BMW's ChargeForward Program: The Ultimate Electrified Money-Making Machine?

Woodcliff Lake, NJ – In a move that's as savvy as it is green, BMW of North America today flipped the switch on its national ChargeForward program. This isn't just any rollout; it's the electric cavalry charging in alongside the debut of the all-new, all-electric BMW i5. Forget about the days when your car just sat there, depreciating and slurping up electricity – BMW's got a smarter plan.

For those not in the know, BMW's ChargeForward has been the smart kid in a few states, teaming up with local utilities to turn EVs into grid-balancing superheroes. Now, it's going nationwide, and it's not just for show. Here’s the deal: If you own a BMW EV or PHEV (2018 model year or newer, please – let's not get too retro), you can sign up to have your car charge when it's greenest and cheapest. And get this – BMW pays you for it. Yes, you read that right.

Thomas Ruemenapp, the VP of Engineering at BMW North America, isn't just throwing around buzzwords when he talks about empowering drivers to slash carbon emissions and ramp up renewable energy use. It's a tech-savvy, environmentally conscious, wallet-friendly trifecta.

Here's the genius part: BMW's not installing some clunky hardware in your garage. No sir. It's all done through the magic of their Connected Drive system, which whispers to your car the best times to gulp down those electrons.

But wait, there's more – it's not just a one-off gimmick. BMW's playing the long game with its ChargeForward program. Remember their joint venture, ChargeScape? Alongside other automakers, they're knitting a cozy blanket of utility connections across the nation. The goal? Scale up and streamline, baby.

So, how does the cash flow into your wallet? Two ways: participate in smart charging events, or get quarterly Carbon Dividend incentives. It's like your car's going to work for you, and all you did was plug it in.

But BMW's not just throwing darts in the dark here. They've got brains backing them up. UC Berkeley's Transportation Sustainability Research Center is crunching numbers to see just how much good this is doing for Mother Earth. And WattTime? They're the ones giving BMW the 411 on when the grid's running clean or dirty.

Don’t worry, BMW's not ditching its existing utility pals in California, North Carolina, Michigan, Colorado, and Sacramento. They're all part of this electric party.

It’s not just about making your EV smarter. BMW's thinking bigger – building high-powered charging networks with friends, simplifying the charging game with Plug & Charge, and giving you access to a gazillion (okay, 100,000) more chargers through Shell Recharge.

In a nutshell, BMW’s not just selling you a car. They're selling a smarter, cleaner lifestyle, with a side of cash incentives. It's like the ultimate driving machine just morphed into the ultimate charging machine. And who said electricity can't be exciting?