This App Is Buying Up All the EVs
Autonomy is an EV subscription app that allows folks to drive electric vehicles with no long-term commitments. As a subscription service, you can get behind the wheel of EVs from brands like Tesla without needing to buy or lease one. And that is a fairly exciting proposition. Especially for those who want to test out an EV without the risks of ownership. But, the company recently purchased 22,790 units of 46 EVs from 17 different manufacturers. And that might impact whether or not you can buy your own EV.
What is the Autonomy app?
It seems like subscription services are all the rage right now. And these services span beyond streaming music and movies. Through Autonomy, you have the ability to “rent” a variety of different EV models, with more coming in 2023. Autonomy has purchased 22,790 different EVs, and the order has an estimated value of nearly $1.2 billion.
New EVs coming to the service will be from Ford, Rivian, Volkswagen, and more. And that should be a nice variety considering the app only offers Tesla vehicles right now. It’s hard to say whether or not this massive order is impacting folks who want to buy an EV right now. But, there does indeed seem to be a shortage going on.
How many Americans are buying EVs?
According to The Detroit Bureau, EV sales jumped nearly 85% in 2021. And that is a fairly significant increase. Roughly 430,000 EVs were sold in 2021, and that is much more than what was sold in 2020.
Undoubtedly, the future of the automotive industry is electric. So, it makes sense that more buyers are considering purchasing an EV. Models like the 2022 Kia EV6 and Ford Mustang Mach-E are showing that EVs can actually be practical. And most manufacturers have plans to make their lineups electric.
Should you use an automotive subscription app?
With the Autonomy app, you can get the benefits of an EV without actually having to buy one. Currently, the Tesla Model 3 costs $490 per month, and the Model Y costs $690 per month. That isn’t necessarily cheap, but it might be better than paying a dealer markup or dealing with the used market.
Plus, come 2023, you will be able to test out a variety of different EVs to determine if you might want to actually to buy or lease one. Or, you can just enjoy switching up your daily driver more often. You will have access to these vehicles via the company’s app. Which does feel intuitive to use.
Should you buy an EV?
It makes sense that with current gas prices, you might be considering an EV purchase. It seems like the biggest issue facing these vehicles right now comes from charging infrastructure. Finding a place to charge your vehicle publicly is not easy in every part of the country. And, when it comes to charging at home, you could need to upgrade the outlet that you plan to use.
But, through apps like Autonomy, you can see if that is something that you can live with.
