The BMW i3
BMW Group South Africa (BMW SA) has partnered with Uber to bring the UberGREEN service to market.
The UberGREEN service is a pilot project taking place from May 9 to June 3, in Johannesburg.
The project will allow commuters who wish to reduce their carbon footprint, to request the use of a BMW i3 electric vehicle, operated by Uber driver-partners.
“In order for the momentum of electric mobility to increase, partnerships with market leaders like Uber are essential to expose more consumers to the viability of electric vehicles and sustainable urban mobility options,” says BMW SA MD Tim Abbott.
“In a world where mobility adds to the carbon emission problem, we at Uber are eager to provide alternate options,” adds Uber sub-Saharan Africa GM Alon Lits.
“Uber is passionate about making rides better and more sustainable and this partnership is a step towards making changes for the good of our environment.”
The UberGREEN pilot project will involve five BMW i3s.
Woolworths WRewards members will have exclusive access to the i3 vehicles for a limited period before the pilot officially opens to the public.
The BMW i3 is the BMW Group’s first volume-produced model driven purely by electric power.
More than 80% of BMW i3 customers worldwide are first-time BMW customers.
Since 2013, 45 000 BMW i3s have been sold worldwide.
The BMW i3 was launched in South Africa in 2015, with 124 vehicles delivered to local customers to date.
In the fourth quarter of this year, the German manufacturer will expand the model range of the BMW i3 by offering a model derivative with significantly increased battery capacity.
The new version will offer a capacity of 33 kWh, thanks to the higher storage density of the lithium-ion cells. (Battery dimensions will remain unchanged.)
The battery improvements will see the i3’s range increase by between 40% and 50%.
BMW says existing i3 customers will be able to have their first-generation vehicle retrofitted as part of a special programme to have the new battery type installed.
BMW SA notes, however, that it will not immediately offer the retrofit programme to local customers. The company says the program will be limited to the European markets to start with, in order to evaluate customer response.
"Then we will decide how to proceed."