BMW promotes CO₂-optimised charging
With the ‘COOL’ feature, the automotive group helps customers identify the ideal moment for especially green charging and uses playful incentives to encourage climate-friendly behaviour.
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The project at a glance
Gamification meets green electricity: sustainable charging reimagined
The challenge
Protecting the climate with every charge
Electromobility is seen as a cornerstone of sustainable mobility, but how climate-friendly an electric car really is depends heavily on when it’s charged. The CO₂ intensity of the electricity mix fluctuates throughout the day, depending on whether the grid is powered primarily by sun, wind or conventional energy sources. Most users are unaware of this. While dynamic electricity tariffs help optimise costs, there is no comparable system that guides users toward CO₂-optimised charging.
The solution
“COOL“
Spark Reply and Concept Reply partnered with BMW to create "COOL", an intelligent and engaging charging companion. The feature within the BMW prototyping app "360° Mobility" turns complex electricity and emissions data into a playful, motivating experience. It analyses the CO₂ intensity of the current electricity mix in real time and notifies users as soon as a particularly low-emission charging window opens.
When drivers charge their vehicles during these periods, a personalized video appears on the display, positively reinforcing sustainable behavior. Users can also earn badges and participate in challenges, seamlessly integrating climate-friendly behaviour into their daily routines.
How we did it
Focusing on the user and the goal
Spark Reply translated the complexity of CO₂ intensity into a clear, intuitive user experience. Concept Reply implemented the complete technical solution, from the Flutter-based app and backend services to the scalable cloud architecture and integration into BMW’s systems. All charging and vehicle data is processed anonymously, meeting the highest security and data-protection standards.
The solution
Clear incentives for conscious consumption
Between April and July 2025, "COOL" was piloted in the Netherlands with 355 BMW drivers. Over 13,000 charging processes were analysed and supplemented by qualitative interviews to uncover the true motivational mechanics behind charging behaviour.
The results were clear:
Information alone doesn’t change habits, but the right mix of real-time data, forecasts and emotionally engaging gamification does.
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.
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.
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.