DriveNow is a carsharing joint venture between the BMW Group and Sixt AG. It was founded in June 2011 and both companies hold a 50 percent stake in the joint venture. The BMW Group contributes the vehicles and vehicle technologies, while Sixt AG provides the premium services, the rental expertise, the IT systems, and an extensive network of stations for the registration of customers.
Business Need
DriveNow wanted to offer a modern and flexible mobility concept enabling people to reserve a vehicle, and collect and return it independent of location.
Solution
Using the Vodafone Managed IoT Connectivity Platform, DriveNow vehicles can be located by smartphone application or online by computer within the neighbourhood of the immediate location, and can be reserved for periods of 15 minutes onwards. DriveNow users register online, collect their personal RFID tag and attach it to their driver‘s license. When the customer holds this ID to the reading zone in the windshield of the car, the vehicle opens and off they go. In addition, the logging of driving distance and driving time, and the billing process, run automatically.
Business Benefits
Flexible car-sharing based on the Vodafone Managed IoT Connectivity Platform
Integrated billing, including fuel and parking costs
Other service modules such as the use of car parks via the DriveNow ID (RFID) in planning
Prospects: Multimodal transport use for DriveNow customers on the basis of a Smartphone app
"For our carsharing concept, we needed a strong partner with experience in networking technologies. We have found that partner in Vodafone."
