The Department of Health and Environment of the City of Munich (LHM), BMW Group and car-sharing provider Share Now are joining forces to promote innovative mobility in the state capital.
Through an MoU, LHM and BMW are set to expand their cooperation, while Share Now, which was formed in early 2019 as part of the joint venture between BMW and Daimler, will expand its electric fleet significantly under the agreement.
As a result, Share Now will increase its current electric fleet of 85 BMW i3s in Munich to 200 of the latest generation i3 model by the end of the year.
These measures are designed to speed up the transition to sustainable mobility already underway in an effort to improve air quality in Munich.
Public works department Stadtwerke München will install a total of 550 charging posts, with 1,100 charging points, on public land by 2020. There are currently 460 charging posts with 920 charging points across the city.
Up to 1,655 more charging points will be set up in residential buildings, on commercial land and in public car parks by the end of 2020. Up to 400 additional charging points will be installed on public land by private providers.
Stephanie Jacobs, environmental officer for the City of Munich, said:”Electromobility is key to the transition to sustainable mobility in our city. For air pollution control, health and climate protection, vehicles in our city must be emission-free wherever possible. This is the only way we can meet the objectives of air pollution control and climate neutrality.
“In parallel, the transition to sustainable mobility must also include attractive sharing options for electric vehicles, as well as massive expansion of public transport. This is the only way we can reduce the need to own a vehicle with potentially high emissions and still preserve individual mobility.”
According to Peter Schwarzenbauer, member of the board of management of BMW for transformation and electromobility, the OEM will bring a total of 25 electrified models onto the market by 2023 – two years earlier than originally planned.
“We see ourselves as part of the solution to the challenges facing cities. Collaborations such as this with the Department of Health and Environment of the City of Munich are therefore of strategic importance to us,” said Schwarzenbauer.
“Doubling the size of the electric Share Now fleet by the end of the year is only the first step. We are ready to take further steps with LHM.”
According to a survey carried out by BMW in 2018, more than 100,000 people in Munich have experienced an electric car. What’s more, some 79% of those surveyed would choose an EV over a car with an internal combustion engine.
The demand for EV sharing is also reflected in the 1.5 million kilometres driven by Share Now EVs in Munich last year alone.
