BMW Group Launches Carsharing Service in Seattle
BMW Group’s carsharing company ReachNow will be headquartered in Seattle with plans to expand the service to 10 North American cities — three cities in 2016.
One of ReachNow's BMW i3 carsharing vehicles in Seattle. Photo courtesy of BMW Group.
One of ReachNow's BMW i3 carsharing vehicles in Seattle. Photo courtesy of BMW Group.
Following a pilot program, BMW Group has announced the launch of ReachNow, a carsharing service, in the city of Seattle.
In addition, Peter Schwarzenbauer, BMW group member of the Board, also announced the establishment of ReachNow’s North American headquarters in Seattle and its plans to expand the service to three additional cities in 2016 — with the intention of servicing 10 North American cities.
ReachNow’s initial fleet of 370 vehicles — including the BMW i3, the BMW 3 Series, and the MINI Cooper — will be located on the streets of Seattle for immediate use, according to BMW. The service will expand to include Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in the next quarter.
“We are currently witnessing an extremely exciting period in the development of the automotive industry,” said Schwarzenbauer. “Our customers rightly expect uncomplicated and fast solutions to their individual mobility needs, especially in metropolitan regions. This is why we are supplementing our classic business model with additional services that make life on the road easier for people in big cities. I am pleased that with the establishment of the ReachNow brand, we are able to offer our customers in Seattle ‘on-demand mobility’ — mobility when it’s needed, from one single source. With this service, we are building up on DriveNow, our extremely successful European business model, and bringing it up to a new level in the U.S. ...”
ReachNow selected Seattle as the pilot market for its interest in welcoming greener mobility services that make life easier for its residents, according to BMW. Additionally, Seattle was recently ranked the third most electric vehicle-friendly city in the U.S. by ChargePoint, the largest electric vehicle charging network.
“Seattle residents are demanding more transportation options, and carsharing is a convenient way to avoid the expense of owning your own vehicle,” said Seattle Mayor Ed Murray. “BMW’s carsharing service also complements our strategy to promote the use of electric vehicles across the city. As we grow our transit networks, we look forward to expanding carsharing as another great option to get around Seattle.”
Throughout 2016, ReachNow will offer enhanced mobility services, including:
- Delivery service for carsharing vehicles. Members can request a specific vehicle to be delivered to their desired time and location.
- Carsharing for longer rentals. Merging the concept of conventional car rental services with carsharing, members will be able to extend the length of time with their vehicle through the ReachNow app.
- Renting your own vehicle. ReachNow will offer a booking platform that enables car owners to rent out their personal MINI vehicles to ReachNow when they don’t need access to it — helping to offset the cost of car ownership.
- Chauffeur service. ReachNow will offer an option to book a car with a chauffeur for those not wishing to get behind the steering wheel.
The ReachNow app is available in the App Store and on Google Play.
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