The subscription service company, Autonomy, has listed 45 EV models from the manufacturers that include Tesla, General Motors, Volkswagen and Ford.

The order – which represents 1.2 per cent of the projected US EV production from now until December 2023 – stipulates an expected delivery timeline of six months to 18 months.

Autonomy is the biggest EV subscription company in the US. In making the order, the company has partnered with retail group AutoNation.

AutoNation will handle the purchase of the vehicles, and then provide vehicle preparation, delivery services, and subscriber activation, as well as maintenance, repair, and reconditioning services for Autonomy’s growing subscription fleet of EVs.

To link with AutoNation, Autonomy has mapped vehicle deliveries to corresponding AutoNation franchise and AutoNation USA locations closest to the car-makers’ distribution centres in areas with the largest density of EV registrations.

Autonomy said the huge order for EVs was triggered by consumer interest in EVs but their resistance to purchase.

Autonomy founder and CEO, Scott Painter (who is the founder of TrueCar Inc, told Automotive News: “Electric vehicles cost far more than gas-powered vehicles and most consumers will simply not make the switch to an EV without highly compelling value propositions.

“Autonomy subscriptions deliver an easier and more affordable way to get an EV, and this is why we believe that subscriptions will be the predominant contract by which consumers adopt electric vehicles from every automaker.”

Autonomy’s order was placed with the fleet departments of the following car-makers: BMW; Canoo; Fisker; Ford; General Motors; Hyundai; Kia; Lucid; Mercedes-Benz; Polestar; Rivian; Stellantis; Subaru; Tesla; Toyota; VinFast; Volvo; and Volkswagen.

The primary selection criteria for the order were:

• MSRP Range: $US26,595 to $US122,440 ($A38,200-$A175,900)
• Battery Range: 250 miles (400km) minimum (with some exceptions)
• Telematics: Fully connected
• Production Forecasts: Vehicle will be available to purchase before the end of 2023
• Residual Values: Models with highest projected resale values

Autonomy currently offers the Tesla Model 3 and Tesla Model Y and will soon add the full Tesla lineup. 

Autonomy’s subscription model is claimed to be the cheapest, fastest, and easiest way to get into an EV. Subscribers can pay their subscription entirely on their credit card or through their bank account and have the flexibility to subscribe month to month after a three-month minimum period.

Vehicles are available for delivery or pickup within weeks, compared with the six- to nine-month wait for a loan or lease.

Meanwhile Hertz Australia has added the Polestar 2 EV to is fleet at all major airports, from last week in the first phase of a plan to make its entire rental fleet electric.

Hertz APAC vice president Eoin Macneill told The Australian that one day Hertz would only rent electric vehicles and its purchase of the Polestar 2, part of a global 65,000 vehicle purchase, signals a “try before you buy” approach for potential EV customers.

By Neil Dowling