How is on demand mobility & smart car sharing contributing to the development of Smart Cities?

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By 2025, life in London could be so different; more green space to relax with friends and family, fewer cars on the road, cleaner air and a wealth of transport options that will enable convenient travel across the city. Hop on a shared bike to take you to the station, ride a few stops on Crossrail, pick up the kids, and then jump into a pay-per-minute car club vehicle to take you to your front door; this is the future of urban mobility.

This is the future DriveNow is working towards achieving. Alongside public transport, walking and cycling, car-sharing services like DriveNow play an integral role in urban mobility and the health of our cities.

The technology behind flexible car sharing like DriveNow can be used for seamlessly integrated mobility as an alternative to private car ownership. Car club members already live in a world of simple multi-model travel by walking, cycling and using public transport more than the average Londoner. Flexible car sharing enables people to make smarter choices over the way that they travel in London, without being tied down by ownership.

Integration of car sharing will not only enable people to travel smarter but will have positive impacts for the city. Congestion is a seismic problem which cost the economy £5.5 billion in 2014/2015. London air quality is at toxic levels, with Sadiq Khan issuing the highest air pollution alert in London for the first time at the beginning of the year, labeling the capital’s ‘filthy air’ as a ‘health crisis’.

Car clubs are already proving they can make a substantial positive impact. According to the CarPlus Annual Survey of Car Clubs for London 2016-2017, for every car club car in London, over 11 privately-owned vehicles are taken off the road. Reducing the number of higher polluting vehicles on London roads leads to less air pollution and a reduction in carbon emissions from cars. Car club vehicles typically emit 29% less CO2 than the national average car and having a car club membership reduces a Londoner’s transport carbon footprint by 73%.

About DriveNow

DriveNow is a flexible car sharing service owned by BMW and Sixt. We have over 300 BMW and MINI cars in North East London which our members can choose to drive by the minute, hour or day. There is no need to return the car to a designated car park like traditional car clubs; instead, members can end the rental in any residents or pay and display bay within the business area (Hackney, Haringey, Islington and Waltham Forest). DriveNow is also available in 11 major European cities and at various airports with thousands of BMW and MINI cars available for our members to use.

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