Photo: BMW
BMW and Sixt SE launched the DriveNow initiative in London yesterday, adding yet another name to the list of cities that offer the service, raising the total to 7 and over 360,000 users. At first, only conventional cars will be available but soon, a batch of i3s will be added to the fleet as well.
Speaking of which, we should point out that for London BMW decided to use 210 BMW 1 Series and MINI Countryman models but that number will go up to 240 units once the EVs are added to the mix. The total number over the course of 2015 should reach up to 300 as more conventional cars will also be used.
For starters, the area covered by the service spreads across 65 square kilometers (25 square miles) and includes the boroughs of Islington, Haringey and Hackney. Of course, the company wants to expand even further in the near future.
“DriveNow is already an international success, with more than 360,000 regular customers in Europe and America and we are delighted now to launch it in London, Europe’s largest city. DriveNow gives Londoners instant access to highly desirable cars, perfect for the city, in an innovative and entirely flexible way,” said Peter Schwarzenbauer, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG and responsible for Mobility Services.
“This program is part of BMW Group’s strategic response to the growth in urban living and shared ownership. Our aim is to expand it into about 15 more cities in Europe and about 10 in North America in the future,” he added.
For example, the hour-long trip is capped at £20 while getting a 3-hour package costs £35, including 30 free miles. A full day (24 hours) costs £120 which adds up to around 8.3 pence per minute and you also get 125 miles for free.
You’ll also have to pay the one-time registration fee that costs £29 in London but at least you get all costs such as fuel, taxes, insurance and parking paid for already.
At the moment, the cities covered by DriveNow include Munich, Berlin, Dusseldorf, Cologne, Hamburg, Vienna (Austria) and San Francisco (USA) but plans are to expand even further to other major urban areas around the world.
For starters, the area covered by the service spreads across 65 square kilometers (25 square miles) and includes the boroughs of Islington, Haringey and Hackney. Of course, the company wants to expand even further in the near future.
“DriveNow is already an international success, with more than 360,000 regular customers in Europe and America and we are delighted now to launch it in London, Europe’s largest city. DriveNow gives Londoners instant access to highly desirable cars, perfect for the city, in an innovative and entirely flexible way,” said Peter Schwarzenbauer, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG and responsible for Mobility Services.
“This program is part of BMW Group’s strategic response to the growth in urban living and shared ownership. Our aim is to expand it into about 15 more cities in Europe and about 10 in North America in the future,” he added.
Prices start at £20 an hour
Unlike other car rental services, with DriveNow you’re being charged by the exact minute of your trip, each one costing 39 pence. However, getting bigger packages can get the prices even lower.For example, the hour-long trip is capped at £20 while getting a 3-hour package costs £35, including 30 free miles. A full day (24 hours) costs £120 which adds up to around 8.3 pence per minute and you also get 125 miles for free.
You’ll also have to pay the one-time registration fee that costs £29 in London but at least you get all costs such as fuel, taxes, insurance and parking paid for already.
At the moment, the cities covered by DriveNow include Munich, Berlin, Dusseldorf, Cologne, Hamburg, Vienna (Austria) and San Francisco (USA) but plans are to expand even further to other major urban areas around the world.
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