The ReachNow car sharing service from BMW has just launched in Seattle, with the company saying it expects to expand the service in the next few months, including more vehicles, more cities, and more services. But for now, the car sharing service is only available in Seattle. Take a look below and learn more about ReachNow, then let us know how you would use ReachNow if it came to Charlotte.
ReachNow is currently comprised of 370 vehicles, some flying the MINI banner, and others hailing from the BMW brand--though it’s important to note that a full 20% of the fleet will be comprised of BMW i3 models, giving the car sharing service a “green” aspect to it as well.
The benefits of this kind of system are manifold. As transportation needs grow and change, more people need to be mobile than can reasonably afford to own vehicles, and our public transportation systems—while exceptional in some places—leave a lot to be desired. So with a service like ReachNow, people who would otherwise have purchased vehicles they don’t really need or taken public transport will now have another travel alternative straddling the line between vehicle ownership and public transport. Fewer car owners translates to fewer cars on the road, helping sort out traffic congestion and free up much-coveted parking spaces.
“We are currently witnessing an extremely exciting period in the development of the automotive industry. Our customers rightly expect uncomplicated and fast solutions to their individual mobility needs, especially in metropolitan regions. This is why we are supplementing our classic business model with additional services that make life on the road easier for people in big cities. I am pleased that with the establishment of the ReachNow brand, we are able to offer our customers in Seattle “on-demand mobility” – mobility when it’s needed, from one single source. With this service, we are building up on Drive Now, our extremely successful European business model, and bringing it up to a new level in the USA. Seattle is an innovative, internationally-oriented city which makes it the perfect location to launch these services.” –Peter Schwarzenbauer, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG
Here at Hendrick BMW of Northlake, we’re excited to see more people gaining access to mobility, and we’re especially proud to know that BMW is leading the charge in car sharing services with ReachNow, but we’re certainly not worried about ReachNow replacing vehicle ownership anytime soon, because it’s really difficult to compare to the feeling of sitting inside the cockpit of your own outstanding BMW model.