The next chapter in carsharing in North America is going to be written in Texas. Daimler AG announced that the next city they would test market their innovative Car2Go service would be Austin, Texas. Hardly your prime carsharing territory (although Austin Carshare has been making a go of it).

But then then this is hardly your typical carsharing concept. We're talking on-demand, open-ended, carsharing, allowing one way trips (between stations) using Smart cars (only) presumably at a per minute charge similar to Ulm pilot - 0.19 per minute, 9.90€ per hour and 49€ per day - $26¢ per minute, $13.50 per hour and $66 per day - if prices were translated directly to Austin (which is unknown at this time).

And, of course, it's the first major carsharing operation directly funded by an auto manufacturer, in this case Germany's Daimler AG, which is looking for new business opportunities in the face of radically different environmental and economic future.

team red delivered customer and target group studies to the first pilot scheme in Ulm as well as the Austin scheme.

Contact: David Brook (Portland) and Dr. Bodo Schwieger (Berlin)

Together with 16 partners from 9 countries the B.&S.U. mbH is currently implementing the project "e-TREAM - e-learning for training Energy Agencies in mobility management and alternative fuels" in the framework of the EU programme "Intelligent Energy Europe".

e-TREAM is a STEER project of the Intelligent Energy Europe Programme of the European Commission, combining the experience of Energy Agencies in nine European countries to address mobility issues such as the need to reduce energy consumption in transport, and to promote alternative fuels and more sustainable transport modes. Long-term benefits will include the increase of sustainable mobility, reductions in costs, health-threatening pollution and noise levels in urban settings and increased public awareness of the need for action.

e-TREAM will accomplish its goals through a program of education and training, more specifically through the employment of an e-learning platform. Training modules, developed in those projects will be adapted to the needs of the employees of Energy Agencies and selected other market actors expanding their expertise in mobility issues and enabling them to provide new services in their regions.

Client: EU-Kommission
Project Coordinator: Tobias Kipp
Project Flyer: Download (pdf)
Internetlink: www.e-tream.eu