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Volkswagen Launches Car Subscription So You Can Drive an EV Without Buying It

Let’s be honest about it: while cars are getting smarter and smarter, they’re also becoming more expensive, so buying a new model isn’t necessarily the easiest decision for many people out there.
Volkswagen says customers only need to take care of charging the EV 43 photos
Photo: Volkswagen
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Others just need a car for a limited period of time, which means that paying the full price just to use it for a few months doesn’t make much sense.

This is why Volkswagen has decided to launch a new program that makes a lot of sense at first glance. Called Volkswagen AutoAbo, this new approach is essentially a car subscription model that allows customers in Germany to drive an ID.3 or ID.4 without actually buying it.

So, in theory, you’re just paying a monthly fee to drive the car, which means AutoAbo is mostly a long-time car rental service that covers a series of additional costs which are typically transferred to the customer.

Volkswagen guarantees drivers would only have to pay for the electricity, as the subscription service includes everything from registration and maintenance to insurance and road tax.

However, the program also comes with a few catches.

First of all, it’s only available in Germany and includes all-electric cars exclusively. But, then, subscribers can only drive the cars for a maximum of 800 kilometers (close to 500 miles) per month, which, let’s be honest, is quite a deal-breaker if you want to go on a short holiday, for example.

And last but not least, Volkswagen offers two subscription options, namely three months and six months. Once these periods come to an end, customers can terminate their subscriptions at any moment.

Volkswagen AutoAbo includes only 2,000 cars, and the German manufacturer says they’re all “nearly-new.” In other words, they’re used cars, but needless to say, they’ve all been closely inspected to make sure they’re in perfect condition.

Pricing for an ID.3 as part of the new subscription program starts at 499 Euros per month (roughly $590, though you should keep in mind that the program is only available in Germany).
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About the author: Bogdan Popa
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Bogdan keeps an eye on how technology is taking over the car world. His long-term goals are buying an 18-wheeler because he needs more space for his kid’s toys, and convincing Google and Apple that Android Auto and CarPlay deserve at least as much attention as their phones.
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