BMW is parking its vehicles right into the car-sharing space.
The Seattle Times is reporting that the automaker announced Friday that it's launching a car-sharing service, ReachNow, in Seattle.
The way the program will work is it will essentially allow drivers to get access to a car whenever they want, ranging from the BMW 3 Series to Mini Cooper and even electric BMW i3 models as part of its 370-vehicle fleet with which to start out.
The Seattle location to launch the program wasn't by coincidence, either, as BMW strategically pinpointed the "Emerald City" after seeing the Car2Go car-sharing program enjoy great success there for over three years and counting. BMW thinks it can put a dent in its soon-to-be rival service's market share, which currently counts 75,000 registered members, utilizing two-door Smart cars.
Since it's BMW and there's money behind the brand, the Seattle Times reports that ReachNow will ramp up to three more cities before the end of this year, while planning to ultimately serve 10 cities in North America.
Once proven, BMW will reportedly even launch a car service with certified drivers, enabling BMW owners to rent out their owned vehicles.
"We will be covering all the mobility needs our customers have," BMW board member Peter Schwarzenbauer told the Seattle Times.
To start, users can reserve and unlock ReachNow vehicles via its iPhone and Android apps, which scan driver's licenses and grant access to the vehicles. After a $39 sign-up fee, customers will pay 49 cents per minute while on the road. However, to spark initial growth for its launch, the company is matching Car2Go's rate of 41 cents per minute, while even waiving the $39 registration fee.
Car2Go doesn't seem worried, though.
"Anyone entering the market is going to learn very quickly how complex the model is," Car2Go's communications manager Dacyl Armendariz told the Seattle Times. "Anybody who is going to be doing one-way car-sharing in Seattle may benefit from the groundwork we've set up, but it's going to be a steep learning curve."
Perhaps it's confident because its pilot program using four-door sedans in Canada has gone well, and it's something that Car2Go can potentially foresee bringing to Seattle to help it compete against BMW, if need be.
Let the competition begin.
