – 40 kilometres per day in towns and cities. For this, the vehicle only needs to be charged for around two hours. Plugging the car in overnight will fully recharge an empty battery.

Together with other car manufacturers and utility companies Daimler has developed a concept for a Europe-wide standardised charging plug for a three-phase power grid and amperage of up to 63 amps. The cooperation partners aim to create a mandatory standard for charging stations for battery-powered vehicles in Europe and worldwide. This global standardisation is an essential prerequisite for setting up a smooth and functioning electricity charging infrastructure so that electric vehicles are accepted by customers and used across all vehicle classes.

The end of the year sees the publication of a contemporary art calendar for 2010. The Visionaire issue “2010″ produced in cooperation with the car brand smart is a very special gift idea for Christmas. The calendar enables 365 works of art to be given at the same time instead of just one and is a pleasure to behold throughout 2010.
The 57th issue of the legendary New York fashion and art publication Visionaire focuses on the unique two-seater smart fortwo. “Visionaire 2010″ is the first electric issue of the publication. 52 internationally renowned curators and collectors were recruited and selected 365 works of art for this issue. In the form of an electrically operated calendar “2010″ is a forward-looking compendium of contemporary art. The cooperation with Visionaire was motivated by the launch of the second generation smart fortwo electric drive.

Visionaire “2010“ shows the works of artists like Ai Wei Wei, Omer Fast (National Gallery Prize 2009) and Sigmar Polke. The collection is supplemented by internationally renowned museum curators such as Klaus Biesenbach (MoMA New York) and Dasha Zhukova (Garage Center of Contemporary Culture Moscow), collectors of contemporary art such as Christian Boros and Mario Testino, architect Zaha Hadid, actress Tilda Swinton and model Kate Moss. Furthermore the fashion designers Rei Kawakubo ( Comme des Garçons ) and Marc Jacobs (Louis Vuitton) are among the curators.

From December 1st 2009 the 57th issue of Visionaire will be available in selected bookstores and from www.visionaireworld.com for a price of USD $295. With the calendar, smart will enhance every day of 2010 with a personal work of art.

- Production of 1,000 units begins
- First European electric vehicle fully operational in everyday use
- Available to the general public as of 2012

Hambach, France / Stuttgart, Germany — This week, Daimler AG started production of the smart fortwo electric drive at the smart plant in Hambach, France. In a first step, 1,000 vehicles will be provided to customers participating in various mobility projects in major cities in Europe and the U.S., in order to generate broad feedback on electric driving under everyday conditions.

Marc Langenbrinck, Managing Director of the smart brand: “With the start of the series production of the smart fortwo electric drive, the Hambach plant enters a new era – at the same time, the smart fortwo emphazises its pioneering role on the way to individual mobility with local zero-emissions in cities and urban areas. Its innovative battery-electric drive makes the smart fortwo electric drive the ideal vehicle for the city: it combines responsibility to the environment with driving fun and joie de vivre in a virtually perfect manner.”

The second-generation smart fortwo electric drive started now is equipped with the most modern lithium-ion-battery. As of 2012, the smart fortwo electric drive will be produced as a regular part of the smart product portfolio and will regularly be sold through the smart sales network.

First Milestones in 2007 and 2008
The smart brand has taken a pioneering role in electric mobility since 2007. Back then, 100 smart fortwo electric drives of the first generation went into practical customer operation under everyday conditions of city traffic in London. Feedback from this project has been very positive right from the start and confirmed the high degree of maturity of this vehicle concept.

Just one year later, the company introduced the second generation – which is now being produced – with an even more advanced electric drive and an innovative, highly efficient lithium-ion battery. Lithium-ion technology has decisive advantages over other types of batteries including higher performance, shorter charging times, a long life and high reliability. In addition, a smart fortwo electric drive can be charged at a regular household power outlet.

A story of success: The smart Plant in Hambach
The smart plant in Hambach was inaugurated in 1997. Since 1998, it has produced the smart fortwo, since 2007 in its current generation. In 2008, more than 800 employees of the plant and some further 800 people employed by seven system partners produced about 140,000 units of the smart fortwo. In September 2008, the brand celebrated its tenth anniversary along with the 1-millionth smart fortwo produced at the Hambach plant.

The Hambach plant has represented an innovative production concept since its beginning: The assembly line in the shape of a plus sign has been designed to optimally meet the demands of assembly and logistics and ensures highly efficient production processes. This principle enables the system partners to supply modules directly to the assembly line, which reduces transport and logistics efforts to a minimum and hereby also provides an advantage regarding ecological aspects. In addition, the environmentally friendly and cost effective paint shop, an energy concept with numerous savings opportunities and the construction principle of the vehicles ensure that the ecological product responsibility of the smart brand is translated into the production.

About smart
Environmental friendliness and contemporary functionality have been defining features of the smart fortwo ever since it was launched more than ten years ago. Since then its innovative concept has combined sustainable, forward-looking technologies with individual urban mobility. With a length of just over two and a half meters, the extremely compact and fuel-efficient vehicle brings its occupants to their destination comfortably and safely. Its distintive design made smart an automotive lifestyle icon which shows that mobility, responsibility to the environment and joie de vivre are compatible with one another. The smart fortwo has established a class of its own.
Today, smart is present in 41 markets around the globe, with most recent market launches in China and Brazil. Germany, Italy, and the U.S. are key markets.

