Green News: Daimler's car2go Receives Clean Air Excellence Award

EPA delegate Thomas Diggs visited car2go in its headquarters in Austin, Texas and conveyed the EPA’s congratulations. car2go will receive the environmental honor officially at the EPA’s Tenth Annual Clean Air Excellence Awards in Washington, D.C. where the EPA annually recognizes outstanding efforts in the progress of achieving cleaner air.

“Innovation and commitment are the keys to environmental progress, and our Clean Air Excellence Award winners are tremendous examples,” said Gina McCarthy, EPA Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation. “As we look to the future, these winners will help lead the way toward cleaner air and a healthier environment.”

“We at car2go are honored to be recognized by the EPA with this great award,” said Nicholas Cole, President and CEO of car2go N.A., LLC. "car2go provides a transportation solution that is not only affordable and reliable, but makes significant progress toward addressing the challenges of urban growth and mobility by providing an environmentally friendly alternative to private vehicle ownership. It complements public transportation by closing the gaps commonly associated with public transit commuting. We look forward to continuing to work toward improving the quality of life in Austin and other rapidly growing cities with our solution to urban mobility.”

The Clean Air Excellence Awards program was established in 2000 at the recommendation of the Clean Air Act Advisory Committee (CAAAC), a senior-level policy committee that advises the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on implementation of the Clean Air Act. The awards program recognizes outstanding individuals and organizations that have undertaken the risks of innovation, served as pioneers in their fields, and improved the environment in the process.

Following the news of the award, car2go would be made available to US market in the City of Austin beginning 21st May.

The public unveiling of car2go follows a very successful pilot program with the City of Austin starting in November 2009. Since the start of the partnership, over 1,200 city employees have registered. In the first six months of the pilot program, a total of more than 3,000 pilot members joined car2go. There were more than 20,500 total rentals, with a current average of 2,000 fully automated rental transactions each week. The pilot program has also given car2go the chance to identify and resolve technical challenges to ensure that the program will run smoothly and efficiently for the Austin public.
car2go’s forward-thinking mobility program has already caught national and global attention for its commitment to reducing congestion and the associated carbon footprint in Austin by offering a green alternative to the city’s transportation challenges.

The company plans on expanding the program to other cities in North America and Europe following the launch at Austin.

Credits: wilswong