Using the Open Mobility Cloud as a basis, it connects touchpoints such as smartphones and smartwatches with users’ cars, thus weaving the car into their digital lives. And due to its ability to create an intelligent BMW ID based on a user’s travel patterns over time, BMW Connected users get a personalized experience over all available touchpoints.

When it was launched—in March in the USA and in August in Europe—BMW Connected was initially available for Apple iPhone users. From October, Android-based smartphones will also be supported. The update of BMW Connected will also cover the new Apple Watch Series 2.

Customers will be able to call up information such as driving times based on current traffic, as well as a map showing the navigation destination on the watch, and use that information without having to take out their smartphone. Plus, integration into Alexa will also allow users in Germany and the UK to control vehicle functions from home. For example, the vehicle doors can be locked or the battery’s charge status checked.

With BMW Connected, mobility begins before the user gets into the car and does not have to end when they find a parking space. Last mile navigation displays the route users need to take from their car to their final destination on their mobile device. And the new update to BMW Connected also sees users benefitting from first mile navigation—the route back to their vehicle is now accessible via BMW Connected.

New filter functions allow BMW Connected to be adapted even more precisely to personal needs. For instance, searches for charging stations for BMW i models or vehicles with plug-in hybrid drive systems can be refined using criteria such as the charging method involved, membership in the ChargeNow network, and the accepted payment method(s). Charging stations which do not meet the selected criteria are not shown. Furthermore, users can access more information on their vehicle, such as the tyre pressure and engine oil level.

The new BMW Connected visual design increases ease of use, with upgraded graphics that sharpen the focus on the desired information. In order to increase the run time of the devices in use, BMW Connected now also offers an additional mode which preserves battery life.

BMW Connected is now available in six more markets: Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Malaysia, and Singapore. BMW Connected was already offered in the USA, Germany, Austria, UK, Italy, France, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Ireland, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Luxembourg.

Alexa can be linked to BMW Connected by users in the USA, Germany, and the UK, with other markets to follow.