MINI launches an online service for test drives and car rental in Russia
The MINI Russia announces a launch of a first test drive and car rental service called EASY2DRIVE. It’s a fully digital ecosystem that makes the registration process, selection of a car and booking service online via mobile app. Uniqueness of the service is that you may choose between short term and long term rental - up to few days. Last year BMW Russia launched a service called EASY2RIDE that offers similar service for BMW Motorrad bikes.
The MINI EASY2DRIVE system was jointly developed by the Russian MINI division and the "Smart Driving Labs" (SDL). The service is based on the EASY2RIDE platform, which has been used by BMW Motorrad for more than a year to develop a dealer fleet management system.

The user can get information about the availability of various MINI models during the period of interest through the EASY2DRIVE mobile application (Android or iOS) and book the car. The screening of the client, registration of the necessary documents, management of the fleet and reservations – all this is automated. The client only needs to wait for confirmation and arrive at the selected salon on time.

Says Dmitry Shumeyko, head of the Russian MINI division: "The philosophy of the MINI brand is based on openness, optimism, individuality and unity. The EASY2DRIVE system corresponds to these values: on the one hand, it gives anyone the opportunity to join the MINI world and test the MINI model of interest, and on the other hand, it forms a direct communication between customers and MINI brand. EASY2DRIVE makes it possible to have a good time in the company of a legendary car, and we are sure that many of the users of the service will become our regular customers."

To manage the fleet, a comprehensive telematics solution by SDL is used, consisting of a telematics unit and a cloud IT platform. The telematics unit records the route, speed, traffic violations, fuel level, malfunctions and evaluates driving safety. All this data is sent online to the cloud platform, on the basis of which the service administration system works with built-in analytics for each trip.

Telematics will also be used to improve maintenance procedures and allow you to collect data on the operation of components and parts of the car in real time.

These factors plus the authorization of the SDL telematics by the leading Russian insurance companies, will have positive affect on the cost of car insurance and, as a result, the rental price level.

Says Mikhail Anokhin, General Director of the Smart Driving Labs: "We are pleased that the second BMW Group company has chosen our solution for the development of digital infrastructure. Together with MINI, we managed to implement an original dealer fleet management system, which removes unnecessary workload from employees and allows us to organize an automated sharing model for using available cars. As we can see from the experience of working with BMW Motorrad, such practice contributes to the growth of customer loyalty."

MINI EASY2DRIVE test drives are free of charge, and the rental price is estimated depending on its duration, selected model and conditions of the dealership that issues the car.

The MINI EASY2DRIVE service will work in the MINI dealership network, in five cities of Russia: Moscow, St. Petersburg, Rostov-on-Don, Krasnodar and Kazan. The launch of the service in Sochi, Kaliningrad and Yekaterinburg is planned for 2022.