Stuttgart / Ulm – Daimler AMG has figured out 200 good reasons for rediscovering city driving, and they can be found on every corner in Ulm, Germany.

The German auto maker has devised ‘car2go’ – its new mobility concept that makes driving a car as easy as using a mobile phone.

Following the successful completion of its internal pilot program, car2go, with its fleet of 200 turbo-diesel smart fortwo cdi city cars, is available from now to all registered residents and visitors to Ulm – every day, around the clock, and at low rates.

From Ulm, car2go goes international, specifically to the USA: Daimler plans to launch car2go in Austin, Texas, in the second half of this year.

"The very promising results of the first, internal pilot phase in Ulm show that with car2go we have found another answer to current and future mobility needs in metropolitan areas. Our project in Austin is the next logical step," says Dr. Thomas Weber, member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG responsible for Group Research and Mercedes-Benz Cars Development.

car2go was kicked off on 24 October 2008 in Ulm, when Daimler AG started a pilot project for a new, flexible, and environmentally compatible form of mobility for city travel.

car2go is another important element of the Daimler strategy on the road to sustainable mobility.

The principle is very simple: whenever a car is needed, it can be rented spontaneously when passing it in the street, or it can be pre-booked via mobile phone or internet.

The car can then be used as long as one likes, and can be returned to any unoccupied public parking space within the area of operation.

The cost structure is clear and the use is simple: the 19 euro cents charged per minute covers taxes, insurance, mileage and even fuel.

There are low rates for rental by the hour or day: 9.90 euros per hour or 49 euros per day.

Sole condition for use is one-time free registration as a customer and a valid driver's licence, to which a small seal is affixed.

Once a person registers, he or she can open any car2go by means of a card reader placed behind the windshield.