It was only a matter of time before BMW's ReachNow car sharing service headed east. After successfully starting in Seattle and expanding to Portland, ReachNow is set to land in New York City.
ReachNow will soon set up shop in Brooklyn, BMW said during a press conference at AutoMobility LA (that's the new name for the LA Auto Show's press and trade days). Using the ReachNow app, Brooklynites can find a smattering of BMW and Mini vehicles in the program's "home area," which includes Greenpoint, Williamsburg, Sunset Park, Borough Park, Crown Heights, Bushwick and Bedford-Stuyvesant.
BMW will offer up 250 vehicles to start, split between the BMW 3 Series and the Mini Clubman. Pricing is charged by the minute -- 49 cents per minute while in use, and 30 cents per minute while parked. Signing up for ReachNow requires a one-time payment of $39. Pricing is capped at different points -- for example, a full 24 hours costs a flat $110.
BMW also added four new pilot programs to its car sharing scheme, confusing named Ride, Fleet Solutions, Share, and Reserve. Ride provides an on-demand ride service that includes both the car and a driver. Fleet Solutions places a permanent collection of i3 and 3 Series vehicles at select apartment buildings. Share allows 2016-2017 Mini owners to rent their vehicles out. Finally, Reserve lets users book cars for longer trips spanning multiple days.
ReachNow is available for both iOS and Android. The app also includes the aforementioned pilot programs, so there's no need to switch between multiple apps.