Search
Close this search box.
Sign up for our weekly Newsletter

Alphabet launches AlphaCity car-sharing club

661_MINI_AlphaShare
Under new AlphaCity car sharing initiative, MINI is one of the key brands offered in Alphabet's innovative new package

Share

16 March 2012

MINI under the AlphaShare corporate car sharing scheme launched by Alphabet
Under new AlphaCity car sharing initiative, MINI is one of the key brands offered in Alphabet’s innovative new package

Author: Ralph Morton

THE BMW-owned leasing company Alphabet has today launched an innovative corporate car sharing initiative.

Called AlphaCity, Alphabet claims it will reduce the costs associated with traditional pool cars – those unloved car park orphans used by all and sundry in the business – as well as daily rental costs and the use of taxis.

Although primarily aimed at larger corporate organisations, Alphabet boss Richard Schooling said: “It’s a really useful way for SME firms to potentially reduce costs. It means you can have fewer company cars for staff, but when business cars are needed they are available for use. AlphaCity can replace the need to have more leased cars in the business.”

Richard said an SME would need about two cars as a minimum and some 50 users per car to really make it work.

Talking of which, how does it work?

You pay a normal lease rental for the car, plus a 20% premium for the management features that provide control over the car.

To all intents and purposes AlphaCity provides a pool car with fleet management facilities.

AlphaCity operates like many car clubs do already. A user makes a booking, then with a swipe card opens the car and enters a pin code. With the pin entered, the car can be started. It’s all keyless.

Vehicles in the AlphaCity scheme all come from the BMW group: MINI, MINI Clubman, MINI Convertible, BMW 1 Series and BMW X1.

One of the advantages is that, unlike traditional pool cars, Alphabet says an AlphaCity car can be used privately at the weekends too, offering staff a real benefit.

Richard says that Alphabet is working on extending the concept into business parks where all SME firms in that business park could benefit from the system.

“It has a few business car management challenges, but we are working on them,” added Richard.

BMW operates its own mobility service, in conjunction with rental firm Sixt, called DriveNow. It’s a premium car sharing service, currently only available in Munich. But we understand the latest business car news suggests the service is coming to the UK soon.

Share this article

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
WhatsApp
Reddit
Email

Want more motoring news?

Sign up here for our free weekly serving of motoring.

Sign up here for our free weekly serving of motoring.

Ralph Morton

Ralph Morton

Ralph Morton is an award-winning journalist and the founder of Business Car Manager (now renamed Business Motoring). Ralph writes extensively about the car and van leasing industry as well as wider fleet and company car issues. A former editor of What Car?, Ralph is a vastly experienced writer and editor and has been writing about the automotive sector for over 35 years.

Latest news

Top