Airbnb for electric vehicles? Say no more.
In recent years, there has been a boom in platforms dedicated to making the sharing and borrowing of electric vehicles nice and easy. So, if sharing your EV for some extra cash sounds like a good idea - or if you'd like to borrow an EV that you can't rent by other means - then look no further.
Electric vehicle sharing: how it works, what to do and how to get started.
Let’s get plugged in…
It isn’t always practical or achievable to own an EV (or any car!); many people live in big cities, where a car often isn’t feasible, whilst some cannot afford the consistent expense of owning a car. Fortunately, car sharing is a great - and relatively inexpensive - way to rent out a vehicle directly from the owner for however long you need it.
It also creates a great opportunity for non-EV owners to trial the EV experience and, hopefully, convert them to the green side!
EV sharing creates an opportunity for everyone to appreciate the luxury of driving an EV, whilst sometimes acting as a benefit for EV owners who want to make some money back. In essence, EVs are put online to be let for a set price (managed by the owner of the vehicle) - those looking to borrow the cars go onto the platform, choose which car to borrow and confirm the length of time.
As mentioned, there are plenty of EV-sharing platforms now live! Here's a list of some platforms you can use to let your EV or find your perfect weekend car:
Zoom EV's car-sharing platform launched in June 2023, and was built to enable the safe sharing of EVs - from either an individual or business.
To get started, head onto Zoom EV and click into their EV car-sharing tab to discover how to let your EV and how to borrow one.
The borrowing process is quick and simple:
Create an account and register to share EV
Search for your location so that nearby EVs can be found
Choose your pick up and drop off dates
Pick your car of choice (prices are per day)
Check out the pick up/drop off location - make sure it’s accessible to you!
Make the payment and book your EV!
Letting out your EV is just as easy! Find out how much you could earn by uploading further details (car age, hiring frequency, car value etc.) on the platform website.
Zipcar is a London-based EV service which provides quick access to electric vehicles. Cars can be borrowed at an hourly or daily rate, and can also be tailored for one-way trips or return journeys. Lots of flexibility!
They currently offer four different types of EVs to rent: VW eGolf, Vauxhall Corsa-e, Hyundai IONIQ, Nissan Leaf.
To get started, simply sign up and choose a car - use their app for on-the-go booking.
ONTO is an EV subscription service, where you can choose any EV on their website/app and pay for it monthly - essentially you can continuously borrow cars from them! The fun thing about ONTO is that it gives you the freedom to have variety; swapping cars as and when you want to without the hassle of selling.
Similar to ONTO, Wagonex is a subscription service where you can borrow an EV for up to 48 months! Choose your make, model, budget and term (length of time you’d like to borrow the EV for) and start browsing - just make sure to filter your browsing ‘Electric’.
Elmo is also a flexible EV subscription service, designed with the hope of making switching to electric as easy as possible. The subscription package includes insurance, maintenance, breakdown, vehicle excise duty and congestion charges as standard (as well as the car!).
Interested in reading more? Here are some blogs you might like:
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