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Offering DriveNow, a car sharing service featuring BMWi electric cars to promote sustainable mobility

Key facts

  • BMW¹ is an early example of a traditional company adapting to the collaborative economy with its own sharing service (even as this may cannibalize traditional auto sales).
  • DriveNow is the car sharing service of BMW i, MINI and SIXT – users can rent cars very flexibly, when and where they need them.
  • The mobility concept is based on the motto “pick up anywhere, drop off anywhere”. Billing is per-minute, fuel costs and parking charges in public car parks are included.

Uniqueness

  • Promoting sustainable mobility, DriveNow is the first car sharing service to extend access to an electric car such as the BMW i3.
  • DriveNow and its street parking component is already a success in Germany, where they have around 2,350 cars in the fleet.
  • Free charging is available at DriveNow stations.
  • Car sharing is available even when abroad at other DriveNow city locations.

Value

  • DriveNow offers consumers a series of benefits including:
  • No annual or monthly fees, no costs for charging, liability insurance included, driving electric with BMW, one-way driving and no time limits.
  • Rates: One-time $39 registration fee, $12 for first 30 minutes & $0.32 for each additional minute, max per day $60.

Approach

  • Currently operating in many German cities, Vienna, London, Copenhagen and Stockholm.
  • Free street parking at DriveNow stations is available – users can end their reservations by parking in any of the “green zones” or “business areas” showing on the DriveNow app.
  • BMW allows third-party companies to operate DriveNow in the form of a franchise and has partnered with the likes of car rental firm, Sixt, and Deutsche Bahn unit Ariva Plc to expand its fleet of electric cars on the road.

BMW is one of more than 100 case studies identified as part of the World Economic Forum’s Digital Transformation of Industries initiative. An overview of the DTI program can be found here.

  1. Sources: “How Big Data is Driving the Sharing Economy,” Dell Power More 2015; BMWi Mobility Services; www.bmw.com; us.drivenow.com; “BMW Takes Its Car-Sharing Service To The Streets Of San Francisco,” Business Insider 2014; WEF/Accenture Analysis
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