Today, the BMW Group, in partnership with EVCARD, a Shanghai-based electric car-sharing company under Global Car-Sharing & Rental Co. Ltd., launches its car-sharing service in Chengdu under the co-brand “ReachNow Powered By EVCARD”. The mobility service based in the capital city of Southwest China’s Sichuan province will offer station-based premium electric car-sharing. The debut of ReachNow in Asia marks the BMW Group’s first mobility service offering in the Chinese market, aiming to provide new and innovative individual mobility solutions to Chinese customers at the price of 2 RMB per minute with 100 units of pure electric BMW i3 to be in operation.
Dr. Bernhard Blättel, Vice President Mobility and Energy Services at BMW Group, says: “The launch of ReachNow in China contributes to the BMW Group’s vision of future mobility. As China and Chinese customers are playing a crucial role in the transformation of mobility, together with our local partners, we aim to bring our worldwide experience in mobility services to this market. We strive to meet the ever-increasing Chinese customer demands for convenient and sustainable mobility with our premium cars and services. ReachNow Powered By EVCARD is a perfect combination of electro mobility and car-sharing that will also contribute to the sustainable and low-carbon lifestyle in urban areas of China. The official launch of the program in Chengdu represents a new milestone within the BMW Group’s Mobility Services Strategy.”
ReachNow Powered By EVCARD will offer customers in Chengdu a high-end, intelligent and flexible on-demand mobility experience. The combination of EVCARD’s APP with BMW Group’s advanced car-sharing technology will offer users to effortlessly complete the whole process of car-usage without a key, including car reservation, pick up, drop off, start and stop the engine, payment etc. A customer service hotline will be available 24 hours to support users in case of any questions.
By 2018, 25 stations will be available in Chengdu, which will be located around high-end areas such as premium residential and commercial areas, office buildings hosting large companies, government compounds and five-star hotels. Users will need to pick up and drop off the cars within the stations. The fleet of fully electric BMW i3, as the world’s most successful electric vehicle in the premium compact segment since its market launch four years ago, will not only ensure green mobility but also driving pleasure to all ReachNow customers.
As a global leader in innovative mobility, BMW has gained rich experience in the operation of mobility service in Europe as well as in the US. In 2011, the BMW Group launched its first car-sharing service in Europe in partnership with the car rental company SIXT under the brand of DriveNow. The service is now active in 13 European cities with more than one million registered users and over 6,500 BMW and MINI vehicles in operation. Based on this successful model, the BMW Group launched in April 2016 an enhanced car-sharing service in the United States under the ReachNow brand, providing users with various individual mobility services such as car sharing, driver service, long term car rental including delivery of car, etc.
EVCARD is one of the largest electric car-sharing service providers in China. Combining its local perspective and expertise in electric car-sharing with BMW’s global experience, the BMW Group will be able to better fulfill Chinese customer’s diverse and individual mobility needs.
