DriveNow

Not to be confused with ReachNow, another BMW carsharing service.
DriveNow
Private (GmbH & Co. KG)
Industry Car rental
Founded 2011 (2011)
Headquarters Munich, Germany
Number of locations
 See Cities
Services Carsharing
Parent BMW, Sixt
Website Drive-Now.com

DriveNow is a joint venture between BMW and Sixt that provides carsharing services in several European cities. DriveNow service began in Munich Germany in June 2011.[1] As of September 2015, DriveNow operates over 4,000 vehicles in five countries worldwide and with over 500,000 customers.[2]

The service previously operated in San Francisco, but was since closed. A similar BMW service, ReachNow which is focused on North American cities, was established in April 2016 in Seattle, Washington.

Cities

The following table details all cities where DriveNow operates:

City Country Vehicles Type Start date Ref.
Munich Germany 680 Gasoline, Diesel, Electric June 2011 [3]
Berlin Germany 1070 Gasoline, Diesel, Electric September 2011 [4]
Hamburg Germany 560 Gasoline, Diesel, Electric October 2013 [5]
Düsseldorf Germany 200 Gasoline, Diesel, Electric January 2012 [6]
Cologne Germany 400 Gasoline, Diesel, Electric September 2012 [7]
Vienna Austria 430 Gasoline, Diesel, Electric October 2014 [8]
London United Kingdom 270 Gasoline, Diesel, Electric December 2014 [9]
Copenhagen Denmark 400 Electric September 2015 [10]
Stockholm Sweden 300 Gasoline, Diesel, Electric October 2015 [11]
Brussels Belgium 300 Gasoline & Diesel July 2016 [12]

Business model

Several BMW ActiveE in service for DriveNow charging at Googleplex in Mountain View, California.

The DriveNow business model is similar in all markets although rates vary between the countries. Car rentals are charged by a per minute rate with one-off fees for pick-up or drop-off at airports. Discounted rates for parked car, multi-hour usage and daily usage are also available.[13] The company charges a one-time registration fee, but there is no monthly charge. The rates are all-inclusive and cover rental, gas, charging, insurance, parking (in authorized areas) and maintenance. In most markets, DriveNow vehicles can park in either specially designated parking spots, or in standard parking areas, with a special permit from the local municipality.[14]

Vehicles

DriveNow operates a variety of gasoline-powered BMW 1 Series, BMW X1 and Mini vehicles as well the electric-powered BMW i3 and BMW ActiveE.[15] In the San Francisco Bay Area, DriveNow deployed a fleet of 70 BMW ActiveE electric cars in June 2012.[16]

Apps

First-party apps for mobile devices allow users to locate and reserve vehicles. When reserving a car online, the customers are able to see the car's fuel gauge (gasoline-powered cars) or the battery's state of charge (electric-powered cars), so if the customer wants to go for an extended drive, they can find the right car for that trip.

References

  1. ↑ "DriveNow: BMW and Sixt Joint Venture for premium car sharing". BMW BLOG.
  2. ↑ "DriveNow Blog". DriveNow Blog.
  3. ↑ "DriveNow Munich". DriveNow Website. Retrieved 6 January 2016.
  4. ↑ "DriveNow Berlin". DriveNow Website. Retrieved 6 January 2016.
  5. ↑ "DriveNow Hamburg". DriveNow Website. Retrieved 6 January 2016.
  6. ↑ "DriveNow Dusseldorf". DriveNow Website. Retrieved 6 January 2016.
  7. ↑ "DriveNow Cologne". DriveNow Website. Retrieved 6 January 2016.
  8. ↑ "DriveNow Launches in Vienna, Austria with Discount". Sixt Car Hire Blog.
  9. ↑ "BMW and Sixt join forces with DriveNow scheme to make city driving cheaper". Auto Express.
  10. ↑ "DriveNow Copenhagen". DriveNow Website. Retrieved 6 January 2016.
  11. ↑ "DriveNow Stockholm". DriveNow Website. Retrieved 6 January 2016.
  12. ↑ "DriveNow Brussels". Retrieved 6 July 2016.
  13. ↑ "DriveNow UK Rates". DriveNow Website. Retrieved 6 January 2016.
  14. ↑ "DriveNow UK How it works". DriveNow Website. Retrieved 6 January 2016.
  15. ↑ DriveNow. "DriveNow Vehicles". DriveNow. Retrieved 2013-09-06.
  16. ↑ Jon Fingas (2013-08-22). "BMW DriveNow EV car sharing comes to San Francisco Bay Area, ParkNow follows suit". Engadged.com. Retrieved 2013-09-06.

External links


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