MONTREAL, Oct. 10, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- car2go autopartage, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Daimler North America, will launch its unique point-to-point carsharing model in Montreal this fall. Eco-friendly and flexible, car2go provides a low cost public transportation alternative in the French Canadian city.

On November 2, 2013, car2go will officially commence its operations in Montreal and begin deploying an initial network of 250 car2go edition smart fortwo vehicles, which will be available for shared use in the metropolitan Montreal area, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Registration for membership opens today at Montreal.car2go.com. car2go is a convenient, easy and fun way to get around and explore the city from a new perspective.

"Montreal has always been a pioneer and a leader in sustainable development, and is therefore an ideal choice and location for car2go," said Nicholas Cole, president and CEO of car2go Canada. "Already established in 24 cities around the world, the company's experience shows that members appreciate and support the option to optimize the use of all public transportation alternatives."

"We want to thank the borough Mayors Mr. Lionel Perez, Mr. Luc Ferrandez and Mr. François Croteau for their leadership and vision. Their determination to bring a one-way carsharing network to Montreal will allow the residents to embrace the car2go experience as of November 2," stated Jeremi Lavoie, Location Manager of car2go Montreal. "car2go will be a part of the existing alternative transit solutions and will work in close collaboration with several municipal administrations."

For 38 cents per minute, car2go's green initiative embraces the spontaneous and urban lifestyle of Montreal. Member registration for the Montreal region opens today at Montreal.car2go.com, offering free membership and 30 free driving minutes via the promotional code PATINS for a limited time only.

About the service

car2go is one of the fastest growing carsharing programs with over 500,000 registered members worldwide and a global market leader for point-to-point carsharing. Registered car2go members in Canada have the ability to use the program in all four Canadian car2go locations, including Montreal, Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver. Montreal will be the 13th car2go city in North America and the 25th car2go city worldwide.

As the world's first free-floating carsharing service, car2go provides a new way of carsharing and sets itself apart in three areas:

FREE FLOATING: Members can pick up and drop off any car2go anywhere within the car2go Home Area (Plateau- Mont-Royal / Rosemont-La Petite-Patrie / Cote-des-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grace and reserved parking spaces in Ville-Marie ) — they do not need to drive the car back to its original location nor commit to a predetermined amount of time. They can simply drive the car for as long as they need it, park the car at their destination, and end the trip by swiping the card on the windshield reader. The car then becomes available for the next member to use.

/ / Cote-des-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grace and reserved parking spaces in ) — they do not need to drive the car back to its original location nor commit to a predetermined amount of time. They can simply drive the car for as long as they need it, park the car at their destination, and end the trip by swiping the card on the windshield reader. The car then becomes available for the next member to use. PAY BY THE MINUTE: Members pay 38 cents per minute for the actual time they use the car, with discounted rates for hourly and daily use. There is no minimum amount of time that a car can be used — whether they need a car for ten minutes or an entire day, members simply get in and drive, for as long as they want, without a mandatory return time or location. Parking fees, fuel, maintenance and insurance are included at no additional cost, and there are no annual or monthly fees.

per minute for the actual time they use the car, with discounted rates for hourly and daily use. There is no minimum amount of time that a car can be used — whether they need a car for ten minutes or an entire day, members simply get in and drive, for as long as they want, without a mandatory return time or location. Parking fees, fuel, maintenance and insurance are included at no additional cost, and there are no annual or monthly fees. ON DEMAND: Members can use the first available car2go they find parked on the street, or by using technology via the smartphone app or the car2go vehicle finder at car2go.com. Members can also reserve a vehicle up to 30 minutes in advance, although reservations are not required. Members have unrestricted and unlimited access to car2go vehicles 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

For more information or to register to become a member of car2go, please visit Montreal.car2go.com, follow @car2goMontreal on Twitter or become a fan of car2go on Facebook.

About car2go

A wholly owned subsidiary of Daimler and a brand of Daimler Mobility Services, car2go offers an innovative mobility solution redefining individual transportation in rapidly growing urban areas by offering a network of several hundred environment-friendly smart fortwo vehicles for rent. It provides an innovative mode of "on-demand" transportation, which complements existing public transportation alternatives by bridging the gaps commonly associated with the "first and last mile" of a public transit commute.

The innovation and environmental sustainability of car2go have earned international acclaim, including "Best Carshare" from the Vancouver Courier, recognition from the Austin Chamber of Commerce with the "Greater Austin Business Award" for its positive impact on the city's traffic, and the prestigious "2010 EPA Clean Air Excellence Award" from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Further information on car2go is available at car2go.com and media.daimler.com/ms/car2go/e.

About Daimler Mobility Services GmbH

Daimler Mobility Services GmbH, a wholly owned subsidiary of Daimler Financial Services AG, offers its customers innovative mobility services from a single source. With the car2go brand, the company is the world's leading provider of flexible carsharing programs. With the moovel brand, Daimler Mobility Services GmbH offers an intuitive smartphone app that enables customers to compare various mobility options on the basis of several parameters, and then choose the best options for traveling from Point A to Point B. The company's other activities include the development of innovative solutions for searching for and reserving parking spaces in cities.

About Daimler

Daimler AG is one of the world's most successful automotive companies. With its divisions Mercedes-Benz Cars, Daimler Trucks, Mercedes-Benz Vans, Daimler Buses and Daimler Financial Services, the Daimler Group is one of the biggest producers of premium cars and the world's biggest manufacturer of commercial vehicles with a global reach. Daimler Financial Services provides financing, leasing, fleet management, insurance and innovative mobility services.

The company's founders, Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz, made history with the invention of the automobile in the year 1886. As a pioneer of automotive engineering, Daimler continues to shape the future of mobility today: The Group's focus is on innovative and green technologies as well as on safe and superior automobiles that appeal to and fascinate its customers. For many years now, Daimler has been investing continually in the development of alternative drive systems with the goal of making emission-free driving possible in the long term. So in addition to vehicles with hybrid drive, Daimler now has the broadest range of locally emission-free electric vehicles powered by batteries and fuel cells. This is just one example of how Daimler willingly accepts the challenge of meeting its responsibility towards society and the environment.

Daimler sells its vehicles and services in nearly all the countries of the world and has production facilities on five continents. Its current brand portfolio includes, in addition to the world's most valuable premium automotive brand, Mercedes-Benz, the brands smart, Freightliner, Western Star, BharatBenz, Fuso, Setra and Thomas Built Buses. The company is listed on the stock exchanges of Frankfurt and Stuttgart (stock exchange symbol DAI). In 2012, the Group sold 2.2 million vehicles and employed a workforce of 275,000 people; revenue totaled €114.3 billion and EBIT amounted to €8.6 billion.

Video with caption: "Real car2go members share how they use car2go's unique point-to-point mobility service to enhance their daily lives." Video available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3RxQOISQfY

Image with caption: "car2go autopartage Introduces a New Way of Carsharing in Montreal." Image available at: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20131010/NY95346-a

Image with caption: "5 simple steps for using car2go." Image available at: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20131010/NY95346-INFO-b

SOURCE car2go Canada, Ltd.