car sharing

Mercedes and BMW Test Car Sharing

BMW and Mercedes Benz are testing car-sharing in Germany and the U.S. with an eye toward expanding the idea. BMW on Demand will provide drivers with a 1 Series for as little as €16 per hour in Europe (around $21 USD/hr). Those wanting a 5 Series can get the sedan for €23/hr ($30/hr), including servicing and cleaning.

Mercedes has a similar program in both Austin, Texas and Ulm, Germany, though that program is offering smart brand vehicles. Sharers of smart cars pay 35 cents a minute, or up to $12.99 per hour and up to $65.99 a day. Users can reserve trim levels and colors on the Internet or by phone, use the vehicle for as long as they like and drop it off in car-sharing parking spaces. The time behind the wheel is automatically calculated and the user's bank account automatically debited. The system works similarly to the dial-a-bike program run in cities like Munich and Amsterdam.

The companies are interested in seeing the interest from the car sharing programs in part because of research showing a growing lack of interest in ownership from younger consumers and increased traffic in urban settings.

Tags: bmw, car sharing, mercedes-benz, SmartCar

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Mercedes and BMW Test Car Sharing

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