Contents Show
Classic combustion engine or an electric vehicle? Even if there is much to be said for emission-free driving, car users often remain unsure. The subscription offers the chance to meet without regrets.
Prices for New cars have recently picked up sharply and at the same time the once expensive electric car, also due to the lavish Environmental bonus become a financially real alternative. At the same time, the e-car promises cheaper maintenance in the long term, mainly because the energy costs are lower. However, many motorists still do not really know whether the future of clean cars really fits into their everyday lives. Anyone who wants to try it out for themselves without making large, long-term investments will find a flexible alternative in the car subscription.
3 month subscriptions popular
This type of distribution, which is enjoying growing popularity, sets the financial entry barrier for vehicle use relatively low and also offers a stress-free all-round carefree package. Above all, the rental period can be defined relatively flexibly. In many cases, subscriptions with a three-month term are possible. If the first subscription car turns out to be incompatible with personal use, the customer can then switch to another and perhaps better electric model at relatively short notice or return to the classic combustion engine. Everything can, nothing must - that's the motto.
The car subscription market in Germany is still small. According to a study published by the Center Automotive Research (CAR) in February, a good 2021 car customers in Germany concluded a corresponding contract in 52.500. But the sales model promises great growth potential, because according to the CAR study, 72 percent of German license holders who want to buy a car in the next three years can imagine a subscription model as an alternative to buying it.
What subscriptions are there?
Many subscription customers are also loyal to the subscription because, according to the CAR study, around 80 percent of subscribers would use this special form of full-service leasing again for their next car. In parallel to customer interest, the range of products is also growing, because there are now some brands that have launched their own subscription sales model. The offers are called, for example, Care by Volvo, Jaguar Land Rover Subscribe or Porsche Drive Abo.
Most of the offers are aimed at private and business customers. A few newcomers, such as the Volvo sister company Lynck & Co, even rely primarily on this sales model. In addition to high flexibility and usually faster availability of the vehicles, the subscription offers the customer further advantages, because the monthly price usually includes all maintenance costs - i.e. taxes, insurance and services. The subscription thus offers transparent cost control.
In addition, the rates are variable depending on the mileage. If you drive less, you pay correspondingly less. The subscriber has to bear the energy costs alone – in addition to fuel, this can also be electricity as an alternative. Another advantage of subscriptions is the booking process, because the contracts can usually be concluded online with manageable effort. In addition, the vehicles are usually available at short notice.
In addition to their classic combustion and hybrid models of various configurations, almost all brands also offer purely electrically powered vehicles with their subscription offers. With the ID.3, VW has a comparatively inexpensive electric car subscription in its portfolio: with a mileage of 800 kilometers per month and a minimum contract period of 6 months, the compact electric vehicle costs 499 euros per month. The vehicle should be available four weeks after the order is placed.
Something in every price range
The small car Peugeot e-208, for example, is a little smaller and a little cheaper, which is currently being offered on the Stellantis subscription page for 429 euros per month with a 6-month term and 1.000 free kilometers. But there are also significantly larger and comparatively high-priced e-cars in which the focus is less on minimizing the ecological footprint and more on the special driving pleasure of the electric drive. At Jaguar, the i-Pace starts at 999 euros, provided you take out a 24-month subscription.
If you only want to commit yourself for 6 months, you have to transfer 1.349 euros for the i-Pace on every first one. The upper limit is currently marked by Mercedes with the EQS. The emission-free S-Class counterpart starts at around 2.700 euros per month for a variant that costs 119.000 euros according to the list price with a 24-month term and 833 free kilometers per month. It even costs 3.000 euros if you rent a higher-quality version of the EQS with a list price of 138.000 euros.
Large selection of brands
In addition to such manufacturer-specific offers, there are now also some online intermediaries such as the company ViveLaCar, which started in 2019 and specializes in young used vehicles that are stockpiled by dealers. There is a wide range on offer here, and the prices are often lower. Vehicles from 17 brands are now being brokered on this platform - in addition to the major German manufacturers, there are also many import brands on offer.
There are many conventionally powered vehicles, hybrids of all kinds and electric cars - including those with fuel cells - on offer. For users who primarily drive in the city, the M package could cover 500 kilometers per month. Here the offer currently starts with a Smart Fortwo for 355 euros per month. If you are looking for a larger car with space for the family, you can alternatively get a Hyundai Ioniq Electric from 476 euros per month including 500 free kilometers.
This is also available in the frequent driver package with 2.500 kilometers included, then a monthly fee of around 750 euros is due. With a range of more than 300 kilometers, the Ioniq Elektro is not limited to purely urban use. If you want even more range and drive electrically at the same time, you can alternatively subscribe to a hydrogen car via ViveLaCar. The Hyundai Nexo is currently available here, which can travel 750 kilometers on one tank and can be fully refueled within a few minutes.
In this case, a monthly subscription fee of 2.500 euros is due with 1.375 free kilometers. So anyone who wants to test whether the small city electric car is enough or whether it should be the comfortable and unrestrictedly long-distance hydrogen car has a great choice on a platform. In this case, there is the option of limiting the subscription to three months and simply testing different options over a period of time that will certainly be meaningful in everyday life. Perhaps you will come to the conclusion that the e-car is compatible with your own lifestyle through the practice you then live.