DriveNow#Cities
{{Short description|One-way carsharing service in Europe}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2019}}
{{distinguish|text=ReachNow, a former BMW carsharing service}}
{{Infobox company
| name = DriveNow
| logo = DriveNow logo.svg
| type = Private (GmbH & Co. KG)
| industry = Car rental
| foundation = {{start date|df=yes|2011|06}}
| defunct = {{end date|2019}}
| fate = Merged with car2go
| successor = Share Now
| location_city = Munich
| services = Carsharing
| parent = BMW
| location_country = Germany
| homepage = {{URL|http://www.drive-now.com}}
}}
DriveNow was a one-way carsharing service wholly owned by the automotive manufacturer BMW.{{cite web|url= https://cleantechnica.com/2017/05/18/drivenow-comes-helsinki/|title=DriveNow comes to Helsinki|work=CleanTechnica |access-date=15 December 2017}}
In 2019, DriveNow and car2go, a carsharing service from Daimler AG, merged to form the global mobility provider Share Now,{{cite web|url= https://airqualitynews.com/2019/03/01/car2go-and-drivenow-join-forces-for-new-car-sharing-firm/|title=car2go and DriveNow join forces for new car-sharing firm|work=AirqualityNews.com |access-date=11 June 2019}} with a combined fleet of 20,000 vehicles in 31 cities in 14 countries and over four million members worldwide.{{cite web|url= https://brandhub.car2go.com/web/6570a0eb69e15b2f/factsheets/?mediaId=D2085A7B-CD33-444D-932A11B63D473692|title=SHARE NOW:Facts and figures|work=car2go|access-date=11 June 2019}}{{cite web|url= https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/car2go-and-drivenow-join-forces-share-now-to-become-the-biggest-free-floating-carshare-provider-worldwide-300803690.html|title=car2go and DriveNow join forces: SHARE NOW to become the biggest free-floating carshare provider worldwide|work= Cision Newswire|access-date=11 June 2019}} Share Now is one of the five mobility services which are part of the mobility joint venture of the BMW Group and the Daimler AG.{{cite web|url= https://airqualitynews.com/2019/03/01/car2go-and-drivenow-join-forces-for-new-car-sharing-firm/|title=car2go and DriveNow join forces for new car-sharing firm|work=AirqualityNews.com |access-date=11 June 2019}}
DriveNow service began in Munich, Germany in June 2011.{{cite web|url= http://fortune.com/2015/10/12/san-francisco-bmw-car-sharing/|title=What San Francisco taught BMW Group about car-sharing|work=Fortune |access-date=15 December 2017}} As of October 2017, DriveNow operated over 6,000 vehicles in nine European countries.{{cite web|url= https://airqualitynews.com/2019/03/01/car2go-and-drivenow-join-forces-for-new-car-sharing-firm/|title=car2go and DriveNow join forces for new car-sharing firm|work=AirqualityNews.com |access-date=11 June 2019}} Apart from five cities in Germany - Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Düsseldorf, and Cologne - DriveNow is available in Vienna, Copenhagen, Brussels, Milan, Helsinki and Lisbon.{{cite web|url= http://www.autorentalnews.com/channel/rental-operations/news/story/2017/07/drivenow-tp-launch-carsharing-in-lisbon.aspx |title=DriveNow to Launch Carsharing Service in Lisbon |work=Autorentalnews |access-date=15 December 2017}} In October 2017, the company reached the milestone of one million customers.{{cite web|url= https://www.fleetnews.co.uk/news/fleet-industry-news/2017/10/10/drivenow-reaches-one-million-customers-milestone|title=DriveNow reaches one million customers milestone |work=Fleetnews |access-date=15 December 2017}}
DriveNow operated a fleet comprising only vehicles manufactured by subsidiaries of BMW Group including various MINI models (3 and 5 door, Convertible, Clubman, Countryman) as well as BMW X1, X2, i3, 1 series, and 2 series.{{cite web|url= https://www.drive-now.com/de/en/cars|title=DriveNow Carsharing with BMW and MINI |work=DriveNow|access-date=18 December 2017}}
Created as a joint venture between BMW Group and the car rental company Sixt SE holding 50% of shares each, DriveNow became a wholly owned subsidiary of BMW in March 2018. On 29 January 2018, BMW announced that Sixt SE had agreed to sell its 50% stake for c. €209 million.{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/bmw-carsharing-drivenow-sixt/sixt-to-sell-its-drivenow-stake-to-bmw-idUSL8N1PO2UB|title=Sixt to sell its DriveNow stake to BMW|work=Reuters|access-date=29 January 2018}} In April 2018, BMW Group and Daimler AG agreed to combine their mobility services, including their car sharing devices DriveNow and car2go, to shape sustainable urban mobility for the future.{{cite web|url= https://www.autovistagroup.com/news-and-insights/drivenow-and-car2go-combine-offer-extended-ride-sharing-services|title= DriveNow and car2go combine to offer extended ride-sharing services|access-date=10 April 2018}}
