VANCOUVER -

Vehicle-sharing company car2go made its Canadian debut this week in Vancouver, and company officials said that Canadian members will be able to enjoy a fleet of 225 “car2go edition” smart cars beginning in June.

Car2go Canada Ltd. is a subsidiary of Daimler North American Corp.

Here is how car2go is designed to work. Officials call the system a “free-floating” vehicle-sharing model that allows customers to either pick up vehicles on-demand throughout the city or reserve cars up to 24 hours ahead of time.

To find vehicles, members simply turn to their car2go smartphone application, or use a website or telephone number, each of which can inform them of the closest car throughout the pickup and drop-off area, which is 47 square kilometers.

Members are allowed to take the vehicle wherever they please and return it to one of the following areas of Vancouver:
—Permit-only spots downtown or residential neighborhoods, so long as they are in the specified business area.
—Any car2go parking spaces.

“In essence, every trip is a one-way rental, with no need to return to the location where the driver picked up the vehicle,” officials explained.

Drivers only have to pay for the actual use of the vehicle. The rental periods can be as brief as a per-minute basis.

“We’re very excited that car2go will be making its Canadian debut in Vancouver," said Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson. "Our goal is to become the greenest city in the world by 2020, and providing cleaner transportation options is a big part of that.

“We want to ensure that we provide a full range of sustainable transportation options for our citizens, and car2go’s unique car-sharing model is a great fit for Vancouver,” Robertson added.

Vancouver residents can have their registration fee waived by pre-registering at www.car2govancouver.com and punching in the VAN promo code from now until May 29. They can also pre-register at 45 Walter Street in downtown Vancouver.

The rollout of this service follows an assessment in Vancouver that ran from June 2010 through last month.

"Vancouver is a dynamic, progressive city committed to smart urban living and sustainable transit," said car2go Canada president and chief executive officer Nicholas Cole.

“The mayor and his staff, the city council and the participants in our trial assessment were central to our planning process,” he continued. “We would not be here without the valuable insights and guidance of these dedicated forward-thinkers. We’re confident everyone will find car2go an easy, cost-effective and environmentally responsible way to get around Vancouver.”

Additionally, car2go is also taking $2 from every annual membership fee during the next year and donating it to the Canuck Place Children’s Hospice, which offers children with life-threatening illnesses specialized pediatric palliative care and also supports their families.

“Canuck Place relies on the generosity of individuals, corporations and various organizations to raise approximately 80 percent of its operating costs,” explained Robyn Zylstra, Canuck Place’s head of community partnerships. “With the support of car2go, Canuck Place can continue to provide world class pediatric palliative care to more than 400 children and their families."

“Canuck Place Children’s Hospice is a recognized global leader in its field and a living example of how Vancouverites work together to support community needs,” Cole noted. “We applaud their accomplishments and are honored to give car2go members the opportunity to help Canuck Place Children’s Hospice.

“We look forward to being good neighbors in this community for a long time to come,” he continued.