BMW's ReachNow to take on Uber in Seattle

ReachNow claims to be the first service to combine car sharing and ride hailing from a single app.

BMW-owned ReachNow has launched a new multimodal service in Seattle.

The company claims to be the first to offer both car sharing and ride hailing via a single unified app interface.

"From day one, we've said that car sharing alone isn't enough to solve the transportation challenges facing major cities," says ReachNow chief customer officer Simon Broesamle. "There are plenty of use cases for how people take advantage of a matrix of transit solutions - from bikes and buses to ride share and ferries - to make their way around their world every day."

Users who choose to drive will be able to select from a fleet with hundreds of BMW, BMW i and MINI vehicles. Costs are tallied by the minute, hour or day.

With ReachNow Ride, users can choose between an immediate pickup or planning ahead up to a week in advance.

The app allows users to personalize their in-vehicle ride experience, choosing the music preference or climate-control setting, while a 'quiet time' feature can be engaged if the user does not want to be disturbed during the trip. Users can also choose a plan based on highest convenience or lowest cost.

ReachNow also operates in Portland and New York City, but these locations will not be able to take advantage of the new ride-hailing service that is starting first in Seattle.