Electric Vehicle Subscriptions A Flexible Option for Short Term Use

Car Subscription Services: A Complete Guide To Lease And Rental Alternatives

How does a new Porsche every month sound? What about leasing a new Tesla for just a few months? Car subscription services offer premium vehicles for a monthly fee without committing to a lease or getting stuck with a long-term rental. They include insurance, maintenance, fees and even the freedom to swap cars.

If a car subscription sounds expensive, it is. In the past five years, no fewer than 10 automakers started and quietly shut down their subscriptions. Several startups came and went. The math didnt add up for most car-shoppers. Starting a subscription, some of which crested more than $1,000 per month, became cost-prohibitive in a matter of weeks when compared to leasing. The automakers (Ford, Lincoln, Lexus, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi) couldnt grow them beyond a few select cities due to lack of customer demand and the limited capacity of their vendors that were managing the vehicle fleets and the services. Car buyers have chosen to finance and lease, just like always.

That doesnt mean subscriptions are totally dead. Only Porsche and Volvo continue to offer factory subscriptions. Porsche has the allure of coveted and highly valuable sports cars, while Volvo keeps prices and terms comparable to its leases. A few startups and major rental companies are still in the business with competitive terms.

Car Subscription vs. Leasing: Whats the Difference?

Leasing has grown in popularity over the last few decades for several reasons. Although it generally requires a down payment, the monthly payment is usually lower compared with financing the same vehicle through conventional means. Leasing also is an attractive option for drivers uninterested in entering a long-term loan agreement. The terms are typically shorter in duration and allow drivers to move into a new vehicle every few years while sidestepping the hassle of selling or trading their current vehicle. The downside is that the lessee is on the hook for insurance, maintenance and repairs for the duration of the lease.

A car subscription service is similar to a lease only in the sense that theres no personal ownership, but terms are generally far shorter and more flexible. Insurance and maintenance costs also are included. For those who hate commitment and are willing to pay more for the associated perks, a car subscription is worth considering.

Which Automakers Offer Car Subscription Services?

Porsche Drive

From the Macan SUV to the almighty 911 sports car, this is a great way to experience one or several of Stuttgarts best cars. Unsurprisingly, Porsches program is very pricey. But the loans are flexible from just one day to an entire month, and subscribers can keep a single car for up to three months at a time. The electric Taycan (in base and 4S trims) is available but charging is extra, even at the Volkswagen-funded Electrify America stations.

Locations: Atlanta, Chicago, Cincinnati, Dallas, Houston, Irvine, Los Angeles, Louisville, Monterey, Nashville, Paramus, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose

Cars: 911, Boxster, Cayenne, Cayman, Macan, Panamera, Taycan

Price: Single-Vehicle Subscription for one or three months from $2,000 to $3,200 per month; Multi-Vehicle Subscription at $3,600 per month (plus tax); Daily rentals between $245 to $395 a day ($2,500 security deposit required)

Activation: $595 (waived only for the three-month single-vehicle plan)

Restrictions: Age 21+, 1500 to 2,000 miles/month (subscriptions); Age 27+, drivers license holder for five years, 200 miles/day (daily rentals)

Care by Volvo

Volvos subscription service is technically a 24-month lease that includes full insurance, maintenance and other add-on insurance items like tire and wheel protection. Volvo also waives $1,000 in excess wear charges when turning in the car. Swapping to another car is available after 5 months (or 12 months in Illinois). At the end of the agreement, subscribers can purchase the vehicle at a preset price, just like a lease. But unlike other services, the monthly prices reflect only a starting pointthey vary with the exact car and dont include tax.

Locations: Anywhere except Hawaii, Mississippi, North Carolina, North Dakota and South Dakota

Cars: By request only through a Volvo dealer

Price: By request only through a Volvo dealer

Restrictions: 15,000 miles/year, 5-month minimum (12 in Illinois), insurance not included in CA and NY

What Rental or Leasing Companies Offer Car Subscription Services?

