• 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
Fortune Secondary Logo
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
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • 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
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in

What to know about Gwynne Shotwell, the woman behind SpaceX’s monster IPO
NewslettersMPW Daily
What to know about Gwynne Shotwell, the woman behind SpaceX’s monster IPO
By Emma HinchliffeApril 2, 2026
8 minutes ago
Traders signal offers in the S&P options trading pit at the Cboe Global Markets exchange on March 31, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois.
EnergyIran
Markets rally hard on Iran’s promise to play nice at Hormuz as its leaders pocket billions from the disruption
By Eva RoytburgApril 2, 2026
24 minutes ago
mamdani
PoliticsNew York City
‘There are no words’: Zohran Mamdani grapples with fatal shooting of 7-month-old in a stroller
By The Associated PressApril 2, 2026
30 minutes ago
Jack Dorsey and Roelof Botha think AI can make middle management obsolete 
AIBlock
Jack Dorsey and Roelof Botha think AI can make middle management obsolete 
By Jacqueline MunisApril 2, 2026
32 minutes ago
A woman looks concerned as she fills up at a gas station
Economygas prices
The Iran war is effectively a ‘tax’ on US households that could accelerate the economy’s widening K shape, Moody’s says
By Tristan BoveApril 2, 2026
39 minutes ago
college
LawColleges and Universities
Colleges under pressure over building names with Epstein connections
By Julie Carr Smyth, Michael Casey and The Associated PressApril 2, 2026
39 minutes ago

Most Popular

Gen Z fled San Francisco for Texas and Florida. Now they’re turning ‘welcomer cities’ into the next big tech towns
Real Estate
Gen Z fled San Francisco for Texas and Florida. Now they’re turning ‘welcomer cities’ into the next big tech towns
By Fortune EditorsApril 2, 2026
10 hours ago
Current price of gold as of April 1, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of gold as of April 1, 2026
By Fortune EditorsApril 1, 2026
1 day ago
Two-thirds of parents say their adult Gen Z kids still rely on them financially  for support—even though it's putting them under strain
Success
Two-thirds of parents say their adult Gen Z kids still rely on them financially  for support—even though it's putting them under strain
By Fortune EditorsMarch 31, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of oil as of April 1, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of April 1, 2026
By Fortune EditorsApril 1, 2026
1 day ago
Jerome Powell says the $39 trillion national debt is ‘not unsustainable,’ but warns the trajectory ‘will not end well’
Economy
Jerome Powell says the $39 trillion national debt is ‘not unsustainable,’ but warns the trajectory ‘will not end well’
By Fortune EditorsMarch 30, 2026
3 days ago
Deutsche Bank asked AI if it’s true that AI will solve the economy’s inflation problems. The robots answered
Economy
Deutsche Bank asked AI if it’s true that AI will solve the economy’s inflation problems. The robots answered
By Fortune EditorsApril 1, 2026
22 hours ago

© 2026 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.