Car subscriptions are becoming increasingly popular in Switzerland, so it is not surprising that there are more and more providers. Find out in this blog post what to look out for when comparing car subscription providers and what are the differences.
What to look out for
- Make up your own mind. Read the customer reviews and make sure they are not just the best ones. Also read the negative ones and pay attention to how the company responded to them. This says a lot about the supplier and the company culture.
- What does "all inclusive" mean? The car subscription is characterized as "all inclusive", but what does this mean in practice? It is easy to assume that the same features are included with all providers, but this is not the case. For example, Carvolution includes an AVIA fuel card and an evpass recharge card, which is not the case with other providers.
- Which cars are offered? The condition of the cars is important because the older the car, the more unpredictable it becomes. Unexpected repairs that suddenly need to be carried out can happen more and more often. The equipment, i.e. the assistance and safety systems, is also an important point.
- How does maintenance and tyre change work? What happens when maintenance is due, how are you notified when a tyre change is necessary? Are you properly insured abroad? These are all questions that you need to clarify.
The Carvolution car subscription
Carvolution is considered a pioneer in the car subscription market, the young startup brought the concept to life in 2018. Customers drive their new car as part of an all-inclusive, paperless and hassle-free package, meaning that everything about their new car is simple and straightforward. And thanks to the low monthly fixed price, the total costs of their car are always very clear.
Carvolution can offer these low prices because cars, insurance and tyres are purchased in large quantities. These quantity discounts are passed on directly to you as a customer.
Another advantage is that with Carvolution you can drive your new car as long as you want, whether it's 3 months or 3 years. You can adjust your monthly kilometrage in the application yourself and, in the event of an incident, you can also report the damage directly in the app.
The car subscription is becoming more and more popular
Rental companies
Unlike Carvolution, many rental companies now offer their cars on a subscription basis. Rental companies have a large fleet of cars, which is convenient when a car can be rented. However, these cars usually have a lot of kilometres on the clock. In addition, the kilometrage package is usually relatively high, as the purpose of these holiday rentals is to travel through Switzerland, covering many kilometres. In everyday life, however, almost no one needs a flat rate of 5,000 kilometres per month. Therefore, for many, classic rentals such as the Hertz Minilease or the Flat Sixts Seasonal are too expensive over a longer period of 6 to 12 months, as the number of kilometres is too high. In addition, many details have to be paid extra, such as additional drivers, and home delivery is only possible to a limited extent. With Sixt+, however, Sixt has now launched a car subscription in the classic sense, with au smaller mileage packages. Additional drivers still have to pay extra.
Manufacturer
The car subscription also seems to interest more and more manufacturers. Toyota Rent or BMW Abo, for example, deserve to be mentioned here. As their name suggests, these manufacturers only offer their own brand, so the choice is rather limited and the packages are rather expensive in comparison. In addition, they want to counteract the decline in brand loyalty and attract new and younger target groups for their vehicles.
Spin Offs
The car subscription concept is becoming more and more popular and new companies are being founded that are based on the Carvolution concept. However, they are not all the same. For example, there are car subscription providers that offer used cars, such as Carify. On this platform, cars from partner garages are advertised and sometimes have over 100,000 kilometres on the clock. The cost seems attractive, but these are not new cars. Unexpected repairs, which are costly in terms of time and energy, can happen much more quickly. Clyde, the AMAG spin-off, also offers a car subscription. However, the choice is very limited, as only those cars are offered that have not been convincing in the classic AMAG sale or lease. In some cases, leasing returns are also available. Upto, a spin-off of AXA, also offers cars on subscription. The selection of cars is medium and the minimum term is 6 months. So does Emil Frey move, the spin-off of Emil Frey, ViveLaCar, FlatDrive, Gowago, Arval, Auto Kunz, von Rotz, Auto Abo Wohlensee, e-JOY, moeo, INSTADRIVE and navigas mobility.
Conclusion
Overall, the providers are diverse and all come from different business sectors with different backgrounds. Often the car subscription is a means to an end, i.e. a support to the core business. At Carvolution, we do not have experience in the car, electricity, train or insurance sector - we are the car subscription experts and we are committed to offering you the best price and service. You will also find an overview of Carvolution and the car subscription.