• Autonomy
• Enterprise
• Finn
• Sixt

Autonomy

Autonomy is a third-party Tesla leasing company based in Santa Monica. Customers specify their down payment and monthly payments, which are then valid for 18, 24, 30 or 36 months. Unlike a lease, Autonomy wont charge an early termination fee or make the lessee buy out the lease contract. The quoted prices here dont include insurance, which is calculated and included for customers during purchase.

Locations: California, Florida, Texas, Washington

Cars: Tesla Model 3

Price: Varies. Smallest monthly payment is $390/month for 18 months with the highest down payment of $6100. Largest monthly payment is $1,000/month for 36 months with the smallest down payment of $1000.

Activation: $500 security deposit plus variable down payment (minimum $1,000)

Restrictions: No swap, 1,000 miles per car per month, one-month (31-day) minimum and two-week notice for cancellation, credit check

Subscribe With Enterprise

This program allows you to comb through most of the Enterprise fleet. Since this is a traditional rental company, in most cases, you cannot book the exact model in a given segment.

Locations: Georgia, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada

Cars:

• Compact, Intermediate and Standard SUVs (Ford EcoSport, Hyundai Kona, Nissan Rogue, Toyota RAV4, Ford Explorer, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Nissan Pathfinder or similar)
• Full-Size and Premium Sedans (Nissan Altima, Chevy Impala, Toyota Camry, Chrysler 300 or similar);
• Standard and Full-Size Pickup Trucks (Chevy Colorado, Nissan Frontier, Dodge Ram 1500, Ford F150 or similar)
• In Georgia only: Luxury Sedans and SUVs (BMW 3 Series, Infiniti Q50, Audi Q3, Mercedes-Benz GLA 250, BMW X3, Mercedes-Benz GLC 300, Audi Q5) and Luxury Elite SUVs (Land Rover Discovery, Jaguar F-Pace, Audi Q7, Infiniti QX80, Cadillac Escalade)

Price: $1,499/month

Activation: $250

Restrictions: 3,000 miles/month, four swaps per month within the same state, two-month minimum, refueling penalty, in-store pickup/return only, 25+ years old, exact car not guaranteed

Finn

Finn started offering subscriptions in Germany and currently serves the mid-Atlantic and Northeast states. Prices are very competitive to a traditional lease and in some cases work out to significant savings with all included fees, especially for expensive pickup trucks and SUVs. There is no down payment, security deposit or activation fee. The mileage limit is lower than other services, though Finn offers up to 1500 miles for an added fee. Subscriptions are as short as six months and as long as a year. Swaps arent allowed.

Locations: Connecticut, Washington, D.C., Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia

Cars: Cadillac XT6, Chevrolet Blazer, Chevrolet Traverse, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, GMC Sierra 1500, Nissan Pathfinder, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep Wagoneer L, Ram 1500, Tesla Model 3, Volkswagen ID.4

Price: $579/month to $1,159/month (varies by location and available cars)

Activation: None ($200 pickup fee at contract end)

Restrictions: 850 miles/month, six-month minimum, 25+ years old, credit check and score of 640, clean driving record, Finn logo cannot be removed from rear window

Sixt+

Sixt+, part of the German rental company that specializes in luxury cars, has the most high-end, desirable cars of any subscription service outside Porsche Drive. Its especially valuable if youre in a major metro area and need a late-model car for a month or longer.

