By 2015, all BMW models will come with an in-car SIM card to allow permanent connection to the company's expanded ConnectDrive service
BMW has re-worked its ConnectedDrive system as more of the brand’s cars are supplied with mobile internet connections and in preparation for the launch of the new battery-powered i3.
BMW has not only redesigned the ConnectedDrive internet portal, it is also launching a ‘fully networked’ BMW i navigation system, a new BMW i Remote App for smartphones, real-time traffic information and, for i3 drivers, the ability to plan a journey that dovetails with various forms of public transport, using on-line timetable information. The i3 will also use the internet link to calculate its real-world range based on 3D sat-nav mapping and real-time traffic info.
The new system will also provide an ‘Intelligent Emergency Call system’ (IECS), which can call the emergency service with the vehicle location and information on the severity of any crash. Interestingly, BMW says that all new cars sold in the EU from 2015 have to have IECS as standard.
BMW says that ‘many’ of its conventional models will soon be delivered with a built-in SIM card, allowing connection to the internet while on the move. It will also be possible to create a wi-fi hot spot in the car with a suitable LTE-capable SIM card. The company says that the ConnectedDrive portfolio will soon be available in a total of 24 countries and ‘around five million’ BMWs worldwide are expected to be linked up to ConnectedDrive by 2017.
Owners will have their own page on BMW’s ConnectedDrive website, on which they can buy and download various services such a web radio and music streaming services, similar to Apple’s App store. The new Mobile Office App now, for example, includes speech recognition so a driver can dictate messages and have then sent via text or email from the car.