• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

BMW’s Car-Sharing Service Is About to Hit an Important Milestone

By
Kirsten Korosec
Kirsten Korosec
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Kirsten Korosec
Kirsten Korosec
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 1, 2016, 4:59 PM ET
Courtesy of BMW Group

In less than a week, BMW Group’s U.S.-based car-sharing service ReachNow will hit an important milestone and start operating in Portland, its second city after launching in Seattle earlier this year.

The Portland service will officially kick off Sept. 19. However, the first residents to join the service will be eligible to start test driving the service during a two-week preview drive that begins Tuesday.

ReachNow will announce an expansion to at least one more U.S. city before the end of the year, a BMW spokesman said Thursday without providing more details. The company has said in the past that it wants to eventually establish service in 10 cities in North America.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

Expanding into a second city might seem insignificant compared to other larger car-sharing services like Daimler’s Car2go. But for BMW it’s validation that its latest attempt to break into the U.S. car-sharing market might just work. Still, it faces considerable competition. Car2go as well as Getaround, Turo, and Zipcar—all related services that could compete with ReachNow’s business model—are well established in Portland.

ReachNow is a reboot of BMW’s car-sharing service called DriveNow—a joint venture between the German automaker and rental car company Sixt SE—that launched in Berlin five years ago. By the end of 2015, DriveNow had 580,000 registered users throughout Europe. However, its entry into the U.S. market didn’t go so smoothly.

The company set up shop in San Francisco in 2012 and soon discovered that its business model—a free-floating service allowing vehicles to be picked up and left anywhere within a designated operating area—was in direct conflict with the parking and car-sharing regulations in the city. The service shutdown on November 2, 2015.

BMW gave the U.S. car-sharing service a new name, dropped its joint venture partner Sixt, and added a new software platform from San Francisco-based startup RideCell. BMW’s venture capital arm has invested in RideCell, which has developed software designed to help companies, mass transit agencies, and car-sharing services manage vehicles.

ReachNow, which is headquartered in Seattle, has been well received in Seattle, a BMW spokesman said.

The service launched in Seattle with 370 Mini and BMW brand vehicles. Within the first weeks of operation, more than 13,000 residents signed up. Due to demand, the company expanded its home area—where the cars can be used and parked in any public space—added service to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, and increased the number of vehicles on the road to 520.

ReachNow vehicles are charged at a rate of $0.49 cents for each minute the vehicle is used, and $0.30 cents per minute while parked. Customers will be charged a one-time $39 registration fee.

For a limited time, ReachNow will charge Portland residents $0.41 (cents) for each minute the vehicle is used and registration is free. ReachNow says it will automatically cap pricing at three different tiers: $50 for up to three hours, $80 for up to 12 hours, and $110 for up to 24 hours.

About the Author
By Kirsten Korosec
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

Latest in

PoliticsVenezuela
Venezuela slow-walks prisoner releases with 11 freed while over 800 remain locked up, including son-in-law of opposition presidential candidate
By Regina Garcia Cano and The Associated PressJanuary 10, 2026
15 hours ago
PoliticsICE
Thousands protest in Minneapolis after deadly ICE shooting as agents continue raids throughout city. ‘We’re all living in fear right now’
By Rebecca Santana and The Associated PressJanuary 10, 2026
15 hours ago
Middle EastU.S. military
U.S. launches new retaliatory strikes against ISIS in Syria after deadly ambush
By The Associated PressJanuary 10, 2026
16 hours ago
Future of WorkColleges and Universities
Top University of Minnesota grads are ‘at least as good, maybe better’ than the best and brightest from Harvard, former Goldman Sachs CEO says
By Jason MaJanuary 10, 2026
16 hours ago
Arts & EntertainmentAuction
The ‘Holy Grail of comic books’ that Nicolas Cage bought for $150,000 before it was stolen sells at auction for a record $15 million
By Bruce Shipkowski and The Associated PressJanuary 10, 2026
18 hours ago
PoliticsVenezuela
Trump order says Venezuelan oil revenue is being held by the U.S. for ‘governmental and diplomatic purposes’ and not subject to private claims
By Seung Min Kim and The Associated PressJanuary 10, 2026
18 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Health
Bill Gates warns the world is going 'backwards' and gives 5-year deadline before we enter a new Dark Age
By Eleanor PringleJanuary 9, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
As U.S. debt soars past $38 trillion, the flood of corporate bonds is a growing threat to the Treasury supply
By Jason MaJanuary 10, 2026
19 hours ago
placeholder alt text
C-Suite
Silicon Valley billionaire flies coach out of solidarity: 'If I'm going to ask my employees to do it, I need to do it, too'
By Nick LichtenbergJanuary 9, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
Gen Z is rebelling against the economy with ‘disillusionomics,’ tackling near 6-figure debt by turning life into a giant list of income streams
By Jacqueline MunisJanuary 10, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Diary of a CEO founder says he hired someone with 'zero' work experience because she 'thanked the security guard by name' before the interview
By Emma BurleighJanuary 8, 2026
3 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Bill Gates donated record $8 billion to Melinda French Gates' foundation as part of their divorce settlement
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJanuary 9, 2026
2 days ago

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.