NextCar Holding Company (NXCR), the fintech and insurtech vehicle subscription platform founded by serial auto retail, auto finance and insurtech entrepreneurs Scott Painter and Georg Bauer, has launched an electric vehicle and zero emissions vehicle subscription program starting with the Tesla Model 3, and has rebranded under its newly acquired consumer brand, ‘Autonomy.’ In addition to the top-level global domain name Autonomy.com and the awarding of the Autonomy app in the app store, the company has also acquired 1-800-AUTONOMY (1-800-288-6666). This provides consumers three distinct channels by which to reserve a vehicle and manage their subscription.
Electric vehicles have reached a tipping point, and it’s clear that the Tesla Model 3 is this generation’s Prius,” said Scott Painter, founder and CEO of NextCar. “Financial responsibility and the avoidance of debt is also at an inflection point and subscriptions have become a pervasive, sustainable business model and a cornerstone of modern digital life.”
Autonomy’s Tesla Model 3 vehicle subscription program features a month-to-month contract after a three-month minimum term. It is designed for consumers to be able to order their vehicle in 10 minutes by providing their driver’s license and a digital form of payment, and for the vehicle delivery or dealership pickup process to transpire in under twenty minutes. Consumers can manage their entire vehicle subscription digitally through the mobile app.
The program provides new EV manufacturers and legacy OEMs a new distribution channel for their vehicles, one that also allows a growing “EV curious” marketplace to have a flexible and affordable way to drive and test out an electric vehicle. This is especially relevant as EVs start to appear in greater volumes in the used vehicle marketplaces.
Autonomy Subscription Program for Tesla Model 3:
Available Models: At launch, low mileage Model 3 Teslas, with later expansion to other Tesla models.
Subscription Pricing: All subscriptions include routine maintenance and roadside assistance. Consumers have flexibility to customize their monthly payments to as low as $550 a month (with a $5,500 start fee) up to $1,000 per month (with a start fee as low as $1,000). A $500 security deposit is required when the subscription is activated.
Reservation: Fully refundable $100 deposit (applied to security deposit at activation).
Term: Month-to-month with a three-month minimum.
Availability: In California with new markets opening soon.
How to Subscribe: Reservations can be made at Autonomy.com.
Autonomy’s Tesla Model 3 subscription program is available for consumers to register at Autonomy.com. The program will also be featured on leading automotive marketplaces visited by in-market consumers when they are shopping for a vehicle, including in California through TrueCar.com (powered by TrueCar, Inc.(Nasdaq: TRUE)) and AutoWeb, Inc. (Nasdaq: AUTO), which generates more than 4.2 million vehicle leads each year from its portfolio of sites like Car.com and Usedcars.com. Car shoppers visiting these websites will be able to discover and experience this new way to quickly get behind the wheel of one of the bestselling electric vehicles in the U.S.
“Autonomy is a big idea, and whether it’s freedom from long-term debt, commitment, complication, confrontation, or fossil fuels, everyone can relate to the desire for more autonomy in life,” added Painter.
To support the launch, the company recently raised $83 million in debt and equity financing.
The launch also comes on the heels of the Biden administration’s recently passed infrastructure bill, which earmarked $7.5 billion dollars to create a national charging infrastructure to support EV adoption, and following last August’s presidential executive order establishing a target for zero-emission vehicles to make up half of all new vehicles sold in 2030. These factors create an opportunity for consumers and support the economics for operating a large fleet of electric vehicles.
“The future of transportation is zero emissions vehicles. At Autonomy, we are accelerating the shift toward sustainable mobility by giving consumers flexible access to electric vehicles at affordable monthly payments,” said Georg Bauer, co-founder and president of Autonomy. “Vehicle subscriptions reduce the barriers to adoption of electric vehicles, providing a low-commitment option with lower upfront costs. It is perfect for people who are interested in EVs but are not ready to make a long-term commitment due to concerns around cost or range anxiety.”