Australia’s first EV “subscription” service to give drivers taste of electric cars

The Driven

Australian drivers will soon be able to get a taste of what its like to drive an electric car via a new subscription service launched by software startup Blinker.

Interest in electric vehicles (EVs) is on the rise in Australia, with EV sales tripling in 2019 to 6,718 new electric vehicle registrations, driven mostly by the first deliveries of the Tesla Model 3, but also the release of the Hyundai Kona electric car and the new generation Nissan Leaf.

A number of reports and surveys including the “State of EVs in Australia 2019” report from the Electric Vehicle Council note that both range anxiety – the fear of running out of power while driving – and the higher purchase price of electric cars are key barriers to uptake of the zero emissions form of transport.

Blinker’s subscription service will allow drivers to try out an electric vehicle for a period without the commitment of a high upfront cost, and experience the day to day perks, and pitfalls, of owning an EV.

Blinker managing director and co-founder Michael Higgins tells The Driven, that manufacturers, dealers and startups are looking to use the platform to provide electric vehicles on a subscription basis.

“We have a network of dealers we are hoping to announce later this month,” he says. “We’re now beginning to see a trend towards [electric vehicles] and people wanting to do it specifically for EVs.”

One such startup is Good Car Company, which is in the process of importing secondhand Nissan Leafs and NV200 electric vans, as well as getting engineering approval for Volkswagen e-Golfs.

To read the full story on RenewEconomy’s electric vehicle dedicated sister site, The Driven, click here…