Utility supplier AGL launches electric car subscription program

AGL, one of Australia’s largest energy suppliers, has launched its own car subscription program which exclusively supports electric vehicles (EVs).

The EV subscription program starts from $299 per week not including setup costs, offers a choice of four vehicles, and doesn’t require a lock-in contract.

Subscribers can pick either a Nissan Leaf or Hyundai Ioniq EV at the base $299 weekly cost, and also have the option of picking the Hyundai Kona EV at $359 a week or the Tesla Model 3 at $599 a week.

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AGL says the program utilises ‘used vehicles’ with ‘low mileage’ in the program and offers the ability for subscribers to swap vehicles every six months at no extra charge. The subscription includes registration, insurance (with a $2000 excess) and delivery, as well as running costs including repairs, maintenance, and tyres.

The “setup cost” is a once-off $800 fee, which includes the installation of a charger at your address. The charger can be installed at rental properties with written landlord permission, but if infrastructure ground works are required, they will be charged separately.

If a subscriber cancels in the first six months there is a $150 fee to cover the cost of removing the charger from the property and the program has a minimum subscription duration of one month. There is also a ‘late fee’ of $50 a month if the account falls into arrears. AGL says car delivery or swapping will take 30 days, and new sign-ups will have ‘professional handover and training’ at the time of delivery.

A charger will be installed as part of the setup cost, and vehicles can be swapped as part of the flexible program.

AGL pitches its new subscription service as a way to “drive toward a greener future without the commitment of owning a car” and says the program offers the benefit of trying out different electric vehicles without the need to pay loan interest or committing to one particular car.

The range on vehicles offered spans from 270km in the Nissan Leaf to 460km in the Tesla Model 3. The utility provider says it is “working on” the availability of other vehicles in the program but does not offer test drives of its cars.

The program comes after AGL recently announced it would be transitioning its vehicle fleet to electric cars after becoming a signatory to the global EV100 initiative. In a release, the brand said: "As a signatory to EV100, AGL will transition its fleet of 400 corporate vehicles to 100% electric by 2030, up from 10% today."