DriveNow

DriveNow
Public (subsidiary)
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 November 2014, DriveNow operates over 2,400 vehicles, which serve seven cities worldwide and over 330,000 customers.[2]

Cities

The following table details all cities where DriveNow operates as of February 2015:

City Country Vehicles Type Start date Ref.
Munich Germany 410 Gasoline, Diesel, Electric June 2011
Berlin Germany 890 Gasoline, Diesel, Electric September 2011
Hamburg Germany 450 Gasoline & Diesel October 2013
Dusseldorf Germany 250 Gasoline & Diesel January 2012
Cologne Germany 350 Gasoline & Diesel September 2012
San Francisco U.S. 70 Electric June 2012 [3]
Vienna Austria 400 Gasoline & Diesel October 2014 [4]
London United Kingdom 210 Gasoline & Diesel December 2014 [5]
Seattle U.S. 2015 [6]

Business model

Several BMW ActiveE in service for DriveNow charging at Googleplex in Mountain View, California.

DriveNow business model is similar in all markets although rates vary. The company charges a base fee for the first 30 minutes of usage, followed by a per minute rate for every minute afterwards. Discounted rates for parked car, multi-hour usage and daily usage are also available and applied automatically.[7] In addition, there is a one-time registration fee. The rates are all-inclusive and cover rental, gas, 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.[8]

Vehicles

DriveNow operates a variety of gasoline-powered BMW 1 Series, BMW X1 and Mini vehicles and the electric-powered BMW ActiveE.[9] In the San Francisco Bay Area, Drive Now deployed a fleet of 70 BMW ActiveE electric cars in June 2012.[10]

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

External links