ReachNow isn’t an entirely new idea for BMW though, as they launched a similar program in Europe called DriveNow, and since its launch in 2011, the service has more than 450,000 users and has been able to drive a profit for the vehicle company.
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The Seattle location to launch the program wasn’t by coincidence, either, as BMW strategically pinpointed the “Emerald City” after seeing the Car2Go car-sharing program enjoy great success there for over three years and counting. BMW plans to charge 49 cents per minute while driving and 30 cents per minute while parked but their introductory rate will be 41 cents per minute, the exact rate that Car2Go now charges.
The city of Seattle has a deal with BMW that allows it to park on city streets. It’s the German luxury-car maker’s first expansion into broader mobility services with its car-sharing network of vehicles that can be booked via an app and picked up a short walk away.
The company announced the program for Seattle on Friday, revealing that it will be known as ReachNow.
Customers can unlock and start the cars using their smartphones, and the service even makes auto sharing available to groups such as companies or apartment residents, Reuters reports.
So the theme of “BMW won’t find this to be a very easy business to get into” is wrapped in the larger, friendly message of “car sharing is a good thing”.
According to GeekWire, there are now 370 ReachNow cars available across the city with “a mix of BMW 3 Series, MINI Cooper, and all-electric BMW i3 cars”. There are hourly caps of $50 for three hours, $80 for 12 hours and $110 for 24 hours.
A Department of Transportation study showed that 14 percent of car-sharing service members in the city have given up their own vehicles, indicating that up to 9,100 fewer cars are on the road.
All prices are inclusive of insurance, fuel, and parking at public meters on the street within the designated areas (Home Area) plus taxes and fees.
There are also a host of other related services planned for Seattle this year, including a chauffeur service that will be a direct competitor to Uber and Lyft.
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Both Ford and General Motors have recently launched car-sharing services as consumers move away from vehicle ownership.
