Many urban dwellers, especially younger ones, don’t actually want to own a car. They’re expensive to buy, polluting and a pain to park. What car company wants to hear that?
These urbanites prefer the convenience of sharing. Of the Holy Green Trinity, sharing gives you reduce and reuse. Hence, the recent growth of Bixi bikes, Autoshare and Zipcar. And hence, DriveNow, BMW’s holistic car-sharing system.
The pilot project — not a test, but a “learning experience,” BMW insists — is fleeted by all-electric Active Es.
Rent a car by the minute from your phone. BMW is establishing permanent parking spaces with charging stations throughout cities to make the most of renters’ time.
The majority of DriveNow’s members have never been BMW drivers. Suddenly, the nose ring–dreadlock–and–tattoo set are piloting and falling for what was recently the sweetheart brand of Wall Street.
But does being a modern green(ish) urbanite mean you’re stuck with a boring drive?
NEXT: DRIVING THE ACTIVE E
