Car subscriptions are becoming increasingly more popular amongst consumers and we see more and more car subscription companies popping up. For someone who likes to drive a new car model each year, needs to fill a short-term gap or just fancies trying an electric car before committing to a purchase, a car subscription is the right choice. It gives you the flexibility to sign up for as little as one month.
In this article, we will delve into a relatively new car subscription company, Electric Zoo. You can also read our previous article on other car subscription companies here.
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What is Electric Zoo?
Electric Zoo is an electric car subscription provider that launched in 2018 with the aim to bring awareness and education around the switch from combustion to electric, to create Pay As You Go Electric. Electric Zoo currently offers 26 cars to choose from. The process seems to be relatively simple, you choose a car and the term, Electric Zoo will conduct a soft credit check which takes approximately 48 hours, then subject to your application being successful, your car will be available for collection or delivery within 7 days.
How much is a car subscription with Electric Zoo
The cheapest car Electric Zoo currently offer is Renault Zoe (90 miles range) for £350* a month. The most expensive model is Tesla Model X Long Range (270 miles) for £2,299* a month. A popular Tesla Model 3 Long Range (280 miles) is £1,499* a month.
*Prices are based on one-month contract
With each car, you have to pay a damage waiver and an admin fee of £120. The admin fee is a one-off non-refundable payment. The Damage Waiver fee depends on the car you choose but it is fully refundable at the end of your contract agreement, subject to the condition of the car on its return.
Your monthly payment includes servicing and maintenance, breakdown cover, mileage allowance of up to 800 miles per month (or 1250 miles for business users) and fully comprehensive insurance with a £1000 excess.
Optional extras:
- Delivery charge is £1.80 per mile, calculated based on the distance from one of their offices either Coventry or Glasgow
- Additional named driver is £10 on top of your monthly fee
- Additional miles per month
Am I eligible for a car subscription with Electric Zoo?
In order to be eligible for a car subscription with Electric Zoo you must be:
- 25 to 75 years of age
- A UK resident (for at least 1 year)
- The holder of a full UK or EU driving licence (for at least 1 year – or 2 years for a business subscription)
- Free from driving or motoring offences incurred in the past 36 months (max. 6 penalty points allowed)
Please note there are several other requirements you must adhere to, find out more here.
Other car subscription companies
ONTO
With ONTO, you get everything that Electric Zoo offers, but on top of that, free public charging is included at Shell Recharge Network, Instavolt, and BP Pulse. The Tesla Supercharger Network is also included in Tesla subscriptions.
There is no admin fee or damage waiver fee to pay. However, you only get 750 miles included in your monthly allowance compared to the 800 Electric Zoo offers.
As a comparison, Tesla 3 model long-range will cost you £1,299 per month with ONTO.
ONTO have standard rates for deliveries/collections:
- £99.50 for delivery
- £99.50 for collection
- £49.50 for swap
Mycardirect
Mycardirect offers everything that Electric Zoo does, however, insurance is not included as standard, you have an option to opt in or you can sort out your own insurance.
You get 1,000 miles a month allowance and the refundable deposit is between £250 – £500 depending on the car you choose.
As a comparison, the Long Range Tesla 3 model will cost you £1388,40 per month with mycardirect and £500 for a deposit.
There is also a £250 joining fee which is a one-off making you a member for life.
The verdict
It is difficult to say which company is the best for you as it will depend on your personal circumstances. What we like about ONTO is that there is no deposit and charging is included, so you know that there are no additional costs on top of your monthly payment.
If you are wondering how much will an electric car cost you per mile, try our cost per mile calculator.
If you are thinking about changing a car you can try our Car Switch, the only tool that lets you compare buying, leasing and subscription deals from across the market in one place.
