car2go creator says program's success in Vancouver shows drivers' habits are changing

Over the course of the last two years, hundreds of little white cars have appeared on the streets of Vancouver.

They’re car2go’s fleet of Smart car Fortwos—vehicles you can pick up and drop off pretty much anywhere it’s legal to park.

Alexander Hobbach, one of the creators of the international car-sharing service, was in Vancouver today (March 26). He took a minute to discuss car2go, how the program has performed here, and what car2go’s success says about how people’s driving habits are changing.

A senior manager for business innovation at Daimler AG, car2go’s parent company, Hobbach visited Vancouver with Tim Reuss, president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz, another Daimler subsidiary. Today, Mercedes announced it is launching a graduated licensing program with five locations across the Lower Mainland.

In a presentation made at the Vancouver International Auto Show (March 26 to 31 at the Vancouver Convention Centre), company representatives emphasized that the Mercedes Driving Academy for New Drivers aims to increase road safety by focusing on risk factors specific to individuals.

For more information about the smart2go program, including instructions on how to enroll and find a vehicle near you, read this article by the Straight’s Doug Sarti.