Locations: Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and various cities in California, Miami and multiple cities in Florida, Honolulu, Newark, New York, Philadelphia, Seattle

Cars:

• Sedan (Nissan Sentra, Mini Countryman, Kia Forte, Toyota Corolla, Volkswagen Jetta, Toyota Camry, Volkswagen Passat, Nissan Altima or similar)
• Premium Coupe (BMW 4 Series)
• Premium Sedan (BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe, BMW 3 Series, BMW 5 Series, Mercedes-Benz A-Class, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Mercedes-Benz E-Class, Infiniti Q50, Volvo S60, Volvo S90, Tesla Model 3)
• Multiseater (Chrysler Pacifica, Toyota Sienna or similar)
• SUV (Chevrolet Blazer, Chevrolet Traverse, Volkswagen Atlas, GMC Acadia, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Toyota 4Runner); Premium SUV (BMW X1, BMW X2, BMW X3, BMW X5, Mercedes-Benz GLA, Audi Q5, Audi Q8, Cadillac XT6, Ford Bronco Sport, Mazda CX-5, Volvo XC60, Chevrolet Tahoe, Chevrolet Suburban, GMC Yukon, GMC Yukon XL, Toyota Sequoia, Toyota RAV4 or similar)

Price: $649/month to $1,269/month

Activation: $99, $199 or $259 (depending on car class)

Restrictions: 21+ years old (18+ in New York; additional fee for certain vehicles and drivers under 25), one swap per month, one-month minimum, no delivery, mileage restriction varies by car, security deposit required, exact car not guaranteed.

Electric car subscription, leasing and rental

Our approach to how we use vehicles, especially electric ones, is changing. Electric car ownership is certainly increasing, but other ways of interacting with electric vehicles suchEV subscription, as well as electric car leasingand rental arealso becoming increasingly common.

These different ways of using cars, and the new companies providing these services, are undoubtedly changing the landscape and how people think about getting hold of a car.

Subscribe, lease or rent an electric car in the UK

Fromsubscribing to an electric car to leasing or renting one,the list below provides an overview of some the best ways to find an electric vehicle that works for you.

Subscribe to an EV

elmo offers an electric car subscription service with a focus on simplicity. Theres one monthly payment, no large deposit to pay and its all managed online. The advertised price includes comprehensive insurance, servicing and maintenance, breakdown cover, road tax and a carbon offset donation. The website also sports a useful Suitability Tool to help you understand how an electric car might help you.

Car manufacturers themselves are starting to offer electric car subscriptions. Care by Volvo offers a flexible car subscription that includes three months notice, an initial 30-day trial period, service and maintenance, wear and tear cover, courtesy car/collection and delivery, dedicated customer care and 24/7 roadside assistance. Its not solely dedicated to EVs but you can, for example, subscribe to an XC40 Recharge Pure Electric.

EZOO makes going electric easy with affordable, customisable EV subscriptions. Choose your car, choose your term, click and collect. No more worrying about insurance, maintenance, or road tax. Theres just one monthly fee and youre good to go. EZOO is an online service with real people ready to help if you need a hand.

Onto (previously Evezy) also offers an all-inclusive electric car subscription. Theres no deposit, only a one-month commitment, comprehensive insurance, free charging at over 11,000 chargers in the UK, servicing, breakdown cover and Onto takes care of London Congestion Zone registration for you. Theres also a community forum to speak to other EV drivers.

Jaguars Pivotal Indigo package opens up the electric I-Pace to drivers for a monthly subscription of 1,000 1,250. Youll pay a one-time 550 activation fee, then an all-inclusive monthly payment going forward, which means vehicle hire, road tax, servicing, breakdown cover and comprehensive insurance for two drivers.

You need to commit for at least 90 days, but you can pause the scheme or cancel it at any time after that. You can also swap your vehicle every six months, but youll have to change it for a fossil-fuel Range Rover or Land Rover.

A new entrant to the subscriptions market, Voltric offers all-electric, all-inclusive vehicle subscriptions. Choose your vehicle, subscribe for 12 or 24 months and Voltric will sort the rest. The company covers everything from insurance, road tax, maintenance, breakdown, repair and recovery all under one monthly cost. You can pause, swap, cancel or re-subscribe.

