Car subscription
A car subscription (also called an auto subscription ) is a flat rate for automobiles in which the customer receives the desired model of an automobile for a monthly fee, including the necessary administrative costs. A car subscription should not be confused with car sharing or car rental .
definition
The car subscription is a business model in which customers pay a previously agreed monthly rate to the provider for the use of one or more desired cars. The difference between a car subscription and a car purchase is that the subscription provider retains ownership of the car. While subscription models and leasing contracts for automobiles both include a recurring payment, car subscriptions stand out in that they offer the customer more flexibility in terms of duration and all ancillary costs of owning the car are already included. A distinction to car rental or long-term rental is that the car subscription replaces a customer's main vehicle, while rentals are mostly used to bridge a transitional period.
Car subscriptions are understood as part of the " sharing economy " / "subscription economy". Car subscriptions are also incorporated as a form of "transportation-as-a-service" / " mobility-as-a-service ".
The car subscription in context
The car subscription has established itself as an alternative to buying or leasing a car in recent years . The car is subscribed to on a monthly basis at a flat rate price. In a car subscription, all additional costs (insurance, maintenance, wear and tear, vehicle tax transfer, TÜV and tire service) are typically included in the flat rate. Only refueling or charging an electric car remains the responsibility of the owner. The Auto Abo concept as a business model is specifically positioned as a mobility solution between car sharing and leasing. In contrast to car sharing, with a car subscription you have your own car for the desired period. Experts see an advantage for the customer in the fact that the period can be made much more flexible than with leasing contracts.
For most customers, a car subscription is considered to be financially worthwhile in addition to the flexibility and the low cost of buying a car. A car subscription provides a transparent overview of the monthly costs for owning a car. On average, vehicle owners underestimate the monthly costs of owning their car by € 221, which corresponds to around 52% of the monthly costs. Auto subscriptions, on the other hand, offer transparent pricing for the subscriber.
Services offered in the car subscription
The mostly still young offers of car subscriptions differ greatly in terms of the services offered. Most car subscription offers offer the customer an all-inclusive subscription for a monthly fee. A few, especially start-ups, also ask for a one-off registration fee. However, the offers differ significantly, especially in terms of duration. Most providers require a minimum term for using the car of 6 months. For an additional monthly surcharge, some providers also offer shorter terms for more flexibility. The decisive difference is whether customers can keep their car subscription after the minimum term with monthly notice without a new long-term commitment, or whether they have to sign a new contract. Here, car subscriptions that follow the principle of subscription and the mobility-as-a-service model can be distinguished from shortened rental and leasing offers.
In addition, car subscriptions offer a range of additional services that are included in the monthly fee. The offers differ considerably, for example in terms of the insurance deductibles, regulations on monthly kilometer packages, additional drivers and trips abroad.
The process of ordering a car subscription is kept relatively simple with most providers. Customers can log in with some relevant data and order their desired model online, usually via a tremor-based platform. The cars are preconfigured and you can only make your own configurations in isolated cases.
Car subscription providers
Car plans are offered by a variety of companies in the market. Companies can be categorized according to their corporate form as well as based on their business model.
Several automobile manufacturers have introduced their own car subscription models for private customers in recent years. These include Porsche , Volvo , Cadillac , Hyundai , Mercedes Benz , BMW , MINI , Lexus and Ford . Not all of these offers can currently be found in Germany. In addition to the car manufacturers, several startups are also active on the German and international markets, including Cluno, Juicar, like2drive and Nextmove.
In Switzerland, the startup Carify operates the largest platform for car subscriptions. The company works directly with the dealer network of the various brands and thus offers a cross-brand offer.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Christina Bonnington: You Will No Longer Lease a Car. You Will Subscribe to It. December 2, 2017, accessed on July 31, 2020 .
- ↑ DER SPIEGEL | Online news. Accessed July 31, 2020 .
- ↑ VW, Volvo, Cluno: These are the best car subscriptions for families. Accessed July 31, 2020 .
- ↑ ZEIT ONLINE | Read zeit.de with advertising or with a PUR subscription. You have the choice. Accessed July 31, 2020 .
- ↑ Mareike Andert: Drivers underestimate costs: poor calculation at the wheel . In: The daily newspaper: taz . April 24, 2020, ISSN 0931-9085 ( taz.de [accessed July 31, 2020]).
- ↑ Marie-Sophie Röder: New provider plans to attack the market for car subscriptions in Germany - but the competition is fierce. July 18, 2020, accessed on July 31, 2020 (German).
- ↑ Car subscriptions - for whom is the alternative to buying a new car suitable? December 21, 2018, accessed July 31, 2020 .
- ↑ Car subscriptions - for whom is the alternative to buying a new car suitable? December 21, 2018, accessed July 31, 2020 .