Mix in Motion

Tomorrow’s world of motion will operate at a different pace. Vehicles will change their significance as a status symbol when the wish for more flexibility and convenience becomes paramount.

Source: IDC 2007

The IDC market research firm estimates that one billion workers around the globe already no longer have one set workplace, and that all of these mobile employees have different requirements. Some spend more than 20 percent of their time out of the office, others are on the road all the time, and still others – knowledge workers – regularly operate out of home offices.

CAR SHARING
Ulm, Austin, Hamburg, Amsterdam, Vancouver, and soon San Diego – these six cities have one thing in common: Residents can use a car2go car-sharing program chip card to make themselves mobile, without any prior planning, annoying paperwork, or predetermined pickup or drop-off points. Since 2009, the program offered by Daimler’s car2go subsidiary allows registered users to spontaneously pick up smart vehicles when they happen to see one, or else locate and book an available car with their smartphone. The several hundred smarts located in each city form an intelligent network that can be accessed by anyone around the clock – without any waiting times or parking space worries. A total of 10 percent of the population in the German city of Ulm are now registered car2go members.

car2go Daimler’s mobility concept distinguishes itself in four key ways:
easy registration,
location positioning and booking via smartphones or the Internet,
cashless payment,
vehicles can be dropped off anywhere.

ONLINE CAR-POOLING
Smart mobility can be even more personalized, as the car2gether program illustrates. Users simply type in a destination on a smartphone or tablet PC. The software immediately finds them either a driver or a passenger who wants to go to the same place. car2gether is now available in the German regions of Ulm and Aachen. The system offers yet another indication that the traditional roles of provider and consumer are shifting, as anyone can switch at any time from being a passenger to a micro-taxi service, and then find customers or business partners in real time.

car2gether This online car-pooling system provides
maximum flexibility for users and providers of the service.

CYCLE CHIC
Cycling is both a means of transport and a way of life in Western cities – it’s cool, healthy, sustainable, and forward-looking. Bicycles are no longer just a way to get around town. They’re also a lifestyle attribute, which is why they’ve inspired everything from fashion shows in London and Dublin to city blogs in Copenhagen and Toronto. The use of bicycles in Germany alone rose 17 percent between 2002 and 2008, and every German household now has 2.8 bikes on average. Even in the U.S. – the automobile nation par excellence – 42 of the 50 states are now building statewide routes for bicycles.

THE MOBILE SOCIETY SOLUTIONS BY DAIMLER
HARDWARE & PRODUCTS smart electric drive SOFTWARE & SERVICES MB Rent, Daimler Fleet Services, car2go, car2gether PROGRAMS & CONCEPTS CAR 2 CAR Communication Consortium, sim^TD

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Text: Steffan Heuer