A similar BMW service, ReachNow, was offered in North American cities from April 2016 to July 2019, in Seattle, Washington, Portland, Oregon and Brooklyn, New York. In contrast to DriveNow, ReachNow's technology platform was provided by RideCell rather than Sixt.{{cite web|url= http://fortune.com/2016/04/08/bmw-reachnow-seattle/|title=BMW Restarts Car-Sharing in the U.S. With New Name and Tech|work=Fortune|access-date=18 December 2017}}
Operation
=Cities=
The following table details all cities where DriveNow operated:
=One-way car sharing model=
File:Electric BMWs Charging at Google (9602705934).jpg in service for DriveNow charging at Googleplex in Mountain View, California]]
In contrast to classic car rental, where a vehicle is rented at a designated location and typically returned after one or more days, one-way carsharing models allows the use of freely parked vehicles in the city area, or business area. Vehicles can be found and rented through an app on the phone. Driving charge is by a minute rate that ranges between {{euro}}0.24 to {{euro}}0.57 per minute depending on the vehicle and business area. The price includes fuel, parking, and insurance.{{cite web|url=https://www.drive-now.com/gb/en/london|title=DriveNow UK How it works|work=DriveNow Website |access-date=3 April 2017}} DriveNow also offers packages to make the per minute rate cheaper. Vehicles can be parked back anywhere in the business area of the city.{{cite web|url=https://www.drive-now.com/gb/en/london/map|title=DriveNow UK Business Area|work=DriveNow Website |access-date=3 May 2017}} Typically, the car must be parked in the same city as it was rented. The exception is in Düsseldorf and Cologne.{{cite web|url=http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/134078-bmw-drive-now-car-sharing-an-affordable-way-to-have-a-car-in-the-city-hands-on|title=DriveNow Car Sharing Affordable way to have a car in the city|work=DriveNow Website |date=2 June 2015|access-date=12 May 2016}}
=App=
An app 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. Cars can also be opened and closed through the app.{{Cite web|url=https://www.drive-now.com/de/de/blog/16-03-2017/fastlane|title = Schneller, besser, einfacher: Unsere neue App | DriveNow Blog}}
Vehicles
DriveNow operates a variety of gasoline-powered and diesel BMW 1 Series, BMW 2 Series, BMW X2 series, BMW X1, Mini Countryman, Mini Clubman, Mini Convertible and Mini Cooper vehicles as well the electric-powered BMW i3 and BMW ActiveE.{{cite web|url=https://www.drive-now.com/de/en/cars|title=DriveNow Vehicles |publisher=DriveNow|access-date=12 April 2017}} In the San Francisco Bay Area, DriveNow deployed a fleet of 70 BMW ActiveE electric cars by July 2015.{{cite web|url=https://www.engadget.com/2012/08/22/bmw-drivenow-ev-car-sharing-comes-to-san-francisco-bay-area/|title=BMW DriveNow EV car sharing comes to San Francisco Bay Area, ParkNow follows suit|author=Jon Fingas|publisher=Engadged.com|date=22 August 2013|access-date=6 September 2013}}
=Electric driving=
DriveNow Electric Driving with BMW i3
DriveNow once claimed to offer the largest electric car sharing fleet in the world, using BMW i3, BMW i3 Rex, and BMW Active E. Since 15 July 2015, a total of 724 full-electric BMW i3s have been in regular operation in the fleets of Berlin (130 vehicles), Hamburg, Cologne / Düsseldorf {{cite web|url=https://www.sixt.de/ventures/drivenow/duesseldorf/
|title=DriveNow Dusseldorf |author=DriveNow|publisher=DriveNow|access-date=5 March 2017}} and Munich.{{cite web|url=https://www.good.is/articles/bmw-launches-drivenow-car-sharing-system-in-munich
|title=DriveNow Launches in Munich |date=27 March 2011 |access-date=5 March 2017}} The BMW ActiveE in Berlin and Munich were thus replaced. In London, DriveNow offered the BMW i3 from May 2015 till closure and could thus benefit from tax relief.{{cite web|url=https://www.sixt.co.uk/drivenow/london-drivenow/
|title=DriveNow in London |access-date=5 March 2017}} In Copenhagen, DriveNow launched a purely electric fleet of 400 vehicles in September 2015.{{cite web|url=http://insideevs.com/400-bmw-i3s-headed-drivenow-car-sharing-service-copenhagen/
|title=DriveNow in Copenhagen |access-date=5 March 2017}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.drive-now.com Official website]
{{Vehicle rental brands}}
Category:German companies established in 2011
Category:Car rental companies of Germany
Category:Free-floating carsharing
Category:Transport companies established in 2011