From Spotify to Netflix, food boxes to beauty bundles, you can get a subscription for almost anything these days – including your car! As an alternative to leasing or buying a vehicle outright, car subscriptions have grown significantly in recent years.
In this guide, we explain everything you need to know about car subscriptions, from what they are to how they work. If you’re new to the world of vehicle subscriptions and want to know more, you’ve come to the right place.
What is a car subscription?
First things first; what is a car subscription? A car subscription involves paying a monthly fee for access to your chosen vehicle. In many cases, this fee is ‘all inclusive’, often including supplementary costs like tax, insurance, breakdown cover and servicing. This is what is included in a car subscription from EZOO.
Is a car subscription the same as leasing or renting?
Wait a minute; isn’t that the same as leasing? Although they may seem the same on the surface, a car subscription isn’t the same as leasing or renting a car.
There are two main differences between a car subscription and leasing a car. Firstly, you are often tied to a leasing deal over a longer period. Car subscriptions offer a short-term, often rolling monthly contract.
The second key difference between the two is that leasing often only covers the price of leasing the vehicle. In most cases, you’ll need to cover the cost of tax, insurance and maintenance separately from your monthly leasing price.
A car subscription, on the other hand, bundles these costs into one monthly fee, so you have less to think about!
Are car subscriptions cheaper?
It’s difficult to compare the cost of a car subscription to leasing or buying a vehicle outright as they both offer different things; with leasing or buying you get just the vehicle, while a subscription includes the cost of tax, insurance and maintenance.
To compare the costs fairly, you must consider the total cost of ownership, of which the two are priced similarly. However, car subscriptions offer the added benefit of having no long-term financial commitment.
What is included with a car subscription?
What is included in your monthly car subscription will vary depending on the provider you choose. At EZOO, our car subscriptions include the following:
- Servicing and maintenance (MOT)
- 24/7 breakdown cover
- 800 miles per month (with flexible packages if you need more miles)
- Fully comprehensive insurance
These are four great reasons to choose EZOO if you’re looking for a car subscription.
What isn’t included with a car subscription?
Our car subscriptions are designed around what our customers need most. The following are not included as standard with our subscriptions:
- Delivery
We deliver anywhere in mainland England and Wales.
- Driving fees, fines or penalties
It goes without saying but just to be clear, your car subscription doesn’t cover any driving fees, fines or penalties you may pick up during your subscription. These will be automatically paid on your behalf and any costs will be recharged to you including an admin charge.
- Damage outside of fair wear and tear
We’ll cover you for fair wear and tear throughout your subscription, but anything that falls outside of that won’t be covered. You can find out more about what’s included under fair wear and tear in our terms and conditions.
- Additional named drivers
You’ll be covered to drive the car as part of the car subscription but you’ll need to let us know if you want to add any additional named drivers to your subscription. You can add up to a maximum of two additional drivers, for an additional cost.
We have criteria that every named driver must meet so we know they’re safe and legally able to be on the road. More details can be found in our terms and conditions.
- Additional mileage
If you think you’ll need more than the 800 miles that are included per month, you can add additional mileage to your subscription for a fee. You can view prices on our vehicle pages.
Benefits of a Car Subscription
So many people are making the switch to car subscriptions. Here are a few reasons why:
- You’ll have access to the latest vehicles
- You don’t have to wait months to receive your chosen car; all our vehicles are in stock and ready to go
- Your motoring costs are covered in one easy monthly fee
- You can reduce the environmental impact of your driving by switching to an electric car
- You can test whether you like driving an electric car before you buy one or commit to one long-term
- Our short-term subscriptions (1 month or three months) allow for greater flexibility
- It’s super easy to book your vehicle, either online or over the phone
- You can upgrade or downgrade your vehicle monthly, depending on your needs
- Forget what you’ve heard; car subscriptions are more affordable than you may think, with prices similar to leasing costs but with the added benefit of insurance, tax and maintenance included
- Car subscriptions are often cheaper than hiring a car over a similar timeframe too!
- No need to worry about the value of your car depreciating over time
Is a car subscription right for me?
How do you know if a car subscription is the best choice for you? These are some of the most common reasons our customers come to us:
- You need a car for more than a week but you’d don’t need it all year round.
- The new car you’ve ordered won’t arrive for a few months so you need a stop-gap car in the meantime.
- You don’t want to commit to a long-term PCP or PCH contract right now.
- You want to test out an electric car over a longer period to see if it’s right for you.
- You like to change your car regularly.
- The type of car you need changes throughout the year.
- You live outside of the UK for part of the year and only need a car when you’re home.
If any of the above rings true for you, a car subscription could be an excellent choice.
How does a car subscription work?
It couldn’t be simpler to start your car subscription. It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3…
1.Choose your electric car
We have a large range of the latest EVs to choose from, from the budget-friendly Nissan, Renault and Volkswagen models to premium models from Audi, BMW and Tesla.
2.Choose your term
Set your start date, monthly mileage and how long you’d like your subscription for. You can add any optional extras at this stage, such as additional drivers.
3.Your new car is here!
The best bit! Your car has arrived, either delivered to you or ready to collect.
Are there any hidden fees I should know about?
There are some fees you’ll need to pay to start your subscription but none of them are hidden. We’re upfront about our costs so you’re in the know from the start:
- Onboarding fee – each new car subscription will include a small fee to cover the cost of the setup and processes required to get you onboard.
- Deposit – we will need an initial deposit from you at the start of your subscription. This is refundable, providing you return the car to us in an acceptable condition.
It’s worth mentioning too that we don’t carry out credit checks, so applying for a car subscription with us won’t affect your credit score. Instead, we carry out an affordability check, which has no impact on your credit score but helps us better understand if you’re able to make your monthly payments.
How to choose a car subscription
Here are our tips for finding the right car subscription for you:
1.Have a budget in mind
You’ll likely already have an idea of how much you can afford to pay for a car subscription, so keep this in mind when browsing through our available vehicles. The good news is we have EVs available to suit every budget, so you can find the perfect car for you.
Don’t forget to factor in additional costs like admin or delivery fees, too.
2.Consider what you need from your car
Before you start browsing our cars, work out what you need from yours. Is it a vehicle to nip around city streets as part of your morning commute? Or is it a car that’s big enough for the whole family?
Having an idea of what you need will make finding your perfect car easier. Don’t worry though; because our subscriptions are one month or three months long, you won’t have to wait long to change your car, should your needs change or you simply decide it isn’t the right one for you.
3.Decide how long you want your subscription to last
Our car subscriptions are brilliant if you’re looking for a short-term solution. Our minimum subscription length is 3 months, but we also offer 6 and 12 month subscriptions if you need to keep the car for a while longer.
4.Check out the terms and conditions
Who even reads the terms and conditions, you ask? It may sound skippable but it’s super important to read the terms and conditions for your car subscription before you book. Doing so will help you better understand what’s included in your subscription and what you can and can’t do.
Ready to find your flexible electric car subscription? Get started today.