Daimler Sets Up Mobility Services Unit

Daimler Financial Services AG has created a Stuttgart-based unit to handle car sharing and other non-traditional mobility services.

The new Daimler Mobility Services GmbH will oversee the "car2go" car-sharing service launched by Daimler Financial in Europe two years ago. Since then the business has signed 275,000 customers and expects to boost that number to 500,000 this year.

Car2go currently operates a fleet of 6,100 vehicles in 18 cities most of them in Europe and expects to reach 10,000 units by year-end.

Daimler Mobility also will take over responsibility of moovel, a smartphone app that enables users to compare cost and trip duration to decide the efficiency of such mobility options as car sharing, ride sharing, taxis and public transportation. Eventually the app also will allow users to select a travel option, make reservations and process payments.

Pilot tests of moovel began last year in Berlin and Stuttgart. Daimler Mobility intends to expand that offering into more cities this year.

The company also is evaluating other techniques to make mobility easier and more flexible. For example, Daimler holds a minority interest in San Francisco-based GottaPark Inc., which helps customers reserve parking spaces online. The service is available in nine U.S. and Canadian cities and will begin a pilot test in Europe later this year.

Daimler also owns stakes in companies that have developed smartphone apps that customers can use to arrange a taxi, car pool or urban courier.