Munich/San Francisco. The BMW Group has now extended its
premium car sharing program DriveNow to the US.
DriveNow starts out in San Francisco with 70 electric
vehicles. The
innovative mobile parking solution, ParkNow, will debut in
the Californian city in September.
Ian Robertson, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG,
responsible for BMW Sales and Marketing: "The BMW Group not
only manufactures premium automobiles, but also develops a
range of services to meet the growing need for flexible
mobility solutions in urban areas. The launch of DriveNow
and ParkNow in San Francisco and other cities is part of
our commitment to the development of new mobility
offerings, which will reduce the level of pollutant
emissions and traffic congestion and improve quality of
life for residents."
Seventy fully-electric, zero-emission BMW ActiveE cars will
be located at nine DriveNow stations across the entire city
for the launch of DriveNow in San Francisco. Customers
register online or in person and can then
use the DriveNow website or a mobile app to
locate and reserve an available vehicle.
The vehicle can be returned to the pick-up location
or any other DriveNow station - so one-way
trips are also possible, when needed. Through a partnership
with the Californian company Coulomb Technologies and use
of its ChargePoint network, drivers can easily locate the
nearest charging point, in case they need to charge the
vehicle during their unlimited rental. Parking and charging
at DriveNow stations are free. Coulomb Technologies is the
supplier behind the online network, ChargePoint. This, the
world's largest charging network, consists of
independently-owned electric-vehicle charging stations.
The DriveNow premium car sharing programme is a modern
mobility concept that
combines
top-quality vehicles and service with simple, flexible
usage. DriveNow is the first car sharing concept to focus
consistently on highly-efficient premium vehicles and
comprehensive
service. DriveNow was launched in Germany in June 2011 as a
car sharing joint venture between the BMW Group and the car
rental company Sixt AG. DriveNow now has
around 45,000 members and is available in Munich, Berlin
and Düsseldorf and, from the autumn, also in Cologne. In
the US, DriveNow is a wholly-owned subsidiary of
the BMW Group.
The electronic mobile parking service ParkNow allows users
to reserve a parking space in advance, at a guaranteed,
clearly-defined rate in accordance with the driver's
personal preferences. Customers can either use
the ParkNow iPhone app to find a parking space,
or reserve one, pay for it and get
directions directly to it through the ParkNow website.
This reduces both the time involved in
finding a parking space and the environmental
impact from pollutant emissions. 14
ParkNow stations are currently set up in and around San
Francisco. ParkNow is a joint venture between BMW i
Ventures and Urban Mobility.
The BMW Group offers DriveNow and ParkNow under its BMW i
sub-brand. BMW i also delivers innovative mobility services
that reinforce the BMW parent brand's position as a
sustainable, future-oriented brand. The BMW i brand
comprises, in particular, the two
revolutionary new vehicles, the BMW i3
and BMW i8, which will come onto the market in 2013 and
2014 respectively. These two models will be the first
series-produced vehicles specially built with electric
engine and electric hybrid drive train.
The venture capital company BMW i Ventures was founded in
2011 under the BMW i sub-brand, to
provide financial support for companies developing mobility
solutions for problems in densely-populated cities
worldwide. The company aims to enhance individual mobility
and is specialised in the areas of mobile connectivity and
location-based services. BMW i Ventures is primarily
focused on providing top-class mobility services. This also
involves solutions that are not designed
exclusively for the automobile.
The BMW Group
The BMW Group is one of the most successful manufacturers
of automobiles and motorcycles in the world with its BMW,
MINI, Husqvarna Motorcycles and Rolls-Royce brands. As a
global company, the BMW Group operates 29 production and
assembly facilities in 14 countries and has a global sales
network in more than 140 countries.
In 2011, the BMW Group sold about1.67 million cars and more
than 113,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax
for the financial year 2011 was euro 7.38 billion on
revenues amounting to euro 68.82 billion. At 31 December
2011, the BMW Group had a workforce of approximately
100,000 employees.
The success of the BMW Group has always been built on
long-term thinking and responsible action. The company has
therefore established ecological and social sustainability
throughout the value chain, comprehensive product
responsibility and a clear commitment to conserving
resources as an integral part of its strategy. As a result
of its efforts, the BMW Group has been ranked industry
leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes for the last
seven years.
www.bmwgroup.com
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Twitter: http://twitter.com/BMWGroup
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/BMWGroupview
If you have any questions, please contact:
Corporate Communications
Micaela Sandstede, Wirtschafts- und Finanzkommunikation,
micaela.sandstede@bmw.de
Telefon: +49 89 382-61611, Fax: +49 89 382-24418
Technology Communications
Cypselus von Frankenberg, head of Technology
Communications, Cypselus.von-Frankenberg@bmw.de
Telephone: +49 89 382-30641, Fax: +49 89 382-28567
Email: presse@bmw.de
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