Drive An EV Without A Long-Term Commitment With A Subscription

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For drivers who want to be behind the wheel of a premium vehicle, a long-term commitment to one model can be limiting. Subscription services are starting to appear to appeal to this high-end ownership group. Subscription services alleviate a long-term commitment and often allow the consumer to switch vehicles during the contractual period, so every month can be a new and exciting driving experience.

But, like so many promising innovations, several recent attempts at vehicle subscription services have been fleeting.

BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Audi each piloted and abandoned a vehicle subscription service. Book by Cadillac is being relaunched in a different format.

Those subscription services, however, weren’t focused on EVs, and buying a car is a long-term commitment, especially if you feel you’re venturing into new terrain with an electric vehicle (EV). If you want to drive an EV, a subscription may be your answer. You’d have a late model without a substantial down payment. You’d be free of a long-term commitment.

Steer, which is situated in the Toronto and Washington, DC areas, can offer you a Tesla Model X for $200 below the monthly cost of ownership.

Elmo, registered in England and Wales, lets you choose your car, monthly mileage allowance, and minimum subscription length. You customize your subscription with a home charge point, discounted renewable energy, and (optional) public charging. You can even return the vehicle anytime with 30 days’ notice.

Canoo is led by a group of former BMW, Faraday Future, Tesla, and Uber employees who say their mission is to free customers from the shackles of vehicle ownership.

Porsche is bringing its subscription service to five more cities in the US and adding another car to the fleet: the Taycan EV.

Care by Volvo is hanging in there and is even backed up on orders, so the company plans to expand this usage in the near future.

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Let’s zoom into one company and learn how an EV subscription service actually works.

The Electric Vehicle Association (EVA) England has partnered with electric vehicle (EV) subscription company Onto. Formerly known as evezy, the subscription service offers EVA England members a £50 discount on an EV subscription. EVA England is in the process of developing a range of exclusive offers; a discount on an EV subscription has the potential to allow more people to try an electric car without any long-term commitment for any time period from 30 days upwards.

Cars are available from just £339 per month, which includes insurance, charging, maintenance, servicing, breakdown cover, and 24/7 support – and no deposit is needed.

EVA England has been set up to offer a voice to both current and prospective electric vehicle drivers in England. The association is keen to support as many people as possible to drive EVs, and the subscription service offered by Onto can offer a cost effective way to enjoy electric motoring without the upfront cost of buying an EV or the need for a deposit or long-term commitment when leasing a car.

Onto CEO and Founder Rob Jolly comments,

“Onto is delighted to partner with EVA England to help encourage people to make the switch to electric vehicles. Onto focuses on making EV adoption accessible, easy and affordable by offering a subscription service with all-inclusive charging, insurance and mileage to remove any worry or hassle for first time EV users.”

Gill Nowell from EVA England adds,

“EVA England welcomes all opportunities to help more people make the shift to EVs, which in turn will help to improve our air quality. Onto’s EV subscription service is a great way for people to try an EV, and even swap between different models of EVs, without the upfront cost of an outright purchase or an advance payment on a lease.”

How to Subscribe to EVA England — Without a Long-Term Commitment

How do you get started with a subscription service like EVA England? The entire process is a lot like any other online sign-up.

First, download the Onto app. Register according to the prompts. You’ll need your driving license and a selfie of you holding your license. To pay, have your debit or credit card ready. Select your dream vehicle. Specify when you want it delivered and the duration of your time with that particular vehicle — a minimum time allotment is 30 days. After 30 days, you can continue with that model or swap it for another EV model.

Once you new EV is delivered, you can drive it up to 1,000 miles per month.

EVA England membership is open to current, new and prospective drivers of electric vehicles and costs £20 a year. Onto offers a range of EV makes and models for a variety of budgets. Here are the electric cars that are currently available through Onto:

Renault Zoe ZE40 R110 – £339 per month

Renault Zoe ZE50 Iconic R135 – £389 per month

Renault Zoe ZE50 GT Line R135 – £419 per month

Peugeot e-208 GT Line – £449 per month

Nissan Leaf Acenta – £449 per month

BMW i3 120ah – £469 per month

DS3 Crossback E-Tense Performance Line – £499 per month

DS3 Crossback E-Tense Ultra Prestige – £529 per month

Hyundai Ioniq – £419 per month

Hyundai Kona – £559 per month

Tesla Model 3 SR+ £799 per month

Tesla Model 3 LR – £999 per month

Tesla Model 3 Performance – £999 per month

Jaguar I-PACE HSE EV400 – £1299 per month

Audi e-tron – £1299 per month

Want to join, knowing that you’re not contributing any tailpipe emissions to local air quality problem? Click here.

The Benefits of an EV Subscription Service

Electric cars are cheaper to run than ICE vehicles. In fact, the Onto subscription covers the car and also the insurance, charging, maintenance, servicing, breakdown cover and 24/7 support.

Charging an electric car is a concern for many people who haven’t done it before. If you can’t charge an electric car at home, then Onto provides a card to enable you to use the Polar charging network, and in total you can access 11,000 public charge points across the UK (BP Pulse, Shell Recharge Network & Tesla Superchargers).

EVA England has recently opened to members. The association – which is a non-profit community interest company – has been set up to offer a voice to both current and prospective electric vehicle drivers in England. It aims to provide up to date, reliable information about EVs and charging, as well as promoting the health and environmental benefits of electric vehicles. EVA England members have access to a variety of discounted services and products as well as specially organized events.

Members will also have the option of participating in surveys that aim to better inform on the big issues for EV drivers in England, which in turn will help shape EVA England’s activities. Building on the success of its first survey on Government policy in July 2020, EVA England recently issued a survey on the UK Government Consumer Experience of Public Charging Consultation. Over 1,200 EV drivers have responded to the survey and EVA England will soon be sharing the results, with the aim of helping to ensure that electric vehicle charging infrastructure is widespread, reliable, safe and user-friendly, across all driver groups.

Images courtesy of EVAEngland


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Carolyn Fortuna

Carolyn Fortuna, PhD, is a writer, researcher, and educator with a lifelong dedication to ecojustice. Carolyn has won awards from the Anti-Defamation League, The International Literacy Association, and The Leavey Foundation. Carolyn is a small-time investor in Tesla and an owner of a 2022 Tesla Model Y as well as a 2017 Chevy Bolt. Please follow Carolyn on Substack: https://carolynfortuna.substack.com/.

Carolyn Fortuna has 1269 posts and counting. See all posts by Carolyn Fortuna