DriveNow car sharing service uses Vodafone technology

 90,000 DriveNow users rely on Vodafone mobile technology  Vodafone M2M digitises car sharing

Düsseldorf/Hanover/CeBIT, March 2013 – The Vodafone network is a framework for innovative mobility concepts. In one such concept, premium car sharing provider DriveNow has connected its fleet to the Vodafone network, eliminating the need for expensive fixed car stations. Customers benefit because the cars can now be parked in any public area for pick up. They simply use their smartphone or PC to locate and reserve the nearest car. Thanks to Vodafone M2M technology, they can open the car door with a DriveNow ID (RFID), enter a 4-digit pin and then start the motor with the start button. No physical car key is involved. Around 90,000 people use DriveNow and it has a 1,500-strong fleet in four major German cities and in San Francisco. Vodafone won the Global Mobile Award 2013 - the mobile communications “Oscar” - in the category of “Best Mobile Product or Service for Automotive” for its DriveNow service. It is presenting the innovative M2M car sharing model at this year’s CeBIT in Hanover, . DriveNow is one of the trade show highlights at the Vodafone stand.

“Demand for car sharing is on the rise in major cities. To function effectively, these systems need an efficient mobile network and the right communication architecture. Our modern network and intelligent M2M applications are perfect for DriveNow,“ explains Alexander Saul, Head of Vodafone Germany’s Enterprise Unit.

The concept of car sharing without rental stations is called free floating car sharing. To use the service, the consumer uses a smartphone app or the internet to locate or reserve a car. When they hold their DriveNow ID against the car, an embedded telematics unit communicates a number code to the data centre. This number is then decoded at the data centre to authenticate the user and confirm the booking. DriveNow vehicles are parked in public areas waiting for pick up by new drivers. The company pays a flat rate charge to the municipal authority for parking in some cities, and in others it uses mobile technology to pay the parking tickets. The data is communicated between the vehicle and the parking ticket server via M2M communication.

No sensitive customer data is transferred in any of the processes, all of which are automatic - from opening the car, recording the starting point, destination and driving time to billing. Additional service modules are currently in the pipeline. “DriveNow users will soon be able to use their ID to get into car parks, pay for electric car charging and make mobile payments, simplifying the DriveNow billing service and making car sharing even more flexible. Vodafone will also be supporting us in providing these new services,” saiys Nico Gabriel one of DriveNow’s CEOs alongside Dr. Andreas Schaaf.

In future, consumers will be able to use their smartphone and an optimised app to compute complicated routes and find the optimum one. “The fastest route to a DriveNow car may be by rental bike to the station and then by train to the next city,” said Schaaf. Founded in June 2011, DriveNow is a pioneering future networks. The company is already partner of the bicycle rental provider NextBike, plus the public transport services providers Rheinbahn in Düsseldorf, Kölner Verkehrsbetriebe in and Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe in . This enables it to offer the Vodafone GmbH, Corporate Communications Ferdinand-Braun-Platz 1, D-40549 Düsseldorf, T + 49 (0) 211/533-5500 [email protected], www.vodafone-deutschland.de

best public transport connections based on destination, travel time and options available. Free floating car sharing will be part of a comprehensive mobility concept for the future - especially in cities with a high volume of traffic. Vodafone’s mobile network and M2M technology provide a solid platform for this concept.

M2M communication is a growth market. At the end of 2011, two billion machines around the globe were networked. According to the analysts at “Machina Research”, twelve billion of them will be networked by the year 2020. Vodafone is one of the leading providers in the M2M market with 250 M2M specialists and twenty years of experience.

Vodafone is back in Pavilion 32 at this year’s CeBIT from 5 to 8 March 2013. It will be presenting numerous innovative products for business users according to the motto of “Networked Power”. You can find further CeBIT press releases, plus image and video material at www.vodafone.de/unternehmen/presse.

Press contact: Markus Teubner +49 (0) 211 533-5699 +49 (0) 211 533-5500 [email protected]

Further information for journalists: blog.vodafone.de twitter.com/vodafone_medien

Vodafone Germany is one of the largest and most modern telecommunication services providers in Europe. It realises turnover of more than 9.6 billion euros and has 12,000 employees. Based in Düsseldorf, Vodafone Germany is a one-stop innovative and integrated technology and service provider with a portfolio including mobile communications, fixed network telephony, internet and broadband data services for business and private customers. Continuous development, numerous patents and investments in new products, services and the modern network have made Vodafone an innovation leader in the German telecommunications market. Vodafone is committed to CSR. The German Vodafone Foundation is a socio-political think tank that initiates and supports numerous projects in the fields of education, integration and social mobility. The company is part of the Vodafone Group. Visit the website at www.vodafone-deutschland.de for further information.

About DriveNow DriveNow is a car sharing joint venture of the BMW Group and AG. Both companies have a 50% stake in the joint venture. The BMW Group contributes the vehicles and vehicle technology. Sixt AG provides the premium services, know-how, IT systems and a nationwide network of rental stations for customer registration. DriveNow is a modern mobility concept available in , Berlin, Düsseldorf, Cologne and San Francisco. In Germany, DriveNow provides a free floating car sharing concept.

Vodafone GmbH, Corporate Communications Ferdinand-Braun-Platz 1, D-40549 Düsseldorf, T + 49 (0) 211/533-5500 [email protected], www.vodafone-deutschland.de