Spark Reply and Concept Reply Promote CO₂-optimised Charging Together With BMW

Spark Reply, specialists in design and user experience, and Concept Reply, IoT and AI technology experts within the Reply Group, have developed a smart app for the BMW group as part of a research project that actively encourages electric vehicle drivers to adopt low-carbon charging habits. The “COOL” feature within the BMW Prototyping App “360° Mobility” analyses the current electricity mix and shows users in real time when it is at its cleanest. Playful interactions and personalised AI-generated images further motivate drivers to make more sustainable choices.

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In a post pilot survey, 73 per cent of participants stated that they were willing to make an extra effort to charge with reduced CO₂ emissions, such as by setting a charging window in their app. This proves that 'COOL' can measurably reduce the carbon footprint of everyday electric driving.

Electric mobility is a key part of climate-friendly transport. However, the environmental impact of electric cars depends heavily on when they are charged, as the energy mix can vary dramatically throughout the day. Many users are unaware of this. This is exactly where the “COOL” feature of the Prototyping App “360° Mobility” comes in. The app continuously evaluates the carbon intensity of the current electricity mix and identifies the best times to charge. When drivers plug in during one of these periods, the vehicle’s infotainment system automatically displays personalised, AI-generated images to acknowledge and reinforce their sustainable action. The gamified approach provides an additional motivational element: users collect badges unlocked after every three successful low-carbon charging sessions and participate in challenges that encourage environmentally friendly behaviour in a fun way.

Spark Reply transformed the complex data structures around carbon intensity into a clear and intuitive user experience. Concept Reply delivered the technical implementation based on a scalable backend as well as an cloud architecture.They also integrated the solution into BMW’s systems. All charging and vehicle data is processed anonymously and meets the highest security and data protection standards. The result is a fully integrated, appealing and highly secure solution.

Between April and July 2025, the project was piloted with 355 BMW drivers in the Netherlands. The project team analysed over 13,000 charging sessions, supplementing these insights with qualitative interviews to gain a better understanding of what truly motivates users. The results were clear: combining real-time data, forecasts, and playful elements significantly improved charging behaviour. In a post pilot survey, 73 per cent of participants stated that they were willing to make an extra effort to charge with reduced CO₂ emissions, such as by setting a charging window in their app. This proves that 'COOL' can measurably reduce the carbon footprint of everyday electric driving.

Dr. Jörg Hetterich, project manager for CO₂ optimised charging at BMW, commented: “With 'COOL', we demonstrate how digital services can promote sustainable mobility in an intuitive manner. The app makes low-carbon charging simple and transparent. Together with Spark Reply and Concept Reply, we have created a charging experience that strengthens environmental awareness and noticeably eases our customers' everyday lives.” Tim Lange, Product Owner of 360° Mobility at BMW, emphasised that “the collaboration with Reply was highly productive, resulting in the creation of a useful, entertaining, and unique customer experience across both the mobile app and the vehicle”.

This project demonstrates how BMW, Concept Reply and Spark Reply are using modern digital technologies to encourage more sustainable charging behaviour and facilitate the wider shift towards low-carbon mobility.

Concept Reply
Concept Reply is an AI and IoT (AIoT) technology software development company within the Reply network. Its experts specialise in providing end-to-end business transformation solutions for the automotive, manufacturing, and smart infrastructure sectors. The company delivers software innovations to customers throughout the entire value chain, from AIoT strategy definition to implementation, rollout, and operations. www.conceptreply.com

Spark Reply
Spark Reply, a company of Reply Group, is a pioneer in design desirable product-service experiences. Through its fast business prototyping method, Spark Reply accelerates entrepreneurship and innovation culture in companies. Spark Reply combines business, technology and design talents to bring physical and digital innovations to life and solve even the toughest growth challenges. sparkreply.com

BMW
With its brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and a provider of premium financial services. The Group operates more than 30 production sites worldwide and maintains a sales network spanning over 140 countries. In 2024, the BMW Group sold over 2.45 million cars and more than 210,000 motorcycles. Earnings before taxes totalled €11.0 billion on revenues of €142.4 billion. As of 31 December 2024, the company employed 159,104 people. Long-term thinking, responsible action and sustainability are deeply embedded in the BMW Group’s corporate strategy, from the supply chain to production and beyond the end of a product’s life cycle. www.bmw.de

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