Car2go’s fleet of pretty little Smart Cars is arriving in Calgary this weekend

I’m so excited about car2go Calgary that my head is going to explode in my bike helmet.

This weekend, car2go Canada is releasing a fleet of 150 Smart Cars in downtown Calgary.  Car2go Smart Cars are fuel-efficient, cute, and loaded with nifty gadgets – including a dashboard app/game that teaches drivers how to conserve fuel by driving smoothly.  The launch festivities this weekend will include swag, games, free brunch vouchers for Holy Grill, and, of course, test drives.

A carshare member and enthusiast for the past five years, I love any change that makes it easier for me (and other urbanites) to live without owning a car.  If you aren’t familiar with carsharing in Calgary, check out how it works – for both Calgary’s existing carshare, CATCO, and newcomer car2go.

I took a C.I.A.-special test drive with Katie Stafford of car2go Canada this week, and drilled her with questions about how car2go will work.  While I initially wondered whether I should trade-in my beloved CATCO key for a car2go membership, I quickly concluded that the two will actually work nicely together.  For instance, CATCO has a selection of car types to use, including a minivan – not just little ones like the Smart.

Overall, here are the main reasons why I’m revved up about Calgary’s growing carshare scene:

1. So many cars!  I love CATCO, but hey, they only have 7 cars right now.  Adding 150 car2go cars to downtown Calgary can only make my life more awesome (even if CATCO is sometimes cheaper).
2. I can take one-way trips!  CATCO requires that cars be returned to where you found them – which sometimes works for me, but sometimes doesn’t.  And for the drinkers out there: note that you can take a car2go to a party, park it, and then walk or cab home.
3. Calgary’s ready!  A sustainability consultant by trade, I love that the market has signaled that Calgary is ready for more sustainable transportation options.  We’re catching up to Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, and even Ottawa.

For those of you who can’t make it to the launch festivities but are equally keen to become a member, here’s a bit of insider info from car2to to me to you: on car2go’s website, you can use the promocode ONWARD for a limited time to waive the $35 registration fee, and get 30 minutes of free driving time.

The launch event takes place this Saturday from 10 am – 4 pm at the Holy Grill (827 10th Ave SW), and Sunday from 11 am – 5 pm at the Sun and Salsa Festival in Kensington Village.  Follow @car2gocalgary on Twitter for a live feed.