AutoNation Gives EV Subscriptions From Autonomy A Boost

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Autonomy has partnered with AutoNation, USA’s largest auto retailer, in order to help with expansion. That’s huge, because if you want to get a Tesla Model 3 or Model Y subscription, there’s a good chance you’re going to get it through Autonomy. Autonomy is the largest electric vehicle subscription company in the United States. It’s logical that, to get off the ground, Autonomy focused on the Model 3 and Model Y, since they account for something like 60–70% of US electric vehicle sales. However, with a growing array of attractive and compelling electric vehicles from other brands, Autonomy is branching out and will soon offer more electric models from more brands.

But how big of an expansion are we talking about? 20,000. “As Autonomy’s ‘Dealer of Record,’ AutoNation will support Autonomy’s planned acquisition, over the next 12–18 months of up to 20,000 electric vehicles from automakers that produce the most sought-after electric vehicles. AutoNation will provide vehicle preparation and delivery services in connection with Autonomy customer activations, as well as maintenance, repair, and reconditioning services for its growing fleet of subscription vehicles.” How is Autonomy making a profit on this? It’s hard to say, but one can presume it’s not big or else Autonomy couldn’t be offering such competitive EV subscriptions. And note that the company claims that its subscription offerings provide “the cheapest, fastest, and easiest way to get a Tesla Model 3 and Y, and soon other models and brands.”

The partnership is certainly a boost for AutoNation, especially if Autonomy continues to grow fast beyond 20,000 units and is going to be relying on AutoNation for all of that extra value/service.

Nonetheless, on the Autonomy side, this is probably the quickest path imaginable or practical to scaling up its vehicle offerings and spreading out nationwide. The founder and CEO of the young startup is certainly happy.

“AutoNation and Autonomy’s shared vision for how consumers gain access to electric vehicles is the basis for this partnership and has again shown that AutoNation is among the most innovative and forward-thinking retailers in the world,” said Scott Painter, founder and CEO of Autonomy. “This partnership allows Autonomy to drastically accelerate and diversify its vehicle lineup with a 20,000-vehicle order over the next 12–18 months while paving a clear and aggressive path for national expansion. Just as importantly, this also allows Autonomy to remain capital efficient and infrastructure light as we advance our mission to accelerate the adoption of EVs and scale subscriptions profitably.”

In case you’ve gotten this far but are not sure yet what the point of an EV subscription is, let’s cover that quickly. One key benefit is that it offers an extreme level of flexibility. After just three months, Autonomy customers can subscribe on a month to month basis, deciding each month whether to keep going with the deal or jump ship to something else. “Autonomy drivers have the flexibility to subscribe month to month after a three-month minimum hold period.”

Also, ignoring the AutoNation news, a key draw is that you can get a subscription just via an app, not going to an auto dealer and haggling over a price and then spending an hour+ signing document after document as they try to talk you into things you don’t want. “Today, Autonomy customers can subscribe to an electric vehicle entirely in app (Google Play Store or Apple App Store) and customize their monthly payment to meet their budget.”


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Zachary Shahan

Zach is tryin' to help society help itself one word at a time. He spends most of his time here on CleanTechnica as its director, chief editor, and CEO. Zach is recognized globally as an electric vehicle, solar energy, and energy storage expert. He has presented about cleantech at conferences in India, the UAE, Ukraine, Poland, Germany, the Netherlands, the USA, Canada, and Curaçao. Zach has long-term investments in Tesla [TSLA], NIO [NIO], Xpeng [XPEV], Ford [F], ChargePoint [CHPT], Amazon [AMZN], Piedmont Lithium [PLL], Lithium Americas [LAC], Albemarle Corporation [ALB], Nouveau Monde Graphite [NMGRF], Talon Metals [TLOFF], Arclight Clean Transition Corp [ACTC], and Starbucks [SBUX]. But he does not offer (explicitly or implicitly) investment advice of any sort.

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