BMW AG would like to start offering up the back seat on motorbikes and scooters to get around congested cities – if the issue of helmets can be solved.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is definitely an option, but we haven\u2019t found the solution for the second helmet yet,\u201d Peter Schwarzenbauer, who heads BMW\u2019s Mini, Rolls-Royce and motorcycle brands, said in an interview at the Geneva International Motor Show.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s the issue of sizing and then re-using helmets in the summer heat – it\u2019s not ideal.\u201d<\/p>\n
BMW already offers car sharing via its DriveNow brand, where customers can rent vehicles like the Mini Countryman by the minute. As a first step to bring motorcycles to a broader audience, the Munich-based carmaker will start a pilot in May allowing people to rent bikes via an app from dealers for a few days at a time, starting in Germany, France and Austria.<\/p>\n
The potential broadening of services are steps in a plan to grow BMW\u2019s customer base threefold to 100 million users by 2025.<\/p>\n
To meet growing demand for agile two-wheelers skirting congestion in cities, BMW is considering a second electric scooter, Schwarzenbauer said.<\/p>\n
The new model would be smaller than the existing C evolution maxi-scooter that has a driving range of about 160 kilometers (100 miles), he said, declining to give more details.<\/p>\n
Two-Wheel Mobility<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cQuite aside from ride-sharing, in many cities we\u2019ll see more mobility on two wheels,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The most lively markets thus far for motorcycle ride-sharing have been in Southeast Asia. Honda Motor Co invested in Singapore-based Grab in 2016 and partnered with the company that has offered motorbike-hailing services in Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam.<\/p>\n PT Go-Jek Indonesia PT pioneered the business model and could become the country\u2019s first billion-dollar startup to hold an initial public offering.<\/p>\n BMW\u2019s Schwarzenbauer declined to comment on whether the company plans to combine DriveNow with Daimler AG\u2019s Car2Go service.<\/p>\n The two carmakers have been in talks to put together their respective car-sharing units to gain scale, according to people familiar with the matter. Both have in recent weeks bought out their respective partners, marking steps toward a potential combination.<\/p>\n \u201cSize is the deciding factor with this kind of offering,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019re currently at a use rate of around 15%. From a rate of 30%, then it really gets interesting.\u201d<\/p>\n
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