Partnership helping drive Tasmanian EV evolution
Tasmanians now have greater access to sustainable transport, thanks to a new partnership.
Aurora Energy has teamed up with the mobility tech provider, carbar, to give Tasmanians access to a range of new and used electric vehicles (EVs) through a subscription-based service, removing lock-in contracts and the need to buy outright.
The service is an entirely new offering for EVs in the state and allows Tasmanians to test the rapidly growing form of e-mobility.
Aurora CEO Rebecca Kardos said the energy retailer was excited to create an innovative new green product to share with customers, and hopes the partnership acts as a catalyst for the uptake and growth of sustainable transport in the state.
“We’re focussed on helping our customers become more sustainable, whether that’s through being more energy efficient in the home or through greater access to low emissions transport,” Mrs Kardos said.
“Our partnership with carbar will do exactly that and help capitalise on Tasmania’s renewable energy advantage as we push towards becoming a carbon neutral economy – that’s a win-win.
“We look forward to seeing our customers out on the roads enjoying the pristine Tassie countryside in a way that is directly helping nurture its very existence for future generations to come.”
The vehicles on offer range from the Kia Niro EV ($389 per week) through to a 2020 Nissan Leaf ($279 per week). A Tesla Model 3 will be added to the fleet in early 2022. The fixed weekly payment is in addition to an upfront fee which varies by model which covers the cost of fulfilment, delivery and initial servicing.
The weekly subscription fee aims to cover all of the cost of owning, maintaining and running a car such as depreciation, interest, registration, insurance, routine maintenance, roadside assist, mechanic faults, faulty and worn tyres and batteries.
All subscriptions also qualify for carbar’s loyalty program. This reduces the weekly cost of subscribed vehicles every year, via adding loyalty credits to users’ accounts, and provides them with a 50% discount per year if they want to either swap vehicle or subscribe to an additional car.
carbar co-founder and CEO Desmond Hang said the barrier to entry for Tasmanians to access EVs will be significantly lowered through the partnership.
“There’s an incredible demand for EVs across Australia, and we believe this is especially the case in Tasmania, which has been a pioneer in Australia's clean energy sector,” Mr Hang said.
“In addition to being an affordable means of getting behind the wheel of an EV, this launch is an ideal opportunity for many Tasmanians to try their first car subscription. It is unlike any other means of accessing a vehicle. With EV technology and innovation moving at a pace, subscriptions are ideal for those who always want to be behind the wheel of a car at the cutting edge of this trend.
“Finally, consumers can manage their car – on average their third largest household expense – on a fixed budget. There’s no unexpected running costs and you can cancel your car at any time; we believe this level of flexibility and affordability really resonates with the Tasmanian community.”
To support the launch, MG is offering a 25% off the weekly subscription price for the first 3 months (total value $988) for the MG eZS through its Tasmanian dealerships to the first 20 Aurora Energy customers that subscribe to the car subscription service.
