Daimler introduces green car rental service

car2go, a newly created company subsidiary of Daimler North America Corporation, plans to introduce a new ''free-floating'' model of car sharing, where cars are available throughout a city and can be accessed ''on-demand'' or reserved up to 24 hours in advance.

car2go members can use car2go smartphone apps, the car2go website or a telephone hotline to find the nearest vehicle pickup and drop-off area.

They can drive the car when and where they want, and then they can simply leave it in any available ''permit only'' on-street parking spot in downtown or residential neighbourhoods within the defined business area, or in one of the specially marked car2go parking spaces.

In essence, every trip is a one-way rental, with no need to return to the location where the driver picked up the vehicle. car2go charges customers only for the actual use of the vehicle.

The rental periods foer this service is as short as a per-minute basis.

The smart car2go vehicles, developed in Germany, are the world's first series-produced automobiles designed and manufactured specifically for car sharing.