Photo: BMW
If you’re one of those people with a crush for city mobility, you may have heard the BMW Group set up a Center of Urban Mobility Competence in early 2015. The experts brought together here are working with cities and the relevant stakeholders to develop sustainable concepts for future mobility in urban areas. The Germans have formally announced today the start of operations at the Center.
As the President of the US Barack Obama just announced the government’s plans to reduce drastically CO2 emissions from the nation’s coal-burning power plants, carmakers in Europe makes sure they keep their flag up too. After all, we need the entire planet to work together with this one, considering we only have one home to share. Nevertheless, BMW’s thing is not just about a clean climate.
They aim at both switching the auto fleet in busy cities to electric and to create an integrated transportation system. At the same time, 100 all-electric BMW i3 cars are now available for DriveNow car-sharing customers in Berlin, Hamburg, and Munich. In London, the BMW i3 was already added to the car sharing fleet in May, and the automaker claims other cities in Germany and Europe will soon follow suit.
Sharing an i3 may seem like a lot of fun to most of us who have grown quite fond of the i sub-brand and their products. The German auto group is not quite concerned of petrolhead delight, though, rather about how to make life better in the crowded cities of the 21st century.
“Vehicles involved in electric car sharing schemes boost the use of charging points in the towns – and on a more predictable basis. This rapidly makes electric mobility visible and more readily available to local people, turning it from a niche activity into an everyday reality. It breaks down barriers and eases the pathway into electric mobility.” That’s just one of BMW’s plans to make the city of tomorrow friendlier for its inhabitants.
That’s what this research center is all about, with further services such as DriveNow, ParkNow and ChargeNow soon to be developed. Then, there also is the intermodal guidance the BMW i3 comes with.
Long story short, it means the car’s system guides you toward an integrated system that involves both car sharing, driving your personal car, smartly parking and using public transportation.
It may seem like a lot of small talk, but this may be how cities in the future will look like, at least some of them.
They aim at both switching the auto fleet in busy cities to electric and to create an integrated transportation system. At the same time, 100 all-electric BMW i3 cars are now available for DriveNow car-sharing customers in Berlin, Hamburg, and Munich. In London, the BMW i3 was already added to the car sharing fleet in May, and the automaker claims other cities in Germany and Europe will soon follow suit.
Sharing an i3 may seem like a lot of fun to most of us who have grown quite fond of the i sub-brand and their products. The German auto group is not quite concerned of petrolhead delight, though, rather about how to make life better in the crowded cities of the 21st century.
“Vehicles involved in electric car sharing schemes boost the use of charging points in the towns – and on a more predictable basis. This rapidly makes electric mobility visible and more readily available to local people, turning it from a niche activity into an everyday reality. It breaks down barriers and eases the pathway into electric mobility.” That’s just one of BMW’s plans to make the city of tomorrow friendlier for its inhabitants.
Sharing is one way
There’s a generous press release you can consult bellow, but we’d only want to add a couple of more details concerning the long-term plan the company has in mind. You see, the company’s strategic roadmap ran up mobility and broadened its corporate strategy accordingly. The BMW Group aims to be leading supplier of premium products and premium services for personal mobility worldwide.That’s what this research center is all about, with further services such as DriveNow, ParkNow and ChargeNow soon to be developed. Then, there also is the intermodal guidance the BMW i3 comes with.
Long story short, it means the car’s system guides you toward an integrated system that involves both car sharing, driving your personal car, smartly parking and using public transportation.
It may seem like a lot of small talk, but this may be how cities in the future will look like, at least some of them.
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