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BMW Group Launches ReachNow Car-Sharing Service in Seattle

The premium car-sharing service will compete with Car2Go

The bmw 3 series is driving down the road with a city in the background.
The bmw 3 series is driving down the road with a city in the background.

There’s another player in Seattle’s car-sharing market: BMW Group announced today that it’s debuting its ReachNow premium car-sharing service, which includes a fleet of 370 vehicles comprised of the BMW 3 Series, the electric BMW i3 and the MINI Cooper.

The program is set to take on the existing Car2Go car-sharing service–which launched in Seattle in 2012–and has a similar app-driven, on-demand experience, but with a more “premium” slant: registration ($39) for first-time users is expected to take no more than two minutes and the cars are equipped with navigation, heated seats, moon roofs and high-end interior finishes.

Once you’ve downloaded the ReachNow app and signed up, you can search for nearby vehicles in the designated area, unlock the car via the mobile app (a member key card to unlock cars in the future is mailed to you), and drop it off at any legal parking space on the street. The standard rate is 49 cents per minute while driving and 30 cents per minute while parked (if you’re making multiple trips), and those prices includes insurance, fuel, parking, taxes and fees. (For comparison, Car2Go’s one-time registration rate is $35 and with a rate of 41 cents per minute while driving.)

Related: Is it Possible to Live Car Free in Seattle?

Currently, ReachNow’s designated area covers downtown up to N 105th Street and Northgate Way, south to S Lander Street and west to 15th Avenue W. Looks like West Seattle and Magnolia are left out at the moment, though the company says it will extend the designated area in the coming months. In the next quarter, it will begin offering vehicles at Sea-Tac airport.

ReachNow has upped the ante with its enhanced mobility services, such as a car delivery service, longer rental times, vehicles at Sea-Tac, a chauffeur service and the ability to rent your personal MINI Cooper, a perk that’s intended to offset the cost of car ownership.

ReachNow will set up its headquarters in Belltown and plans to expand its service to three additional cities this year, with a goal of expanding to a total of 10 U.S. cities.

 

SENSORIUM Takes on Our Screen Addiction

SENSORIUM Takes on Our Screen Addiction

Dance, drag, and immersive art collide in an eight-week exploration of our phone-obsessed lives, with a few surprises along the way. 

What do drag queens, smartphone addiction, art installations, and an old luggage shop have in common?  According to longtime Seattle choreographer Alana O’Farrell Rogers, a lot.  “There’s no dead time anymore,” says Rogers, explaining how the proliferation of smartphones fills the empty spaces that once served as time for rest or connection. Where we snuggled…

Salt-N-Pepa on Breaking Barriers and Staying Power

Salt-N-Pepa on Breaking Barriers and Staying Power

Ahead of their performance at Seattle’s Museum of Pop Culture gala, the hip-hop pioneers talk about creative ownership, connecting with new generations, and the songs that still resonate.

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Studio Sessions: Christopher Paul Jordan

Studio Sessions: Christopher Paul Jordan

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Rearview Mirror: Wedding Bells, A Furniture Launch, and the Symphony’s New Look 

Rearview Mirror: Wedding Bells, A Furniture Launch, and the Symphony’s New Look 

Things I did, saw, ate, learned, or read in the past week (or so).

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