Arriva launches extensive city car concept in Copenhagen

Arriva has officially launched DriveNow in the Danish capital Copenhagen – the world's largest 100 per cent electric city car concept.

Arriva’s DriveNow concept consists of 400 BMW I3 electric cars and is supported by The Danish Energy Agency and The Capital Region of Denmark. DriveNow is already operating successfully in several major cities in Europe and the United States, yet Arriva’s will be the first city car concept to be integrated with public transport in a metropolitan area.

Nikolaj Wendelboe, Managing Director of Arriva Denmark said: "DriveNow is the most ambitious and innovative public transport solution we've seen. With the 400 city cars, we tie Copenhagen and public transport together in a new way, giving citizens a flexible, coherent and simple travel experience. We give people a car - without a car."

The new DriveNow city car concept operates a "free-flow" system where customers can pick up their electric car and return it anywhere within the area of ​​operation, which currently overs Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Tårnby and a further two satellites planned at Hvidovre Hospital and in Lyngby. On average there are 300 meters between each city car, which corresponds to the distance between bus stops in the city.

Nico Gabriel, CEO of DriveNow said: "DriveNow has already been well received in eight major cities around the world. It is the right time for us to expand further with a new franchise concept, and in Arriva, we have found the right partner. Arriva has great market expertise in Copenhagen, and with them we can now offer a solution that integrates DriveNow with public transport."

In addition to creating a more modern public transport, DriveNow has a crucial role to play in reducing congestion in Copenhagen and contributing to the reduction of particulate pollutants and CO₂, with studies suggesting that a single city car on average displaces at least six private cars. In connection with the launch of DriveNow, expanded infrastructure in Copenhagen will now also take place, with 640 charging points across the city planned by the end of the year.

Nikolaj Wendelboe added: "DriveNow offers a unique opportunity to let people test and get a taste for green transport. It will help create a breakthrough for electric cars, while our partner, the energy company E.ON, can expand infrastructure for the benefit of all current electric car drivers.”