Car-Sharing Firm car2go Relocates Headquarters In Austin

AUSTIN, TX — As it relates to Austin, the company car2go isn't going anywhere: Officials of North America's largest car share service on Monday announced the relocation of its headquarters to downtown Austin in a move officials said reaffirms the company's local roots.

Company officials said an eight-year lease has been signed in moving the North American headquarters into a 28,500-square-foot space at 901 E. 6th St. currently under construction in downtown Austin. The space will accommodate 140 employees at full capacity, allowing for expansion due to the predicted increase in car sharing adoption and the anticipated launch of car2go in Chicago later this year, officials said.

The new space will also be Austin’s first-ever Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) constructed building, officials added. Established in Austin in 2009, car2go North America currently has more than 1 million members and operates in nine U.S. and Canadian cities, including Austin.

While company officials termed the move a relocation, the North American headquarters have been in Austin since 2009 (with an office currently on West 6th Street). The move, however, reaffirms the commitment to an Austin headquarters, company officials said.

“Austin was the birthplace of car2go North America nearly a decade ago and we couldn’t imagine calling any other place home,” car2go N.A. CEO Paul Delong said in a prepared statement. “car2go has grown significantly over the past decade, and so has Austin. Austin is world-famous for innovation, great quality of life, and boasts a highly-skilled workforce. It’s exciting to invest in a new space in the downtown core where car2go can be an even bigger part of the community.”

The car2go firm partnered with award-winning architectural design firms Hacker Architects and Austin-based lauckgroup (now Perkins+Will) to create a collaborative space that will exemplify the company’s commitment to the future of mobility and position car2go as an important part of the fabric of the Austin community, officials said.

The new headquarters is in close proximity to several transportation hubs, enabling employees to easily commute to work via car share, light rail, bus, bike, on foot and other modes of emerging mobility, officials said. It is also close to the company’s workforce, as 30 percent live within three miles or less of the new headquarters, company officilas added.

Company officials also noted that 59 percent of its Austin workforce lives within three miles of a Capital MetroRail station, and estimates that the move to the new downtown core location will generate a 6 percent reduction in employee vehicle miles traveled (VMT) to and from work – likely much more assuming employees choose other means for commuting like biking, walking, rail, bus or scooter.

“The location of our new headquarters was chosen with employees in mind,” car2go N.A. Director of Human Resources Lauren Hakim said in a prepared statement. “East Austin’s vibrant atmosphere not only captures the car2go culture, but it also provides proximity to various dining and entertainment spots, and puts us right in the heart of our great city. We’re excited to see our team grow and thrive in our new space.”

The car-share company anticipates moving into the new headquarters by year's end, officials said. Among the various corporate departments at the new headquarters will be human resources, legal, communications, marketing, member services, finance, procurement and fleet operations, officials said.

In making the announcement, car2go officials shared data showing the growing nature of the car-sharing industry. According to an August, 2016 carsharing report1 by Frost & Sullivan, the global carsharing market is expected to grow from 7.9 million people in 2015 to more than 36 million people by 2025. Moreover, recent research conducted by U.C. Berkeley’s Transportation Sustainability Research Center also found that each car2go removed up to 11 other vehicles from the road while also having a tangibly positive impact on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, officials said.

The headquarters relocation comes on the heels of Daimler AG – car2go’s parent company – and BMW Group combining their mobility services to form a new joint-venture mobility powerhouse "...offering seamless access to on-demand mobility services including free-float carsharing, ride-hailing, parking, charging and multi-modal trip services," officials said.

Today, car2go and BMW DriveNow/ReachNow operate a total of 20,000 vehicles in 30 major international cities and have a built-in customer base of over 4 million members, according to company officials. Regulators currently are reviewing the proposed joint venture, company officials added.

About car2go N.A. LLC (provided text):

car2go N.A., LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Daimler North America Corporation, offers an innovative mobility solution in rapidly growing urban areas via a carsharing network of affordable, eco-friendly Mercedes-Benz and smart vehicles. A flexible and “on demand” mode of transportation, car2go complements existing public transportation by bridging the gaps between the "first and last mile" of a member's commute. car2go members use a free, downloadable app on their smartphone to find, reserve, take and end trips in car2go vehicles. TIME Magazine ranked the car2go app #5 on its “Top 10 Apps of 2017” list. Today, car2go’s global operation is the largest, fastest-growing carsharing program in the world with more than three million registered members and a fleet of nearly 14,000 vehicles in 24 locations in North America, Europe and Asia. Further information on car2go is available at car2go.com and car2go.com/NA/en/press/.

>>> Future headquarters space renderings by Amanda Whitlock, courtesy of car2go