Daimler-owned car sharing service car2go has announced 18 new electric vehicle charging points at three car parks across Amsterdam this week, installed to support its fleet of smart fortwo electric drive rental vehicles based in the city.

Installed at Q-Park garages in Mahler, Bijenkorf and De Kolk, the points are available for use by car2go’s own customers, who are given free access as part of the rental, and other electric vehicle drivers. The spaces are available to use as long as the vehicle is plugged in and charging.

More than 7,000 people have registered with car2go’s Amsterdam fleet since the launch last November, totalling 5,000 rentals a week, and the company said this figure was continuing to grow. A fleet of smart fortwo electric drive vehicles is already in service in San Diego, California, and another will launch in Berlin next year.

Robert Henrich, chief executive officer of car2go, said: ‘With our all-electric car2go fleet in Amsterdam, we have launched one of the biggest markets for electric vehicle sharing in Europe giving thousands of people the opportunity to drive electric cars. We are exited to see how easily and enthusiastically people are integrating electric mobility in their daily lives.’

The new charging points will be shown on car2go’s smartphone app, which has recently been available in Dutch. This summer, the company will add EcoScore to the app’s capabilities, which will rate drivers’ energy efficiency.