EVs bolster subscription fleet

A fleet of 10 electric vehicles (EVs) is being added to a vehicle subscription service thanks to $100,000 of government co-funding.

The first used EVs bought with the help of the cash are now available from Turners Subscription in Auckland.

The financial support is part of the government’s Low Emission Vehicles Contestable Fund, which aims to encourage the uptake of EVs and is administered by the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA). Turners Subscription, part of Turners  Automotive Group, secured the money in round eight of the fund.

Jeremy Rooke, a spokesman for Turners, says the subscription service provides customers with a chance to try cars they ordinarily may not consider purchasing. 

“We know with EVs the large capital outlay is a major impediment to uptake,” he explains. 

“Subscription is a great way to make EVs far more accessible to more Kiwis and allow people to really experience an EV and assess whether it will work for them before committing to the full cost of purchase.” 

He adds the co-funding means EVs will be priced at the same level as a comparable petrol-driven vehicle. The service now has two 2015 Nissan Leafs that will be priced from $140 per week, whereas without co-funding the cost to use those cars would start from $175.

Turners Subscription launched in October this year and has been steadily building subscribers. 

Rooke says: “We have been pleased with the uptake so far and it is interesting to see the broad range of purposes for vehicle subscription: returning Kiwis in the country for a few months who need to get around, people who have had an issue with their car and need a replacement while repairs are undertaken, people delaying the purchase of a new car, and people who just like the flexibility and convenience that a subscription offers.”