Ownership is so last century. These days, members of the so-called ‘Generation Rent’ prefer to hire, subscribe and rent their way through life, which is why Volkswagen has teamed up with Drover to deliver its first subscription service.
Drover offers a no-strings, cancel anytime subscription service for running a car, with no deposit and the option to upgrade and downgrade to a different car with just seven days notice. You stream music and movies via a monthly subscription service, so why not your motor?
For the pilot scheme, Volkswagen is offering a choice of three vehicles: the Golf from £528 a month, the Passat from £514, and the Tiguan from £643. All that’s left is the cost of the fuel; the insurance, VED, servicing, maintenance and breakdown cover are all covered within the fee.
Customers can sign up for anything between a one-month rolling contract through to an annual term, with discounts available for longer contract periods. Everything is done online, with customers able to secure their car in just 48 hours. In areas with slow internet speeds, it can take longer to download a blockbuster movie…
‘The first shoots of something much bigger’
Claire McGreal, brand strategy and mobility services manager at Volkswagen UK, said: “Given the changes we face in the automotive landscape, and as drivers’ needs change, we need to adapt and diversify from traditional concepts like outright ownership, into more flexible and user-friendly options like subscriptions.
“Our pilot partnership with Drover is Volkswagen UK’s first exploratory step into subscription services, but represents the first shoots of something much bigger – an evolving brand. Subscription services in general offer the convenience, freedom and ease of use that people have come to expect from Volkswagen.”
Felix Leuschner, founder and CEO of Drover, added: “We are excited to start working with Volkswagen and Volkswagen Financial Services, and feel proud to be able to make this announcement. Together, we’re helping to drive a shift within the industry toward exploring new business models to meet the needs of the next generation driver.
“The partnership brings together some of the most popular cars in the world, with our innovative business model and we can’t wait to see how this can impact ownership as we know it.”
The pilot scheme is up and running at joindrover.com/volkswagen, with customers given a free fuel card offering 5p per litre off the price of petrol and diesel.