Car-sharing service Car2Go opened for service at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport on Monday — for an extra fee.
Five Car2Go parking spaces will be at the airport's Terminal 2, also known as the Humphrey terminal, in an 18-month test program. Each space can fit two Car2Go Smart cars.
Users can use a smartphone app or check online to see whether cars are available. Generally, Car2Go cars are used for one-way trips.
The service comes at a time when travelers — and employees — are using an increasingly diverse array of options to get to and from the airport. At a public hearing last month, cabdrivers faced off against drivers for ride-sharing services Uber and Lyft, which want to provide service at the airport. The Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) is expected to come up with a ride-sharing template in the coming months.
At MSP, drivers can drop off a Car2Go vehicle by entering the parking area near the departures drop-off zone at Humphrey and following signs to the parking spaces. From there, travelers can take the light-rail to Terminal 1, if needed.
If all five spaces are full, Car2Go officials say drivers should leave the car in a space closest to the Car2Go hub.
Car2Go will levy an extra $7.50 "convenience fee" for vehicles picked up or dropped off at the airport, in addition to the 41 cents per minute normally charged for use of the car-sharing service.
Meanwhile, the MAC is being paid $7,665 by Car2Go for each space during the 18-month car-sharing pilot program.
