automotived
Rookie
WHEN the BMW Group launched its i Ventures company with an initial capital investment of $100 million to develop individual mobility solutions for the world’s biggest cities, it was perhaps only of passing interest to UKtransport professionals. The announcement was accompanied with the launch of BMW i, a sub-brand which will bring the electric i3 and the plug-in hybrid i8 to market in 2013. BMW already has a wide range of low emission petrol and diesel cars on sale in the UKand this week the company handed over the first in a fleet of almost 4,000 vehicles that will be used in connection with the 2012 Olympic Games in London Games. BMW also revealed that through i Ventures it was investing in a UKonline private parking location service. It could also bring its car sharing service to the UK. BMW Group’s 21st century view is that it is not simply a motor manufacturer, but a car-related premium mobility service provider. Sustainable mobility solutions seems to be a phrase that is no longer the sole preserve of the environmental lobby.