DriveNow car sharing service uses Vodafone technology
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90,000 DriveNow users rely on Vodafone mobile technology
Vodafone M2M digitises car sharing
Düsseldorf/Hanover/CeBIT, March 2013 – The Vodafone network is a framework for
innovative mobility concepts. In one such concept, premium car sharing provider
DriveNow has connected its fleet to the Vodafone network, eliminating the need for
expensive fixed car stations. Customers benefit because the cars can now be parked in
any public area for pick up. They simply use their smartphone or PC to locate and
reserve the nearest car. Thanks to Vodafone M2M technology, they can open the car
door with a DriveNow ID (RFID), enter a 4-digit pin and then start the motor with the start
button. No physical car key is involved. Around 90,000 people use DriveNow and it has a
1,500-strong fleet in four major German cities and in San Francisco. Vodafone won the
Global Mobile Award 2013 - the mobile communications “Oscar” - in the category of
“Best Mobile Product or Service for Automotive” for its DriveNow service. It is
presenting the innovative M2M car sharing model at this year’s CeBIT in Hanover,
Germany. DriveNow is one of the trade show highlights at the Vodafone stand.
“Demand for car sharing is on the rise in major cities. To function effectively, these systems
need an efficient mobile network and the right communication architecture. Our modern
network and intelligent M2M applications are perfect for DriveNow,“ explains Alexander Saul,
Head of Vodafone Germany’s Enterprise Unit.
The concept of car sharing without rental stations is called free floating car sharing. To use the
service, the consumer uses a smartphone app or the internet to locate or reserve a car. When
they hold their DriveNow ID against the car, an embedded telematics unit communicates a
number code to the data centre. This number is then decoded at the data centre to authenticate
the user and confirm the booking. DriveNow vehicles are parked in public areas waiting for pick
up by new drivers. The company pays a flat rate charge to the municipal authority for parking in
some cities, and in others it uses mobile technology to pay the parking tickets. The data is
communicated between the vehicle and the parking ticket server via M2M communication.
No sensitive customer data is transferred in any of the processes, all of which are automatic from opening the car, recording the starting point, destination and driving time to billing.
Additional service modules are currently in the pipeline. “DriveNow users will soon be able to
use their ID to get into car parks, pay for electric car charging and make mobile payments,
simplifying the DriveNow billing service and making car sharing even more flexible. Vodafone
will also be supporting us in providing these new services,” saiys Nico Gabriel one of
DriveNow’s CEOs alongside Dr. Andreas Schaaf.
In future, consumers will be able to use their smartphone and an optimised app to compute
complicated routes and find the optimum one. “The fastest route to a DriveNow car may be by
rental bike to the station and then by train to the next city,” said Schaaf. Founded in June 2011,
DriveNow is a pioneering future networks. The company is already partner of the bicycle rental
provider NextBike, plus the public transport services providers Rheinbahn in Düsseldorf, Kölner
Verkehrsbetriebe in Cologne and Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe in Berlin. This enables it to offer the
Vodafone GmbH, Corporate Communications
Ferdinand-Braun-Platz 1, D-40549 Düsseldorf, T + 49 (0) 211/533-5500
[email protected], www.vodafone-deutschland.de
best public transport connections based on destination, travel time and options available. Free
floating car sharing will be part of a comprehensive mobility concept for the future - especially in
cities with a high volume of traffic. Vodafone’s mobile network and M2M technology provide a
solid platform for this concept.
M2M communication is a growth market. At the end of 2011, two billion machines around the
globe were networked. According to the analysts at “Machina Research”, twelve billion of them
will be networked by the year 2020. Vodafone is one of the leading providers in the M2M
market with 250 M2M specialists and twenty years of experience.
Vodafone is back in Pavilion 32 at this year’s CeBIT from 5 to 8 March 2013. It will be
presenting numerous innovative products for business users according to the motto of
“Networked Power”. You can find further CeBIT press releases, plus image and video material
at www.vodafone.de/unternehmen/presse.
Press contact:
Markus Teubner
+49 (0) 211 533-5699
+49 (0) 211 533-5500
[email protected]
Further information for journalists:
blog.vodafone.de
twitter.com/vodafone_medien
Vodafone Germany
is one of the largest and most modern telecommunication services providers in Europe. It realises turnover
of more than 9.6 billion euros and has 12,000 employees. Based in Düsseldorf, Vodafone Germany is a
one-stop innovative and integrated technology and service provider with a portfolio including mobile
communications, fixed network telephony, internet and broadband data services for business and private
customers. Continuous development, numerous patents and investments in new products, services and the
modern network have made Vodafone an innovation leader in the German telecommunications market.
Vodafone is committed to CSR. The German Vodafone Foundation is a socio-political think tank that
initiates and supports numerous projects in the fields of education, integration and social mobility. The
company is part of the Vodafone Group. Visit the website at www.vodafone-deutschland.de for further
information.
About DriveNow
DriveNow is a car sharing joint venture of the BMW Group and Sixt AG. Both companies have a 50%
stake in the joint venture. The BMW Group contributes the vehicles and vehicle technology. Sixt AG
provides the premium services, car rental know-how, IT systems and a nationwide network of rental
stations for customer registration. DriveNow is a modern mobility concept available in Munich, Berlin,
Düsseldorf, Cologne and San Francisco. In Germany, DriveNow provides a free floating car sharing
concept.
Vodafone GmbH, Corporate Communications
Ferdinand-Braun-Platz 1, D-40549 Düsseldorf, T + 49 (0) 211/533-5500
[email protected], www.vodafone-deutschland.de