(May 18, 2015) LONDON — The car sharing service DriveNow is extending its vehicle fleet with the addition of the BMW i3. Starting today, DriveNow customers in London are able for the first time to use the all-electric premium model by BMW i. This will be followed by the global roll-out of the BMW i3 in DriveNow vehicle pools this summer at several German locations and somewhat later in other European cities.

With the addition of the BMW i3 to the DriveNow fleet, BMW i is now implementing a strategic initiative for the promotion of electric mobility, the preparation of which has been in process with the deployment of the BMW ActiveE electric vehicle.

“eCarsharing reduces traffic congestion and emissions in cities,” explains Peter Schwarzenbauer, executive board member of the BMW AG, on the occasion of the premiere in London. “I am pleased that with the BMW i3, we are now able to offer our DriveNow customers unique driving pleasure combined with easy access to electric mobility.”

Based on user surveys and traffic analyses it is now already possible to perceive the positive effect of flexible, station-independent car sharing services on mobility behavior in congested areas. Therefore, services such as DriveNow are seen to a large extent as an ideal supplement to local public transport, which together make an attractive alternative to owning a car.

At the same time, the possibility of renting a vehicle spontaneously and fuss-free and being able to return it anywhere within the urban area offers a great potential in acquiring additional target groups for car sharing.

The rapidly growing acceptance of car sharing is decisive in alleviating traffic congestion. According to the Federal Car sharing Association, more than a million citizens in Germany already belong to the movement. According to company surveys, 38 percent of DriveNow customers have sold a personal vehicle as a result of using the car sharing system. In many cases, this applied to older and less efficient vehicles. Customers state that the most important reason for this is that thanks to free floating car sharing, they are able to use a car spontaneously if needed and also feel they are being adequately provided for by local public transport services. 

The prerequisite for the success of eCarsharing programs is the cooperation between providers and local authorities. The most crucial issue in this respect is the availability of public charging stations as well as privileged parking spaces for electric vehicles and car sharing fleets. This is of vital importance for flexible car sharing in particular. DriveNow maintains a permanent dialogue with municipal governments. User data on the electric BMW ActiveE, which has been deployed in Munich and Berlin since 2013, provide important information for the development of a requirement-oriented charging infrastructure.

With the introduction of the BMW i3 in London, DriveNow users will initially have access to approximately a dozen charging stations within the entire operative area. In Berlin, DriveNow customers now already have more than 150 charging stations at their disposal for the BMW ActiveE.

By the middle of 2016, a further 420 charging points will have been added, 20 of which are designed for DC quick-charging. A further 700 charging stations can be installed in succession if required. Currently, the Munich city council is adopting an initial decision in favor of supporting electric mobility, which also comprises the development of a public charging infrastructure. Moreover, the electrification of several streets in the city centre with the Light and Charge streetlamp produced by BMW i is planned for 2015.

In order to secure the success of electric mobility, BMW is pushing ahead, together with partners from politics, the energy sector and the automotive industry, with charging infrastructure projects throughout Europe and the U.S. These include a joint initiative with Volkswagen and ChargePoint for around

About DriveNow

DriveNow, the joint car sharing venture between the BMW Group and Sixt SE, offers high-class premium vehicles of the brands BMW and MINI for rent in major European cities according to the free floating principle. DriveNow currently has more than 450.000 members worldwide. The vehicles can be rented and returned anywhere within a predefined operative area. Registered customers reserve and book the vehicles using either the DriveNow app or the website. DriveNow currently exists in Munich, Berlin, Düsseldorf, Cologne, Hamburg, Vienna and London as well as in San Francisco. About 10 further DriveNow locations in Europe and a further 10 in North America are in preparation.