BMW clicks into gear in North London

BMW has joined forces with rental company Sixt and auto-sharing platform DriveNow to launch a trial click-and-drive scheme in the London boroughs of Islington, Hackney and Haringey.

The scheme will make a fleet of 250 BMWs available to drivers in the exact same way that “Boris Bikes” are available to cyclists in the capital.

Image courtesy of Sixt

And Sixt claims that it will make auto sharing so low-cost and handy that “only the rich will buy cars” in the future.

So just how does the new scheme perform? Will it serve as a template for comparable schemes across the nation.

Let’s take a closer look…

Sensible moves

Motorists wanting to take advantage of the new London-based DriveNow scheme will use a smartphone app to find, unlock and start the BMW 1 Series and Mini automobiles dotted around Islington, Haringey and Hackney.

Their journeys will then be charged by the minute. And as soon as they have reached their destination, they will be capable to leave the car in any on-street parking space – as extended as it is inside the 3 participating boroughs.

This differentiates the scheme from rival auto-sharing services such as Zipcar, exactly where customers should return the automobile to its starting position.

DriveNow, which is already operating in German cities, is in talks with other London boroughs about expanding the service.

Fair shares for all?

Most people who live in cities only use their cars for a tiny percentage of the journeys they take every week.

That is why BMW believes automobile-sharing schemes will turn into increasingly well-known in the years to come.

The car manufacturer also hopes that this initiative will help it to reach a distinct sort of driver.

BMW board manager Peter Schwarzenbauer stated: “The average age of our automobile purchasers is mid 40s but the typical age of a automobile sharing user is 32.”

Culture shock-absorbers

There is no doubt that signing-up to automobile sharing could drastically cut costs for motorists living in urban areas.

The query, nonetheless, is regardless of whether drivers are ready to give up vehicle ownership fully.

Daimler’s Car2go car-sharing scheme, launched 2 years ago, had equivalent aims to this new joint venture from BMW and Sixt.

But it has given that been withdrawn following coming up against the “UK’s robust culture and tradition of private automobile ownership”.

Uber alles?

The new London-primarily based DriveNow scheme will also face competitors from cut-price tag taxi ordering solutions such as Uber, though Mr Schwarzenbauer argues that there is space for both in the capital.

“I see them as partners,” he said. “You might use a single of our automobiles to drive to a restaurant and then use Uber to come residence.”

Or hail a cab, of course.

What do you reckon? Would you give up your vehicle and rely on a click-and-drive scheme? Let us know in the box under

BMW clicks into gear in North London