There is a range of innovative technology that helps BMW i company car drivers plan, charge and pay for business journeys. 

The number of BMW all-electric cars on offer to business drivers continues to expand, with the new iX due later this year and the BMW i4 in March 2022.. These new cars not only join a range that already includes the BMW i3 and BMW iX3, but do so with a comprehensive suite of connectivity services intended to make life on the road for busy company car drivers as easy and efficient as possible. 

Just as all-electric BMW vehicles have pioneered electrification, accompanying BMW Apps have done the same for driver and car connectivity, starting with the BMW i Remote App in 2013 on the BMW i3 and i8. For company car drivers of 2021, the newly-enhanced My BMW App fully supports the electrified driving experience, in partnership with the BMW Charging network, while those who choose plug-in hybrid BMW cars can access the innovative new BMW Points programme. 

My BMW APP  

When you have a dozen different tasks, from calls to make, meetings to attend and emails to answer, the last thing you need to be worrying about is the status of your car. With the My BMW App, everything you need to know is at hand on your smartphone. 

For electrified BMW i vehicles, drivers have an overview of the electric range of their car, charging status and history, and can use the timer to optimise the charging process using defined time slots.  

Off to work? Preconditioning is also possible, allowing you to heat the vehicle in winter to avoid being late after a frost, or to cool it in summer.  

Going to a meeting? Destinations can be sent directly from the App to the vehicle’s navigation system, where maps show the current traffic situation, filling and charging stations, as well as parking options. 

PAY FOR PARKING. 

How many times have you been in a rush for a meeting, and spent valuable time trying to park? Now BMW and RingGo offer an in-car parking payment solution, available in all vehicles fitted with BMW Operating systems 7 and 8.over 150,000 BMW models across the UK.  

The RingGo application is accessed via the car’s on-board Operating SystemiDrive infotainment system, simplifying the process of making payment for parking. It eliminates the need for drivers to carry cash for parking meters and avoids the hassle associated with making calls to automated phone payment services, ensuring a frictionless and easy experience. 

Drivers can now enjoy a seamless transition from navigation, to parking and finally paying - all through their in-car touchscreen without the need for a phone or cash. 

A PA IN YOUR CAR.

BMW’s Intelligent Personal Assistant acts as a PA in your car, managing in-cabin functions by voice commandrequest. By saying “Hey BMW”, you can ask your BMW to input navigation addressesfind routes and tell you time to destination, change Climate Control and Multimedia and search for fuel and charging stations, or points of interestrestaurants. 

The Intelligent Personal Assistant also knows the vehicle’s driver and over time will learn to allow the automation of habitsdriving history and status and, while can  providinge information to the driver, as well as placing calls and even giving the weather forecast.  

BMW CHARGING.

 The need to charge electric cars shouldn’t affect productivity, and with BMW Charging, company car drivers have access to over 12,000 public charge points, using just one RFID card. There’s even a BMW Charging App to support usage, which shows where charge points are, when they are available, their status and compatibility. 

The BMW Charging network is built on some of the best suppliers network operators of charge points in the UK and Europe, which means you can access high-power charging via companies such as IONITY and INSTAVOLT.  

For many drivers with company cars, paying for charging and reclaiming it later from employers can be a complex process. But with BMW Charging customers can register for a pay-as-you-go ‘Flex tariff’, which provides access to all included network operators using a single charge card, without the need for a monthly membership or subscription to each individual operator. 

Drivers choosing this tariff simply pay each month for the charging and energy they have used, which is then clearly presented within their online account, or on their App for easy reference. 

BMW POINTS.

The benefits of using PHEVs running on electric in urban environments to improve air quality are clear, and for drivers who have chosen a BMW plug-in hybrid*, there are financial benefits too. 

Thanks to the BMW Points programme, every time your vehicle is charged for a set period or uses electric-only power when driving, you receive points. When 3,200 points are reached, a £10 charging credit is awarded, to be used across the  BMW Charging network. 

BMW plug-in hybrid models offer the ability to automatically switch to electric driving mode once they have entered designated eDrive zones in London, Birmingham, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Belfast, Liverpool, Bath and Manchester, with more cities launching soon. BMW eDrive Zones and BMW Points further enhance the commitment to urban electrification. 

 *Available on BMW 330e, BMW 530e (produced from July 2020), BMW 545e, BMW 745e, BMW X3 30e (produced from August 2021) and BMW X5 45e with BMW Operating System 7.0