Wagonex is a finance company that provides all-inclusive flexible subscriptions from quite an array of established providers. From a Nissan Leaf to a Tesla Model 3 to a VW E-Transporter, the company offers a range of nearly new and used electric vehicles. Prices vary depending on the length of the subscription, but Wagonex offers good flexibility with a minimum one-month subscription.

Lease an EV

DriveElectric is a personal contract hire company that provides electric car leasing for a minimum period of 24 months. As new models arrive on the market, the DriveElectric team test-drives them to gain first-hand experience.

It also offers additional technical and customer support, provides charging cables and equipment and bespoke vehicle add-ons, and even offers driver training to ensure youre making best use of the vehicle battery. The downside is youre locked into a long-term rental agreement and cant swap cars.

e-car lease are a dedicated electric car leasing broker offering personal and business contract hire solutions alongside a salary sacrifice scheme. The e-car lease website showcases lease deals and offers tools to help you understand the EV lifestyle more easily, including range, charging speeds, charging times, and charging points, as well Zapmaps location finder, all available for use.

Available to both consumers and businesses, Go Green offers electric car leasing for both electric and hybrid vehicles. Part of the Bridle Group, one of the UKs largest vehicle finance brokers, the company takes pride in helping customers make the UK a greener and cleaner place in the knowledge that every car supplied is helping to reduce CO2 emissions. Go Green also provides a range of electric vehicle and leasing guides.

GRIDSERVE is working with partner Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions (HCVS) to provide leasing of brand new electric vehicles for a fixed period of time. HCVS offers both Personal Contract Hire and Business Contract Hire leases that last between two and four years, and do not tie you to ownership. Monthly payments are worked out on whether its a personal or business lease, annual mileage, expected depreciation, the price of the car, lease length and your budget.

Octopus electric vehicles claims to have the complete solution. It can help you with electric car leasing, charge points and renewable energy tariffs. The company offers impartial advice about your switch to electric driving and can help you save up to 40% off a personal, business or salary sacrifice lease.

The RAC has recently launched a new electric car leasing service. Like GRIDSERVE, it has joined forces with Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions to offer a wide range of popular EV models. Drivers can select a service and maintenance plan, and all RAC leasing deals come with breakdown cover as standard, giving drivers the opportunity to benefit from the RACs van-fitted EV Boost emergency charging system.

Select Electric is part of the Select Car Leasing family, the largest leasing broker in the UK. It specialises in electric vehicle leasing for private customers, businesses and fleets. Select Electric has a dedicated team of EV experts on hand to answer EV-related questions. Car and van leases are available over 24, 36 and 48 months. Select Electric can also arrange charging point installations nationwide, either for home or work, via its charging partner, ChargedEV.

Electric vehicle leasing company WeVee makes much of bringing every EV into one place for you to browse, compare and lease an EV. The company partners with manufacturers, dealers and lenders to get exclusive EV stock and pricing. Its real-time inventory system apparently has access to all dealer inventories across the UK and its smart pricing tool helps you find an electric car leasing configuration to suit your budget.

Rent an EV

EVHire is an exotic vehicle hire company with plenty of upmarket EVs for hire, including the Audi e-tron, Jaguar I-Pace, Porsche Taycan and the current Tesla range. Prices for daily rental start at 168 per day. You dont need to sign up or subscribe to use the service.

EV Go specialises in renting Teslas, with prices starting at 99 a day and delivery and collection included. A chauffeur service is available too. Theres no subscription fee to use the service.

EVision is an electric-only car-hire company. It offers both short-term and long-term hires on a wide range of electric vehicles, from the cheapest models, such as the Renault ZOE, all the way up to the most expensive EVs, such as the Porsche Taycan and the Tesla Model S P100D.

Green Motion specialises in low-emissions car rental. Although it offers a range of plug-in hybrid models, it only offers one fully electric car, the Nissan Leaf. The company doesnt require you to sign up to a membership or subscription plan. There are four levels of hire: basic, plus, premium and premium+. The different packages change the daily price by reducing the insurance excess and increasing the mileage limit.

