The new smart services will be successively introduced from the summer of 2012. The first offerings of the smart mobility package include the cooperation with Europcar, the leading car rental company in Europe, and the car park operator APCOA. In addition to preferential terms, the new mobility services offer straightforward, convenient and time-saving handling.
"In future finding a parking space for your smart will not only be even easier, you will also pay less for it. And if on occasion you want or need to use a larger car, then as smart driver preferential terms apply when you hire a car. Together with our partners APCOA and Europcar we are making life, driving and parking even easier and more convenient for all smart customers", says smart boss Dr. Annette Winkler.
The cooperation between smart and APCOA offers smart drivers flexible parking. No more having to look for small change before exiting, no more worrying about losing the parking ticket and no more queuing at pay machines. As part of the new service smart drivers will receive an RFID chip (Radio Frequency Identification), which identifies their vehicle when they enter and leave the car park. This greatly facilitates car park entry: the barrier opens automatically, there is no need to take a ticket. What's more, thanks to reserved parking spaces, smart drivers can always enter the car park, even if the sign says "full". Charging is then automatic via credit card or direct debit, whichever the customer prefers. Cooperation with APCOA will initially start in selected car parks in Stuttgart, Munich, Frankfurt, Berlin, Hamburg and Düsseldorf. Further cities in Germany and Europe will follow. "APCOA offers comprehensive urban parking services at very central locations. smart stands for perfect urban mobility together with easy and stress-free parking.", says Peter Schneck, Managing Director of APCOA Autoparking GmbH. "This cooperation therefore links the two urban brands in a logical and ideal way."
"smart is a great vehicle concept, especially in urban areas. On the rare occasions when more seats or more transportation space are needed, in future we will step in with our rental fleet", says Roland Keppler, CEO of Europcar Group "The extremely wide Europcar portfolio offers smart customers the right mode of transport for almost every occasion, which means that it is the ideal complement for everyday needs." What's more, these smart customers can use the express service at Europcar branches, saving them lots of time both when picking up and returning the vehicle. This represents real added value in terms of flexibility and spontaneity. The service will initially start in Germany, Italy, Great Britain, Spain, Portugal, Belgium and France and will then be gradually extended to further markets.
The new mobility services can also be used individually and are available to all smart drivers. They can be ordered free of charge via www.smart.com:
- To use the APCOA service an RFID chip must simply be affixed to the windscreen. A smart dealer will do this in a matter of minutes. In addition to added convenience smart drivers also receive a 15 percent discount on parking charges.
- The Europcar premium card is given to customers personally the first time they rent a vehicle at a Europcar branch. Customers register in advance online giving their address and credit card details. No further forms or applications are needed. In addition to guaranteed vehicle availability and express processing preferential terms apply – for example a 20 percent discount on vehicle rental.
With these services smart is continuing its success story as a comprehensive urban mobility concept.
About APCOA
APCOA is Europe’s leading parking manager and as a service provider for properties offers a complete service package related to parking. Currently the APCOA Group manages 1.3 million parking spaces at over 6,700 locations in 13 countries. The European headquarters and German branch are based at Stuttgart Airport.
About Europcar
Europcar is the leader in car rental services in Europe. Present in 150 countries, the company provides customers with access to the world’s largest vehicle rental network through its own operations, franchisees and partnerships. Through Europcar’s portfolio of brands, the company and its franchisees generated more than €3 billion in revenue in 2010, including nearly €2 billion in consolidated revenue. With 6,600 employees committed to delivering customer satisfaction and an average fleet of close to 200,000 vehicles, Europcar is conscious of its corporate citizenship responsibilities. Winner of the first World Travel Award recognizing the World's Leading Green Transport Solutions Company, Europcar also was honored with the Award in 2010 and 2011. Europcar is owned by Eurazeo.
Credits: Daimler AG
Copyright © 2012, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.
