Pay as you drive: Car-on-demand soon

How about walking to a parking lot, choosing a car, driving to your destination, paying for the time used via credit cards, and going about your business only to return and pick up another car of your choice to drive back? No hassles of loan payments, insurance, maintenance and services involved. It's as convenient as using a mobile phone!

Car-on-demand is a new concept launched by Car2Go, a car-sharing company and a fully owned subsidiary of carmaker Daimler, offering car rental services for as short as a few minutes or even a couple of hours. The company is looking to launch here in the UAE as soon as possible.

In fact, the new service is akin to using your mobile phones, where you pay for talk time. Here you pay for the 'drive time'.
 
Drivers only need to be registered with the company and possess a membership card to avail the service, the official told Emirates24|7.

Members can drive any car by just swiping the membership card (in the provided slot on the dashboard), use the vehicle for a few minutes or hours, pay for the time used and leave the car in another parking lot within the specified area of the company’s operation, explained the official.

At any given time a few hundred Car2Go vehicles will be available in the operational areas. Members who drive around need not specify a return time or return location. Charges will be billed on minutes, which include costs of fuel, parking, insurance and maintenance.

car2Go launched a pilot programme in Austin, Texas with 200 vehicles and the concept has been expanded to other North American cities.

Membership can be availed online. The company verifies personal details including validity of driving licence before issuing membership cards embedded with RFID chips.

The company is showcasing its eco-friendly vehicles at the on-going UITP exhibition at the Dubai World Trade Centre. "We are launching it globally here at the Dubai exhibition,” said the company official and added that the services will be brought to the region, but they are looking at Germany and North America first.

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