DriveNow

DriveNow

Type	Private (GmbH & Co. KG)
Industry	Car rental
Founded	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 cities in Europe and North America. DriveNow service began in Munich Germany in June 2011.^[1] As of September 2015, DriveNow operates over 4,000 vehicles in six countries worldwide and with over 500,000 customers.^[2]

A similar service, ReachNow, was established in April 2016 by BMW in Seattle, Washington.

Cities

The following table details all cities where DriveNow operates:

City	Country	Vehicles	Type	Start date	Ref.
Munich	Germany	500	Gasoline, Diesel, Electric	June 2011	[3]
Berlin	Germany	1040	Gasoline, Diesel, Electric	September 2011	[4]
Hamburg	Germany	530	Gasoline, Diesel, Electric	October 2013	[5]
Düsseldorf	Germany	250	Gasoline, Diesel, Electric	January 2012	[6]
Cologne	Germany	250	Gasoline, Diesel, Electric	September 2012	[7]
Vienna	Austria	430	Gasoline, Diesel, Electric	October 2014	[8]
London	United Kingdom	290	Gasoline, Diesel, Electric	December 2014	[9]
Copenhagen	Denmark	400	Electric	September 2015	[10]
Stockholm	Sweden	260	Gasoline & Diesel	October 2015	[11]

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.^[12] 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.^[13]

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.^[14] In the San Francisco Bay Area, DriveNow deployed a fleet of 70 BMW ActiveE electric cars in June 2012.^[15] In Seattle, BMW i3 range-extended vehicles are appearing on the streets but no official launch has yet been announced.^[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 UK Rates". DriveNow Website. Retrieved 6 January 2016.
13. "DriveNow UK How it works". DriveNow Website. Retrieved 6 January 2016.
14. DriveNow. "DriveNow Vehicles". DriveNow. Retrieved 2013-09-06.
15. 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.
16. "BMW’s i3 Carsharing Program DriveNow Arrives In Seattle". CleanTechnica. Retrieved 2016-03-23.

External links

• Official website