14 DAY TRIAL // Next year, BMW will launch a new range of electric cars in Europe and in the United States. Interestingly enough, the company wants to make sure that the people who buy these vehicles use clean energy to power them.
To this end, BMW has teamed up with US solar specialist SolarCity. Thus, the two companies will work together to provide EV drivers in the country with access to environmentally friendly energy.
More precisely, they will offer BMW i owners the chance to use fairly cheap solar power to keep their vehicles up and running. According to Business Green, BMW i owners will get a 10% discount on SolarCity's current solar financing package.
“The partnership will make it possible for many BMW i owners in SolarCity's territories to power their cars with clean electricity for less than it would cost with electricity provided by their utility company,” BMW and Solar City explain in a joint statement.
The car manufacturer explains that, all things considered, its customers will show interest in the opportunity to power their newly acquired vehicles with solar power not just because they will save some money, but also because this way they will further improve on their ecological footprint.
“With help from SolarCity, BMW i customers will have the opportunity to maximize the commitment to sustainability. This reinforces the entire concept behind the BMW i3, which is engineered and produced by the most sustainable manufacturing process in the automotive industry,” says Rob Healey, BMW's EV infrastructure manager.
“This partnership makes the more sustainable fuel option - emissions-free solar electricity - also the more affordable one. By making renewable energy far more accessible and affordable for its customers, BMW is helping to bring clean transportation into the mainstream,” adds Lyndon Rive, SolarCity chief executive, in a statement.
The same source tells us that a similar initiative will be implemented in the UK, except that, in this country, BMW will work closely with green company Good Energy.