The “Netflix of electric vehicles” – EV subscription service from $299 a week

November 14, 2020November 13, 2020 Iain Curry 3857 Views electric car rental, electric car subscription, ev, ev subscription, try before you buy

Gas and electricity provider AGL has introduced an electric vehicle subscription service where you can sample EV life from $299 per week.

The initiative gives the EV-curious a chance to sample electric car ownership without the commitment of buying one – the high price of a full electric vehicle putting off many who would otherwise been keen on zero-emissions motoring.

This try-before-you-buy approach, or “the Netflix of electric vehicles” as AGL teasingly puts it, could see you in a Nissan Leaf or Hyundai Ioniq for $299 per week, a Hyundai Kona Electric for $359 per week, or even a Tesla Model 3 for $599 per week.

Nissan Leaf e+ — For $299 per week you could try-before-you-buy a Nissan Leaf

Not cheap, but it could be seen as a wise investment to learn if an EV would work with your life. With a minimum one-month subscription – albeit with a $150 cancellation fee if you subscribe for less than six months – you could potentially learn in about five weeks whether your next car really should be a full electric.

Looking at raw numbers, the minimum cost would be $2245.67 for a Nissan Leaf or Hyundai Ioniq for one month; $2505.67 for a Hyundai Kona Electric, or $3545.67 a Tesla Model 3. All include a non-refundable $800 upfront fee.

For the range-conscious, the Leaf gives you 270km of all-electric range; the Ioniq 311km; the Kona 449km and Model 3 460km.

Only the Tesla is guaranteed to be a brand new car, suggesting you could be subscribing to a used version of the Nissan and Hyundais.

For your money you get registration, insurance, roadside assist, repairs, maintenance and tyres included. A qualified electrician will set up a home charger for you (also included) and deliver the car to your door and offer advice on driving and charging. There’s also the option to swap or upgrade your EV subscription while you’re paying.

2020 Hyundai Ioniq Electric Premium — Also $299 per week: Hyundai Ioniq Electric

Positives are no down payment needed, no long-term commitment, no interest on finance and no depreciation costs. And if you decide after a month that electric cars aren’t right for you, well, you’ve just saved yourself a lot of time, money and hassle.

AGL Executive General Manager Future Business & Technology, John Chambers said: “The market for EVs in Australia is continuing to grow but we know many customers may still be reluctant to buy an EV outright due to price, concerns about technological change or access to charging facilities.”

Tesla Model 3 MY21 update with blacked out exterior highlights and new wheels — Tesla dreaming? $599 per week gets you in a brand new Model 3

AGL has partnered with car subscription service Carbar and EV charging supplier JET Charge for the initiative.

The program is still in its pilot stages, so the service is currently only available to customers within 50 kilometres of Sydney or Melbourne. AGL said over time this will be expanded and refined to meet the needs of more customers.

We approached AGL for comment on how many customers had signed up for the service so far, but it has yet to respond.

Iain Curry

A motoring writer and photographer for two decades, Iain started in print magazines in London as editor of Performance BMW and features writer for BMW Car, GT Porsche and 4Drive magazines. His love of motor sport and high performance petrol cars was rudely interrupted in 2011 when he was one of the first journalists to drive BMW's 1 Series ActiveE EV, and has been testing hybrids, PHEVs and EVs for Australian newspapers ever since. Based near Noosa in Queensland, his weekly newspaper articles cover new vehicle reviews and consumer advice, while his photography is regularly seen on the pages of glossy magazines.