BMW aiming to win 1 million customers for car-sharing program

March 23, 2011March 23, 2011 Omar Rana BMW 1-Series, Compact Cars, Mini Cooper

BMW AG has entered into a joint venture with Sixt, Germany’s biggest automaker to introduce a car-sharing scheme in two cities in Germany, and eventually the rest of Europe and possibly the US.

The venture, called DriveNow will offer 300 BMW 1 series and Mini cars in Munich, and 500 Berlin. The aim is to win 1 million customers by 2020.

BMW sales and marketing chief Ian Robertson said the venture is an answer to the trend away from car ownership in big cities. “We are aiming to launch a profitable new line of business while at the same time introducing potential new customers to our brands,” he said at DriveNow’s launch in Munich on Monday.

The project will launch April 1 in Munich, and shortly thereafter in Berlin, where cars will be parked around the city, with customers able to book reservations via the internet, or a smartphone app. BMW also plans to rent its all-new EVs as part of the scheme as well. They are due to arrive in 2013.

– By: Stephen Calogera

Source: Automotive News