Car2Go car-sharing service shutting down in the U.S. after reality check

By Ronan Glon Published December 19, 2019

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Those who predicted and hoped shared autonomous cars would rule the roads by 2020 are in for a serious reality check. Driverless technology is much farther away than expected, and one of the largest car-sharing programs, Share Now, announced it will end its operations in North America and select international cities in early 2020 due to low adoption rates.

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We should have seen this coming when Car2Go, a division of Mercedes-Benz parent company Daimler, surprisingly merged with Drive Now, a comparable program created by arch-nemesis BMW, to become Share Now. It’s rarely a good sign when rivals set aside their differences and hold hands. The jointly-owned firm explained it will cease operations in the United States and Canada on February 29, 2020, and it is not planning on coming back for the time being.

Share Now disclosed a number of reasons forced it to shut down, including the volatile state of the global mobility landscape, and the rising infrastructure complexities facing North American transportation. It cited the rapidly-evolving competitive mobility landscape, the lack of a necessary infrastructure to support new technologies, and rising operating costs as examples of the challenges it faced as it tried to gain a secure foothold in our market. That’s a long-winded way of saying it’s not making enough money because most motorists don’t want to share a car.

In the United States, Share Now’s most direct competitor is ZipCar, which plans to stick around for the time being. That’s assuming someone wants to drive to get from point a to point b. Those who don’t have numerous other alternatives, including ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft, and the growing number of app-based scooter- and bike-sharing services. Driving on your own provides unmatched freedom, but ride-hailing is more practical than car-sharing because you don’t have to worry about where to park, whether someone will back into a car that’s not yours, and so on.

Don’t delete the Share Now app quite yet if you’re planning on traveling abroad in the near future. The company will exit the American market, and it will shut down its operations in London, Brussels, and Florence, but it will continue to exist in 18 major European cities including Paris, Vienna, Helsinki, and Copenhagen.

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Ronan Glon is an American automotive and tech journalist based in southern France. As a long-time contributor to Digital…

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Jeep Compass EV breaks cover—but will it come to the U.S.?

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Jeep just pulled the wraps off the all-new Compass EV, and while it’s an exciting leap into the electric future, there's a catch—it might not make it to the U.S. anytime soon.
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Let’s start with what’s cool: the new Compass EV is packing up to 404 miles of range on a single charge, a 74 kWh battery, and fast-charging that gets you from 20% to 80% in about 30 minutes. Not bad for a compact SUV with Jeep's badge on the nose.
There are two versions: a front-wheel-drive model with 213 horsepower and a beefier all-wheel-drive version with 375 horsepower. That AWD setup isn’t just for looks—it can handle 20% inclines even without front traction, and comes with extra ground clearance and better off-road angles. In short, it’s still a Jeep.
The design's been refreshed too, and inside you’ll find the kind of tech and comfort you’d expect in a modern EV—sleek, smart, and ready for both city streets and dirt trails.
But here’s the thing: even though production starts soon in Italy, Jeep hasn’t said whether the Compass EV is coming to America. And the signs aren’t promising.
Plans to build it in Canada were recently put on hold, with production now delayed until at least early 2026. Some of that might have to do with possible U.S. tariffs on Canadian and Mexican vehicles—adding a layer of uncertainty to the whole rollout.
According to Kelley Blue Book, a Stellantis spokesperson confirmed that the company has “temporarily paused work on the next-generation Jeep Compass, including activities at” the Canadian plant that was originally meant to build the model. They added that Stellantis is “reassessing its product strategy in North America” to better match customer needs and demand for different powertrain options.
So while Europe and other markets are gearing up to get the Compass EV soon, American drivers might be left waiting—or miss out entirely.
That’s a shame, because on paper, this electric Jeep hits a lot of sweet spots. Let’s just hope it finds a way over here.

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Tesla just scrapped the Cybertruck range extender

Tesla CEO Elon Musk behind the wheel of a Cybertruck.

The writing was pretty much on the wall for the Cybertruck range extender last month when Tesla removed the option from its website. Now, it’s officially scrapped it and is refunding the $2,000 deposits that customers put down for the $16,000 battery pack.

“We are no longer planning to sell the range extender for Cybertruck," Tesla said in a message to customers on Wednesday, adding, "As a result, we will be refunding your deposit in full.”

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The recall, affecting 270 Zoox-built vehicles, was formally filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Zoox said the issue has already been addressed through a software update that was remotely deployed to its fleet.
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Zoox, which Amazon acquired in 2020, says it issued the recall voluntarily as part of its commitment to safety. “It’s essential that we remain transparent about our processes and the collective decisions we make,” the company said in a statement.