July 17: Smart car2go

What could be more "Toronto" than a picture of a car2go in front of the Princes' Gate? Well, I can think of 217 things that would be and this pic would not be one of them. What is a car2go anyway?

My wife and I live in midtown Toronto, near the Mercedes-Benz head office and our neighbourhood walks often take us past their storage yard (great place to see new arrivals - my first SLS coupe and convertible for example). About a month ago I noticed a couple of dozen blue/white smart cars with car2go logos on their hoods parked in the lot. Shortly after that I noticed that there were over 50 and they were overflowing into an adjacent lot. What gives?

A little research goes a long way.........turns out that car2go is a Mercedes car rental concept with a twist, that was started in Germany in 2008 and has spread to some cities in France, Austria and Holland with England starting this Fall. In North America it is in Austin, Texas, San Diego, Portland, Oregon, Vancouver, Washington, DC and now Toronto. The twist? You rent these cars by the minute and you can pick them up or drop them off at one of many designated places around the city.

I've never been a smart car fan, as I figured there were about a half dozen small cars that were just as economical and made much more sense. Jonathan Wong wrote in AutoWeek that the smart car was "just about the most painful automotive experience that I've ever come across." But this might be where they shine.

The twist is that you rent them by the minute. Walk up to one, flash your membership card and drive off. Of course, there are other details, but you can look those up for yourself (http://www.car2go.com/).

Usually a 3 cylinder diesel, the smarts used in San Diego are electric with a range of about 135 km. That would be interesting. You get in a car with 8 kms left on the charge before you are left high and dry.

Not a bad idea and not just a bunch of bull...........

Watch where you step big boy, that's a car down there!

Until next time...........