Part IV: Car Sharing 2.0 Series

Car2go will launch its one-way car sharing service in San Diego this Friday.

Car2go already operates in Vancouver, BC and Austin. With a different operating principle than car sharing veterans like Zipcar, car2go allows users to make one-way trips as long as the cars are parked within the program’s operating area.

In addition, car share users do not need to commit to returning the car by a specific time.

A subsidiary of Daimler, car2go’s San Diego service will feature an all-electric fleet of Daimler Smart Fortwo Electric Drive models that are custom made for its car sharing enterprise.

Users must pay a $35 membership fee. While Zipcar and other car sharing companies charge by the hour, car2go members pay by the minute (35 cents) with maximum hourly and daily rates of $12.99 and $65.99, respectively, plus taxes. Similar to conventional car sharing, mileage, insurance and gas are included.

Car2Go's business model and Zipcar's each provide unique benefits. Car2go provides the convenience of one way trips and no worries (aside from cost) of when you return the car. On the other hand, car locations are not fixed. Zipcar's prescribed vehicle locations provides users a higher degree of certainty (and comfort) of knowing a car sharing vehicle will be there when you want it.

Read more in the Car Sharing 2.0 series 

Part I: Paris launches world's first electric car sharing program

Part II: A brief history of car sharing

Part III: The benefits of car sharing

Part V: Nationwide (and over the pond), Zipcar continues to innovate

Part VI: Peer to peer car sharing coming to Portland