Development of the Car Sharing System

Our company has been challenging the combination of "ultra-compact mobility" and "sharing" since January 2021.

*For information on what ultra-compact mobility is, please refer to the previous article.

Zenmov purchased the following vehicle in January 2021.

　　　　　　BMW i3

Why We Purchased the BMW i3

When looking for vehicles that qualify as ultra-compact mobility available on the market, we found that almost all vehicles lack an essential feature needed for sharing.

"Digital Key" is that feature.

While it is not impossible to share a physical key, we determined that eliminating the need for key handovers and allowing for app-based unlocking via smartphone greatly enhances user convenience, and we intended to adopt such a system.

The BMW i3 was the vehicle we found amidst the lack of suitable models. It is technically a four-seater and falls under the category of regular passenger cars. However, it has a driving range of 120 km when fully charged. Manufactured in 2014 during the dawn of EVs, and considering the battery degradation, it was judged that it could be utilized for purposes similar to ultra-compact mobility, thus we chose the BMW i3.

・It must have a digital key (to create a system that allows unlocking and locking from a smartphone app)

・It must be able to fulfill a use case similar to ultra-compact mobility (due to a short driving range)

These two points were the deciding factors for adopting the BMW i3.

Company Vehicle Management System

Utilizing a key box developed by a certain company, we have built the following system and have been experimenting with sharing among employees.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　The car sharing app developed and utilized by our company

We have completed the verification of this system and will offer it to companies that have company vehicles.

Currently, it is available for more than just ultra-compact mobility.

Future Outlook

Even for employee use, it has become clear that there is rarely a need to use it outside of Tokyo, and if used only within the city, this vehicle has sufficient battery capacity. All employees are finding it convenient to use. Based on this, we are considering expanding the sales of this system.

Moreover, compared to regular passenger cars, ultra-compact mobility tends to have a lower average price, suggesting that its adoption will continue to progress. Instead, we want to research what kind of demand exists in suburban areas and regions with inconvenient transportation, rather than just focusing on people in urban centers like us.

If there are any corporations or municipalities interested in such a system, please contact us via our homepage.