Reasons DriveNow have chosen for BMW i3 for carsharing fleet
- The BMW i3 offers new technology in a premium marque model
- The prestige EV is also exempt from congestion charge
- Introducing the BMW i3 gives DriveNow the opportunity to increase the marketing of the service
- The company also has the opportunity to gain operational insight into the use of EVs in its carsharing fleet
- As more DriveNow customers understand how to use an EV in London, the more likely they will be to go and purchase one when they need their own private vehicle
- Adding the i3 to the fleet educates Londoners to overcome range anxiety in particular and operational concerns about charging
- Free driving credit will be offered to customers in return for charging the vehicles at the end of a rental
- Introducing the i3 will allow DriveNow to fully understand the operational pros and cons of using EVs in their flexible carsharing fleet
ON 19 May 2015 London’s DriveNow carsharing service introduced 30 BMW i3s to its fleet. The BMW and Sixt joint venture offers one-way flexible carsharing in the North London boroughs of Islington, Hackney, Haringey and Waltham Forest.
Following its launch in December 2014, the new fleet additions takes their growing fleet total to 270 vehicles being used across the boroughs, offering residents and businesses a viable alternative to use of private cars with its on demand, pay per use model.
The latest announcement means that over 11 percent of the fleet are full electric vehicles, as part of the exclusively BMW / MINI fleet of vehicles, making it London’s largest fleet of shared electric vehicles in a car club.
Using the i3 will be a great move for the London carsharing customer, not least because of the emission free driving, but also the chance to test the new technology.
The i3 is widely regarded as one of the most innovative EV’s on the market today, built with urban mobility at the heart of its development, and could become a truly important London carsharing vehicle as DriveNow grows. There are already over 10,000 members of the service in London alone, who will be given the opportunity to use the vehicles at competitive prices, in turn promoting the benefits of EVs to an increasing member base and local residents.
It is well documented that EVs currently cost more than the average combustion engine vehicle. Indeed, the list price of an entry level i3 vehicle at the time of writing is £30,980, compared to £20,000 for a BMW 1 series or £16,000 for a Mini Cooper (the other vehicles that make up the majority of the DriveNow fleet).
Whilst this makes the business case more challenging, the main concern in London at present exists around the charging infrastructure. Of course, taking 4-6 hours to recharge wipes out a considerable proportion potential utilisation, but more importantly complications with the maintenance and contractual obligations in the transfer from TfL to private operator IER has led to as much as 35 percent of the charging stations unavailable due to faults.
Given the fact that IER also operate carsharing firms in France, each London carsharing operator including DriveNow will be seeking clarifications from the local authorities as to the access and payment model to ensure a fair playing field is achieved.
