With new combustion car sale bans coming into force over the next decade, automakers are rapidly expanding their electric car lineups. But not everyone is ready to switch to an EV yet. Plug-in hybrids are an excellent alternative way of introducing buyers to electrified cars, with the ability to utilize full-electric power for short journeys. To take advantage of this, BMW's plug-in hybrid cars like the electrified 3 Series, 5 Series, and X5 are equipped with clever eDrive Zone technology.

If the system detects you are driving in a low-emissions zone, the powertrain automatically switches to fully electric mode, resulting in lower emissions and fuel costs. Since BMW's eDrive Zone technology was introduced in Germany last year, the service has expanded significantly.

Now, BMW Group has added eDrive Zones to another 20 European cities including Copenhagen, Verona, and Toulouse, meaning BMW's eDrive Zones are now available in 138 cities across Europe. In the coming year, BMW plans to expand the service to at least 30 more locations worldwide.

Using geofencing technology and GPS, BMW's PHEVs can recognize the designated areas with low-emission zones. To encourage emissions-free driving, drivers are rewarded with bonus points for each kilometer driven with all-electric power, with double points awarded in an eDrive Zone. These points can then be redeemed in exchange for charging credit. Since it launched, BMW's eDrive Zones and loyalty program are having the desired effect.

According to BMW, more than 75 percent of all trips in an eDrive Zone are completed in electric driving mode. Of these, around 40 percent of drivers already enter the designated areas using the electric mode. An additional 35 percent of drivers also switch to electric driving mode using the eZone function.

In the last quarter, BMW plug-in hybrid models drove an additional 2.5 million miles in electric driving mode within eDrive Zones - that's the equivalent to more than 80 trips around the equator. Since the first eDrive Zones launched last summer, BMW plug-in hybrid owners have collected around 150 million points, which is the equivalent of around 2.9-gigawatt-hours of charging power. This amount of power can charge a BMW 3 Series Hybrid almost 250,000 times.