(December 1 2017, Chengdu) — 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.
The BMW Group
With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW
Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and
motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services.
As a global company, the BMW Group operates 31 production and assembly
facilities in 14 countries and has a global sales network in more than
140 countries.
In 2016, the BMW Group sold approximately 2.367 million cars and
145,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax was approximately
€9.67 billion on revenues amounting to €94.16 billion. As of 31
December 2016, the BMW Group had a workforce of 124,729 employees.
The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term
thinking and responsible action. The company has therefore established
ecological and social sustainability throughout the value chain,
comprehensive product responsibility and a clear commitment to
conserving resources as an integral part of its strategy.