A new luxury on demand car sharing service will be hitting the streets in a limited US launch starting next month. Where other car manufacturers like Toyota and GM are partnering with already established companies, BMW is taking ownership of the whole customer experience. Announced last week at the Los Angeles Auto Show, ReachNow by BMW is expanding their services in Seattle and Brooklyn.
Ride, Share, Reserve, and Fleet will be rolling out either next month or in early 2017. All services except for Share will give users access to a wide range of BMW vehicles, including: the electric BMW i3, BMW 3 Series, MINI Cooper and MINI Clubman.
Here is a rundown of the ReachNow services:
Ride
Ride will allow BMW to compete directly with Uber and Lyft in the Seattle area. Like other services, you will get a price estimate before scheduling the ride.
New features by ReachNow will allow you to completely personalize your Ride experience. At launch, you can control the temperature of the car, pick the music, or opt for a “do not disturb” ride. Also, they will have a flat fee of $40 for a trip to the airport.
If you’re looking for something a little more long-term, then these next three services may be for you.
Share
For a minimum of two days you can rent a BMW MINI in Seattle. The twist here is that the cars are sourced by local owners of a MINI. The program is limited for sharing only to those that own a 2016 or 2017 model. According to ReachNow, sharing your MINI can earn you up to $40 a day.
Reserve
For between two to five days, users in Seattle can reserve a BMW with the added benefit of a cap on the fee depending on how many days you reserve the car for. You can also opt for the valet option when reserving the car and it will be delivered to you and picked up when you are done.
Fleet
This is the only service that users will see coming to Brooklyn. Fleet is aimed at residential members and they will have 24 hour access to a BMW i3 electric vehicle or a BMW 3 Series. Fleet will be offered on-site at select apartments or condominiums. Right now the only announced location is The Solaire in Battery Park.
ReachNow CEO Steve Banfield said that “With three of these new services rolling out in our home headquarters city of Seattle and one in our newest ReachNow location in Brooklyn, we expect ReachNow will continue to grow rapidly as a welcomed addition to one of the biggest and most diverse cities in the world.”
While drivers for ReachNow will be contractors, what does set them apart from Uber and Lyft is that drivers will be using vehicles supplied by BMW.
