PressClub United Kingdom · Article.
New functions, extensive updates: My BMW App offers decision-making tool for switching from combustion engine to electric power.
Mon Aug 12 09:00:00 CEST 2024 Press Release
+++ Electric mobility in the spotlight +++ Electric Vehicle Analysis helps customers make an informed decision when choosing a drive type +++ Seamless navigation experience when switching between vehicle and app +++ Charging Wallet with charging tariffs +++ More than 13 million app users globally +++
Press Contact.
Chris Overall
BMW Group
Tel: +447815370990
send an e-mail
Author.
Martin Tholund
BMW Group
Note: This press release is a 1:1 copy of the original issued
by BMW headquarters in Germany. No adaptations have been made to
cater for the UK market.
The My BMW App and MINI App are
being continuously expanded and improved, with a total of five updates
carried out a year. The apps are growing increasingly important for
customers, especially when it comes to electric mobility and vehicle charging.
Decision-making tool for the switch to electric mobility:
Electric Vehicle Analysis.
The new Electric Vehicle
Analysis function allows customers who drive a BMW with a combustion
engine to simulate how well an all-electric BMW would suit their
personal driving profile. To carry out the simulation, the customer
selects an electric BMW model as an alternative vehicle in the app.
Once the combustion-engined model has made at least 200 journeys and
covered a distance of 2,000 kilometres (approx. 1,250 miles), the
analysis clearly shows the number of journeys that could have been
completed with the selected electric vehicle on a single charge. This
is intended to combat the range anxiety and concerns about the
everyday practicality of all-electric vehicles that are still
prevalent* today. For the simulation, the app uses the real-world
driving data for the combustion-engined model in question, as
generated by the My Trips function. Thanks to this individual
database, Electric Vehicle Analysis is able to provide the customer
with a sound basis for deciding which drive type to choose in their
next vehicle.The function will be upgraded in future to expand the
reach of the analysis. Evaluations of the time vehicles are not in use
and of long-distance journeys will be added, combined with information
on charging facilities and the time required for charging. To use
Electric Vehicle Analysis, customers must have a BMW with a combustion
engine and BMW Operating System 7 or later and also consent to their
driving data being used for the purpose of the analysis.
“Electric vehicles can already be incorporated perfectly into
the daily routine of many customers – it’s just that the majority of
them haven’t tried it yet,” says Dirk Wiedmann, Senior Vice President
Sales Steering and Strategy, Digitalisation. “Our app’s Electric
Vehicle Analysis helps our customers to make an informed judgement in
their choice of drive system.”
New functions for seamless interaction between vehicle and
app.
The latest update introduced a series of features
designed to produce a seamless route-planning experience when
switching between vehicle and app. Options such as avoiding motorways,
ferries or toll roads can now also be set in the app, for example, and
are always automatically synchronised in both directions. In addition
to this, the My BMW / MINI App with charging-optimised route planning
for all-electric vehicles now also makes it possible to add individual
charging stops, and these are then synchronised with the vehicle. The
apps also notify the user of facilities in the vicinity of charging
stations, such as restaurants, cafés, banks and supermarkets, complete
with detailed information on them.
New Charging Wallet for managing charging
tariffs.
Drivers of electric vehicles are now able to
select and manage preferred charging tariffs from a large number of
providers in the app’s new Charging Wallet. When the app user selects
a charging station, the applicable prices for the selected charging
tariffs are shown, depending on availability, allowing the user to
choose the cheapest tariff for them.
Wide-reaching app functions are being continuously improved
and expanded – with high levels of user
satisfaction.
13 million customers around the world use
the My BMW App and MINI App, with one million of these based in
Germany alone. Both apps have an average rating of 4.8 stars in the
App Store.
The apps keep drivers informed of the current status
of their BMW or MINI, as well as allowing them to lock and unlock the
doors, switch on the climate control, send destination addresses to
the navigation system, or use the Remote 3D View feature to call up an
image of the vehicle’s immediate vicinity or its interior. They can go
to the Services & Store tab to check out the available digital
services or obtain ConnectedDrive Upgrades. If the BMW or MINI Digital
Key Plus has been set up, previously stored manoeuvres and parking
functions can be carried out from outside the car while standing nearby.
Servicing and maintenance requirements can also be managed from
the two apps. For example, users receive a push notification if their
car needs to be serviced and can make an appointment directly in the
app. The app also provides support during the service process,
including check-in, service videos, status tracking and payment.
Accident and breakdown assistance can likewise be accessed quickly
using the app.
The availability of individual functions varies according to the
vehicle specification and country involved.
* cf. for example statista
survey on “reasons against buying an all-electric vehicle”