Four hundred BMW i3 for interconnected mobility in Copenhagen. BMW i supports the improvement of life-quality in cities; Electric car sharing as the key component; DriveNow with the BMW i3 shortly also in Copenhagen, directly interconnected with public transport.

Copenhagen. Following the successful introduction of the BMW i3 to the DriveNow fleets in Germany, the UK and the USA, the next major step is being taken with the commissioning of 400 BMW i3 in Copenhagen on September 3rd 2015. What is new here is an all-electric fleet which is also interconnected with public transport. The future-oriented business model stands for even more targeted orientation of individual mobility towards the needs of people in metropolitan regions.

For BMW i, car sharing using electric vehicles is an important step in opening up convenient initial access to electric mobility to the public at large, in order to reduce traffic and emissions in cities and to make a contribution there towards better quality of life.

The Danish branch of the British Arriva PLC, with a share of 50 per cent is the largest bus operator in Copenhagen.

The BMW i3 ideally fulfills the requirements of this major project. Besides being designed as an emission-free electric car, it is also the world’s first automobile offering “intermodal routing”, i.e. the incorporation of public transport services into the navigation system’s route guidance in the car.

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Dr. Bernhard Blättel, head of BMW Group mobility services adds: “Here in Copenhagen we are now already witnessing mobility of the future. It is on-demand technology, interconnected, quiet and electric. We are pleased to be able to introduce the capabilities of the BMW i3 and our expertise in future-oriented mobility concepts here in the Danish capital.”

Regarding the collaboration with Arriva he adds: “We are not rivals, but cooperate with the providers of public transport in order to further develop urban mobility in a customer-oriented and sustainable way”.

”We are proud and very happy to introduce this innovative solution to the city of Copenhagen together with our strong business partners. Furthermore, I am confident that DriveNow will prove as a unique opportunity for people to try out and enjoy the green means of transportation. This will contribute to a breakthrough for the electric cars,” comments Nikolaj Wendelboe, CEO of Arriva Denmark.

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About BMW i:
BMW i is a brand of the BMW Group and stands for visionary mobility and vehicle concepts, progressive design and a new understanding of premium that is strongly defined by sustainability.
BMW i is represented worldwide with the vehicles BMW i3 (electric vehicle for metropolitan regions) and the BMW i8 (hybrid sports car with the fuel consumption of a small car), as well as a multitude of mobility services in the field of electric and interconnected mobility.

About DriveNow:
DriveNow, the joint car sharing venture of the BMW Group and Sixt SE, offers high-class premium vehicles of the brands BMW und MINI for rent in major European cities according to the free floating principle. The vehicles can be rented and returned anywhere within a predefined operative area.
Registered customers reserve and book the vehicles via the DriveNow app or the website for diverse usage situations during their free time or at work. With the BMW i3, DriveNow is now also offering an electric mobility solution in Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, London and soon in Copenhagen. DriveNow currently exists in Munich, Berlin, Düsseldorf, Cologne, Hamburg, Vienna, London, in the USA in San Francisco and briefly in Copenhagen.

About Arriva:
With more than 4,200 employees and a bus fleet of 1,200 buses Arriva Denmark is the largest bus operator in Denmark with operations in most parts of the country. Arriva also operates trains in Central and West Jutland as well as the harbor buses in Copenhagen. Arriva Denmark is part of the Arriva Group who runs public transportation in 14 European countries. Since 2010, the Arriva Group is owned by Deutsche Bahn.