Car2Go service supplements fleet of Smart cars with roomy sedans, crossovers

By Lulu Chang January 30, 2017

2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class All-Terrain — Ronan Glon/Digital Trends

Operating under the assumption that bigger really is better, Car2Go is trading in its signature smart cars for something a little more … robust. On Monday, the Daimler-owned car sharing service announced that it will be expanding its offerings to include the Mercedes GLA crossover and the CLA sedan. This comes as a sharp deviation from the company’s previous offerings, which were mainly focused on the two-seat Smart car.

In fact, by the end of the year, Car2Go hopes to have more four-seater cars than Smart cars in its fleet. Six North American cities will be the first to see the luxury sedans in the lineup — Austin, Portland, Seattle, Toronto, Vancouver, and Washington, D.C. This move, the transportation company hopes, will actually make it a bit more useful to customers who aren’t minuscule, or actually have things to transport in their cars.

Recommended Videos

“Car2Go is already the most popular car sharing service in the world,” said Dieter Zetsche, CEO of Daimler AG and head of Mercedes-Benz Cars. “Now it will be even more attractive to small groups of friends and families who want to conveniently travel around cities in style, safety, and comfort.”

The almost 10-year-old company was first started in 2008 as one of the first ridesharing services to come out of a major automaker. While Mercedes led the charge, other luxury brands have followed suit, including BMW, who has its ReachNow service. And as the popularity of car sharing has grown, so too have the needs of customers.

“A lot of people back when we first started, they were single people, they didn’t have families, they owned a car and they decided to get rid of a car because of car-sharing services like Car2Go,” company president Paul DeLong said. “As their life has gotten bigger and people have entered into their life, having a bigger vehicle matters.”

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…

Cars

Lucid Gravity: range, charging, price, release date, and more

A Lucid Gravity electric SUV on the road.

There's finally another option in the world of electric SUVs. The Lucid Air has long been known as the electric car with the longest range, but Lucid is finally branching out with a bigger option -- the Lucid Gravity. It offers a similar design sensibility as the Air, with more room on the inside and pretty great performance.

The Lucid Gravity could well be the go-to electric SUV, at least when it comes to luxury options. Curious to learn more? Here's everything you need to know.
Lucid Gravity design
If you've seen the Lucid Air, you have an idea about the overall design of the Lucid Gravity. The car is sleek and stylish, and while it's not quite as unique-looking as the Air, it's clearly a premium car overall.

Cars

Norway has more EVs than gasoline cars on the road. Why?

Tesla Model 3 Highland Front

Norway hit a major milestone in the world of electric cars. The country is the first to have more EVs on the road than gas cars. And didn't just see more sales of EVs -- more people are driving EVs than internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles.

According to a new report from the Norwegian road federation, as reported first by AFP, of the 2.8 million private cars registered the country, 754,303 are all-electric vehicles, compared to 753,905 that are gas-powered cars. Of course, you might notice a discrepancy in those numbers. In the mid-2000s, Norway instituted a big push for diesel fuel complete with tax incentives, and diesel cars remain the most common vehicle type in the country, accounting for over a third of vehicle registrations. But officials in Norway think that EVs will outnumber even diesel cars by 2026 -- which isn't surprising given the fact that the report highlights that in August, EVs accounted for a whopping 94.3% of new car registrations in the country.

Cars

Rivian R1S (2nd-generation) vs. Kia EV9: Should you pay more?

Rivian R1S Gen 2.

Electric crossovers have been plentiful for a few years now, but we're finally getting a solid selection of electric SUVs too. In fact, some of these electric SUVs are now on their second generation. The Rivian R1S has long been considered among the best options for those who want a three-row electric SUV -- and this year, the company unveiled an update to the vehicle. But it goes up against tough competition, like the Kia EV9, which has been hailed as a more affordable option that still offers an excellent overall experience.

So how does the second-generation Rivian R1S stack up the Kia EV9? They're certainly priced differently, but is the R1S worth that extra cash? Here's what you need to know.
Design
The second-generation Rivian R1S and the Kia EV9 are both three-row SUVs, so of course there are similarities in their design. They're both relatively large, and both look like SUVs when it comes to their overall shape.