BMW is set to join the fleet line-up of the UK’s largest car club, Streetcar.
The car club has announced it is to almost double its fleet within nine months, adding BMW 1 and 3 Series vehicles from January 2010 to its range of Volkswagen Polos, Golfs, Tourans and Transporter Vans. It is expected that the firm will increase the number of vehicles in its fleet from 1100 to just less than 2000 by September 2010.
Streetcar as impressed by BMW’s eco-credentials, after independent research showed that the carmaker had the lowest average CO2 emissions of any premium car manufacturer for the second year in a row. Courtesy of its award-winning EfficientDynamics programme, BMW records a UK fleet average of 159.4g/km based on all BMWs sold in 2008.
As Brett Akker, Streetcar’s co-founder explains: “These moves are part of our radical expansion plans for 2010 and will create a more dynamic service to suit our increasingly diverse customer base. Now we have something to suit every occasion, budget and member; from the student to the city professional to the business opting to replace their pool car scheme with a more cost-effective alternative. We believe our growth will enable more and more people to consider giving up a car, a trend which we’ve already seen increasing dramatically over the past six years.”
Streetcar has become an increasingly popular alternative for those who need occasional use of a vehicle. Membership has more than doubled in just over 12 months to 75,000 and is expected to rise to 250,000 by 2012. The scheme boasts over 1000 locations across seven cities; London, Brighton, Cambridge, Southampton, Guildford, Maidstone and, most recently, Oxford. The number of locations is to increase to 2,000 during the course of 2010.
One regular Streetcar customer Jesse Koti comments: “I am delighted that Streetcar is introducing BMW to its range. Driving a luxury car will make our trips an even more pleasant and enjoyable experience. Streetcar has just become an even more attractive alternative to owning a car in the City.”
The new BMW models will be available 24/7 for rent by the hour, day, week or month. Members will be able to reserve a car online (www.streetcar.co.uk) or over the phone, as little as 30 minutes in advance, and use remotely activated smartcards to unlock the vehicle.