Volt-Age is an electric-car hire company based in Portsmouth but available nationwide. Cars available to hire include the BMW i3, Nissan Leaf, Hyundai Kona Electric as well as the Tesla range. Delivery and collection is available across the UK for a charge. Prices for a Leaf and Kona start at 78 a day for a minimum hire period of three days, and include insurance and VAT.

UFODRIVE is an electric-car rental company that offers collection and delivery of its cars via an app. It has several premium electric models, including Teslas, Audis and Jaguars, and its supported by the RAC. By combining the smartphone revolution with the EV revolution, UFODRIVE claims to be the first all-digital, all-electric car rental company. You can arrive and drive at its car rental location the UFO Landing Bay with just your smartphone. The company promises transparent, simple pricing and good value for money.

EV subscription, leasing and rental: Whats the difference?

The difference between subscription, leasing and renting an electric car isnt always that clear, so below are some brief explanations* of what each one means.

Electric car subscription UK

The newest and most flexible way of getting hold of an electric car, most electric vehicle subscriptions in the UK bundle up insurance and maintenance as part of the subscription fee, often offering zero-deposit leases over flexible periods, while many let you switch between different vehicles during the subscription period.

Usually designed toremove barriers to EV adoption and encourage more zero-emission cars onto the roads,electric car subscriptions essentially offer a car as a service, providing an all-in-one solution that often delivers straight to your door.

In some cases, you can sign up for a monthly rolling contract knowing that all your costs will be included and that you can continue, switch models or stop at the end of each month.

Electric car leasing

Vehicle leasing is when you use a vehicle for a fixed period of time, having agreed an amount of money for the lease. After the primary term often two, three or four years youll either have to return the vehicle to the leasing company or buy it for the residual value.

Electric car leasing in the UK is certainly a great way to get hold of a new EV. Although theres a deposit to pay, it does help to minimise upfront commitment. Whats more, the decrease in the cars value over time is factored into your monthly payment, helping to avoid any surprises down the line. The companies listed above predominantly offer specialist electric vehicle leasing, with some providing add-ons such as charging access.

Potential downsides of electric car leasing include finding yourself locked into a multiple-year lease contract, and having to pay a deposit, which may be a barrier to entry.

Electric car rental

The most short-term of your options to get hold of an EV, car rental lets you use an electric car for a few hours to a few weeks. Typically, all costs are includedand car rental agencies will, for example, primarily serve people who require a temporary vehicle or who do not own their own car. Renting an electric car is a great way to get the feel for an EV and, if youre renting for a few days, of understanding how an electric car can fit into your lifestyle.

Driving an electric car

If none of the choices above appeal to you, all is not lost. Perhaps you just need to get behind the wheel of an EV. If this is the case, youll be pleased to hear there are plenty of opportunities to springing up across the UK to test drive electric cars.

We certainly advise you to go for a test drive if you can. For many, getting behind the wheel of an electric car is a persuasive experience. The performance, refinement, and ease of driving sway a great number of potential buyers, making it an essential part of the buying experience.

Explore the benefits of EVs

Buying an electric car

With new electric models being launched all the time, the number of EVs on UK roads is set to grow significantly over the next few years. With falling battery production costs and growing competition between manufacturers, the price of EVs is also dropping. Buying an electric car is now a real option for a large number of UK car buyers.

If you are thinking of buying a pure-EV, there are three issues that need to be considered that will determine whether this type of EV is the right vehicle for you: access to charging, daily mileage, and your overall budget. See our EV Buying Guide to see whether a pure-EV is suitable for your vehicle and travel requirements.

Explore our EV buying guide

*Please be aware that the above categorisations of electric car leasing, subscription, and rental companies only represent our interpretation of the electric vehicle market. They should not in any way be taken as legally binding definitions. Please check the terms and conditions of any contract you sign before entering into any sort of agreement.