SAN DIEGO -- With the wave of a bright blue card, drivers are able to open a car door and take advantage of Daimler North America Corporation’s entry into the car-sharing program.
“It’s extremely convenient, easy to go from here to there,” said J. P. Ledo. “I went nine blocks and I was going to walk it, but I figured the car was there why not use it.”
Car2go's white and blue electric smart cars drove into San Diego in November. The international car-sharing program was first seen in Austin, Texas in 2009 and San Diego is the second to participate in the program.
“Car2go is really meant for urban mobility,” said spokeswoman Katie Stafford.
“There’s always one parked next to my work and one next to my apartment. I figured I’d look into it and find out what’s going on,” said Ledo, who has used the car twice.
There are more than 200 cars on the streets of San Diego. Most of which have been deployed in Little Italy, the East Village, and Pacific Beach.
Stafford said San Diego will eventually have 300 of the cars parked throughout San Diego, ready for use. She said once you sign up, it is easy to begin cruising around San Diego.
“Use your membership card to get into the vehicle and you can drive it for as long as you want. You don’t have to make a reservation,” she said.
Stafford said drivers do not have to take the car back to the same spot it was picked up from. A map helps members find cars and can also help them find the best places to drop them off.
Members don’t have to hunt for coins; the cars can be parked in 2 hour spaces for free. They also don’t have to worry about recharging the cars, maintenance or insurance, it is all part of the rental fee.
“The members are responsible for following the parking rules so you really want to monitor where you’re parking,” said Stafford.
That doesn’t bode well for one member. We spotted a car with a ticket in Little Italy. The car was ticketed for a street sweeping violation.
Ledo said the rental cost of .35 cents a minute, $12.99 an hour or $65.99 a day isn’t a bad price.
“Honestly, it’s such a great idea,” said Ledo. “It’s convenient and its fun.”
