It looks like Austin, Texas is keen to stay at the forefront of the revolutionary smart fortwo electric drive car-sharing scheme as it takes the next step in the exciting car2go programme.

The forward-thinking city has already completed two years of the car2go North America Pilot Programme and has loved it so much that it's signed up to a new agreement.

And no wonder! The eco-marvellous scheme has proved a huge success with local residents, with the world's first free-floating car-sharing network seeing more than 21,000 people join up to use the specially-liveried zero emission smarts exactly as and when they please.

Austin's Mayor Lee Leffingwell said, "The city of Austin is committed to bringing the best transportation options to its residents, and our new car-sharing programme will be a tremendous addition to our transportation system in Austin. The residents and businesses now have more transportation options, with the overall goal of reducing downtown congestion and improving the overall quality of life in Austin."

This next chapter in Austin's car2go story will include some of the very latest smart fortwo electric drive car2go special edition vehicles, with an updated version of the easy-to-use telematic touch screen installed inside and a clever zoom-in / zoom-out function on the GPS that makes it even easier to get around. The dedicated car2go parking spaces are even indicated on screen!

Nicholas Cole, president and CEO of car2go North America, added, "We look forward to continuing to work closely with the City of Austin and the Car-Share Austin programme. As the first North American car2go city, Austin will continue to be the home of our corporate headquarters and a showcase for building on the success of the car2go car-sharing model, which has redefined traditional car-sharing with a truly flexible point-to-point transportation solution."

Click here to read more about car2go in other cities.

For more information about the smart fortwo visit thesmart.co.uk.