Drive electric, collect BMW Points, charge for free: BMW presents the worldwide first bonus programme for Plug-in Hybrid Model drivers.

Munich. The BMW Group continues its consistent support for electromobility. With BMW Points, the worldwide first bonus programme for drivers of Plug-in Hybrid Models, the company creates additional incentives for increasing the share of electric driving in every-day traffic. Purely electric and thus locally emission-free driving is awarded with BMW Points. The driver is credited one point for every purely electrically-driven kilometre. Using the purely electric driving mode in areas defined as BMW eDrive zones is even awarded with double points.  The collected points may then be converted into a credit that can be redeemed at BMW Charging public charging stations when charging the high voltage battery. In this way drivers of a BMW Plug-in Hybrid Model may actively contribute to the reduction of CO2-emissions while further reducing the operating costs of their vehicle. The new digital service is available in Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. Other markets will follow in the course of 2020.

"With the innovative bonus programme BMW Points we combine our technology competence in electromobility and digitisation in order to make sustained mobility even more attractive for the drivers of BMW Plug-in Hybrid Models", explains Pieter Nota, member of the BMW AG Management Board, responsible for Customer, Brands and Sales.

More BMW Points, fewer emissions: Every kilometre counts.

The digital service BMW Points rewards drivers of Plug-in Hybrid Models, which reduce fuel consumption, CO2-emission and noise emissions in urban traffic through purely electric driving, thus contributing to increased quality of life in urban environment. The innovative bonus programme raises drivers' motivation to charge the high-voltage battery on a regular basis to use the electric range of current BMW Plug-in Hybrid Models as intensive as possible for local emission-free mobility – in particular in the city, but also when commuting between home and work.

BMW Points are being collected automatically during driving on an individual customer account that is integrated in the My BMW App. Thus the driver of a BMW Plug-in Hybrid Model may collect points in a very convenient way for every kilometre covered with a purely electric drive. Converting points into a credit balance is possible when a certain score has been reached. Thereby 1 250 BMW Points equal a credit of 10 euro. For 3 000 BMW Points 25 euro will be credited, for 5 800 BMW Points 50 euro. These bonus points may be used at public charging posts for charging the high-voltage battery via the digital service BMW Charging.

First experiences: BMW Points generate significant added value.

Only a few weeks after the start of BMW Points at the first European automobile markets it could already be seen, based on anonymised customer data, that customers succeed immediately in generating a significant ecological and emotional added value with the collection of points. The particularity thereby: BMW Points specifically rewards customers' sustained mobility behaviour since the bonus points in the form of a charging-credit enable them to drive emissionfree kilometres locally without additional costs. Thus customers and the environment profit equally from this innovative digital service. Regarding the further development of BMW Points new ways for collecting points as well as additional options for redeeming the collected points are being analysed. Creating incentives for sustainable mobility behaviour is thereby clearly in the focus.

Manage BMW Points conveniently with the My BMW App.

The services BMW Points and BMW eDrive zone may be used as standard in all current BMW Plug-in Hybrid Models that are equipped with the latest generation of display and operating systems, the BMW Operating System 7 as well as the BMW Live Cockpit Plus or Professional. This includes the Plug-in-Hybrid-Models of the series BMW 3 Series, BMW 5 Series* and BMW 7 Series, as well as the BMW X5 xDrive45e. Further models will follow continuously.

Prerequisite for collecting BMW Points is a BMW ConnectedDrive Account. The customer can manage their current point level conveniently via the My BMW App on their smartphone. BMW Points, when charging the high voltage battery, are also redeemed via the My BMW App in combination with the digital charging service BMW Charging.

The BMW Group steadily expands its selection of vehicles with electric drivetrains and consistently further develops the BMW eDrive technology as well as innovative digital services, where the BMW Group puts ideas for more sustainability on the roads. "All of us work together permanently on further developing driving pleasure and sustainability which is typical for our brand", says Pieter Nota. "Digitisation gives us here the opportunity to regard our customers' preferences even more and to make those our focal point."

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Unique combination: BMW Points and BMW eDrive zone.

BMW Points follow up on the digital service BMW eDrive zone, which had been introduced in spring. With that service BMW took on a pioneering role promoting the electromobility in inner city road traffic. As soon as a BMW Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle equipped with this service enters an eDrive zone, the mode of operation changes automatically to a purely electric operating mode. The eDrive zones include the official urban low emission zones in Germany but also further core areas of cities in Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom. In order to recognise a BMW eDrive zone, geofencing is used via GPS. This service is already available in areas of 94 European cities. More inner city areas that are designated BMW eDrive zones will follow.

The combined services BMW eDrive zone and BMW Points will help to take advantage of the Plug-in Hybrid Models' potential by reducing emissions in inner city road traffic as far as possible. Combining BMW Points and BMW eDrive Zones – all new to the automotive sector - the BMW Group shows once more how it uses its technology competency on a top-level to support electromobility and digitisation while promoting sustainable individual mobility.

BMW Plug-in Hybrid Models are by now available in all relevant vehicle segments; the latest battery cell technology will further increase their electric range. New functions of BMW Points and BMW eDrive zone assure an even better utilization of the Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles' potential, with their electric motor being consistently more efficient than a petrol or diesel engine, in particular in urban traffic. Increasing the electric drive parts is a contribution to optimise the efficiency and to reduce emissions but also to decrease the operational costs for the customer.

BMW Plug-in Hybrid Models: many advantages in daily use.

In addition, BMW Plug-in Hybrid Models offer their users even more advantages compared to traditional drives:

• Money saved: Electric driving in the city is cheaper than using petrol and diesel when the Plug-in-Hybrid Electric Vehicle is charged cost-effectively at home or at the employer.
• Tax advantage: Company Plug-in Hybrid cars get only taxed on half of the gross list price to determine the financial advantage when privately used in Germany.
• Always the right temperature, already when getting into the car: Pre-heating and stationary air conditioning come as standard.
• If you brake, you win: The battery is being re-charged when braking. With conventional vehicles braking only generates heat and brake abrasion.
• The best of two worlds: Plug-in Hybrid Models offer electric driving pleasure in the city and classic BMW driving pleasure on long distances.
• More quality of life in cities: By activating the electric drive mode, users may actively contribute to the reduction of emissions and traffic noise in the cities.

For additional information regarding BMW Charging, please see the press release “BMW Charging and MINI Charging: expanded charging options for Gen5 market launch” from 14 October 2020, which is available in the BMW Group PressClub (https://pressclub.bmwgroup.net/global/).

* Available in BMW 5 Series Sedan with producation date later than July 2020; available in 5 Series Touring with production date later than November 2020.