· Texas capital becomes showcase for car2go in the North American mobility market
· Partnership between City of Austin and car2go allows new concept of mobility for more than 13,000 city employees
· Project begins with 200 smart fortwo vehicles – further expansion planned in 2010

Austin, TX – In a joint partnership with the City of Austin, Daimler is launching its groundbreaking car2go pilot project in North America today. The innovative mobility concept makes city driving as easy as using a mobile phone. It offers Austin an easy, flexible, reasonably priced and progressive solution to the growing challenges of urban mobility. Austin becomes the official headquarters of car2go North America LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Daimler. The first pilot phase starts with 200 smart fortwo vehicles and a defined group of users. At some point in 2010, the number of cars will be increased and car2go will be made accessible to all Austin residents and students.
The car2go system is straightforward. 200 smart fortwo vehicles are made available within the city for all registered car2go members. This fleet of vehicles can be accessed 24/7. After a one-time registration process, the customers can use the service on the spot by accessing any available vehicle on the street, or can book in advance through the online reservation process. One significant difference from traditional car-sharing programs is that car2go offers cars on demand and the customers may use the vehicle for as long as they like, without committing to a specific return time. Furthermore, car2go allows users to make one way trips. Charges are not based on distance, but on time – with rates starting by the minute.

“car2go is an innovative answer to current and future mobility needs in urban areas”, says Dr. Thomas Weber, member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG responsible for Group Research and Mercedes-Benz Cars Development. “We are pleased with the success we achieved in Ulm, Germany – the first car2go city – and we are ready for the next logical step on our way to an international rollout.”
Austin becomes first international partner for car2go

The City of Austin is the first North American city to partner with car2go. This launch follows the successful implementation of the first car2go pilot in October 2008 in the southern German city of Ulm.

The 200 smarts of the first pilot are rented 500 to 1,000 times per day and they are used by 15,000 customers which equals more than 15 percent of the citizens who possess a driver’s license in Ulm. 90 percent of the participants take advantage of the unique offer to use car2go spontaneously without booking in advance and for one-way trips.

“The City of Austin is committed to identifying and implementing solutions to address the challenges associated with urban growth, mobility and environmental sustainability,” said Mayor Lee Leffingwell. “This pilot-program partnership between car2go and the City of Austin represents a significant step toward helping us alleviate congestion, reduce emissions and increase the use of public transportation.”

For the pilot, the pick up and drop off area is limited to the greater downtown Austin area which has an expansion of about 17 square miles where more than 60,000 employees work. The use of a car2go vehicle includes all city-controlled parking fees: No need to feed the meters! car2go is paying a usage fee to the City of Austin in the form of free driving minutes for employees driving on City business.
“Facilitating innovative transportation solutions is integral to the City of Austin’s goal of becoming the best-managed city in America,” said City Manager Marc Ott. “By promoting large-scale car sharing, we can help address mobility challenges in and around our urban core, ultimately reducing the burden on city center traffic and parking.”

More than 13,000 city employees have the opportunity to use the smart vehicles not only for business but also for private use. Billing is handled with the same degree of simplicity and flexibility as every aspect of car2go – the rates are all-inclusive: fuel, maintenance, insurance, miles and parking. Competitive hourly or daily rates apply to longer rental periods. The trademark of car2go is its user friendly system, developed to meet and exceed the needs of customers. A car2go service team on the ground will handle daily maintenance of the vehicles. The service team will also ensure the vehicles are fueled and clean. If customers want to refuel the vehicles by themselves, they can use a pre-paid credit card found in the glove compartment of the car2go. The time for refueling the car will be credited to the customer with 10 minutes of free driving.

”The goal of the Austin pilot project is to gather experience we can use to ensure the public launch of car2go in North America in 2010 is successful,“ says Nicholas Cole, CEO of car2go North America LLC. “In the second phase we will increase the number of cars in Austin and open the service to the public. We are also talking to a large number of cities in North America and Europe about additional rollouts of car2go.”

The smart fortwo vehicles for the Austin pilot phase are provided by the smart USA Distributor LLC. The vehicle size and its maneuverability are perfect for car sharing programs in urban areas.

2010 – What’s New for model year 2010 smart fortwo (451.331 and 451.431)?

Here is a quick run-down courtesy of Daimler AG — sorry this is a bit high-level as it came directly from the media site without much editing..

- Availability of Bluetooth connectivity

- Armrest available on all models

- Leather optic dash available with leather package

- More attractive packages to provide value and options to customers when configuring their vehicles

- Tire pressure monitoring system removed as standard equipment on all lines. (Available as option on passion and BRABUS)

Stand alone Options:

- Seat Heating

- Body panel colours in deep black, cristal white, and rally red

> Silver metallic body panels

> Anti-theft alarm system

> Tire pressure control system

> smart fortwo BRABUS accessories

Packages:

- Comfort package: Air conditioning with automatic temperature control (incl. dust and pollen filter), and folding arm rest

-  Style package: Additional instruments (cockpit clock and rev counter), and fog lamps

( pure ) Stand Alone Options:

>  Heated Seats

>  smart radio 10 (radio with 6 fold CD changer, MP3 compatible; incl. 2 loudspeakers)

>  Anti-theft alarm system

>  Bluetooth connectivity

>  Tire Pressure Control System

>  Metallic body panel colours (silver metallic, grey metallic & blue metallic)

( passion )

> Integrated in additional instruments

> Functionality via wireless controller

> Connection with 10 cell phones possible

> Optional i-pod integration available

>    Style package: -spoke leather sport steering wheel with steering wheel shift paddles (incl. leather gearshift), 12-spokes alloy wheels (15”) (Design 1) , and  fog lamps

>    Leather package: Leather seats, dashboard in leather optic only in combination with Style package on smart fortwo passion models

>12-spoke (Design 1) alloy wheels, Style Package, smart fortwo passion

Additions to standard equipment:

> Arm rest, folding

> Dashboard in leather optic

> Fog lamps

Nice nice nice .. I hope that means we can get those things after the fact- I am one of those who wanted to add foglights after the fact, maybe after 2 years they finally got the system working and can do this for my ride too! woot!