Car2go opens in Madrid

Yesterday I took part in the launch of Car2go in Madrid, providing me with an opportunity to highlight the worsening traffic and air pollution in the Spanish capital — a news item from 1973 illustrated that this is a problem dating back decades, and to point out that despite improvements in public transport, the availability of taxis, greater use of bicycles, the problem is getting worse.

Mobility and innovation in cities is a topic I have been studying for some time now: like just about every other major city on the planet, Madrid’s traffic levels are not sustainable, and technology offers part of the solution: smartphones, apps, the internet of things, connected and electric vehicles and self-driving cars mean that ridesharing, carpooling and carsharing are realistic alternatives to car owning that can make a difference; what’s more, it would be irresponsible to ignore them.

A subsidiary of Daimler AG, Car2go now operates in 32 US and European cities, and has been completely redesigned for its Madrid launch: it uses entirely electric Smart Fortwo vehicles rather than hybrids or gasoline-powered cars.

Given the absence of more than one or two recharging points in Madrid, this has involved creating its own infrastructure that includes speedy recharging at its own facilities, backed up by personnel who will pick up and replace vehicles that have run down. All the user has to do is download the app and sign up. After that, the app can be used within central Madrid to locate a vehicle, open it with a smartphone, and then drive around the city for 19 euro cents a minute.

When you’ve finished, the car can be left in any parking space, anywhere in the city. There are currently 350 vehicles available, and if the scheme works out, more are to be added.

Car2go has gone out of its way to adapt the service to Madrid: in other cities it’s up to the user to find a recharging point and top the car up; also, the company has lowered its prices. I’m particularly impressed at the use of an electricity-only car fleet. If the service takes off, the so-called Madrid-model will be applied to the rest of its markets. In short, a model of innovation that has involved creating a subsidiary that can make its own decisions, and that in the context of the Daimler AG group looks set to prove a success.

If you want to take a look at my presentation (as I usually do, almost no text and all visuals), it’s here.

(En español, aquí)