One of the fastest-growing segments of the consumer automotive market is car subscription services. An enormous amount of investment is going on, with multiple car subscription providers entering the market in the expectation of considerable growth over the next few years.
Subscription schemes go under many different names: flexible lease or rental; long-term rental or long-term hire. The essential idea is that you have a car for as long as you like; from one month to several years. There is either no fee or a small charge to sign up and you can end the contract or swap the car when you feel like it, subject to conditions.
For a full explanation of all the pros and cons of subscription services, have a read of our comprehensive guide:
What kind of subscriptions are on offer?
The offerings are changing all the time, but car subscription providers can be divided into those from car makers, independent providers and rental companies.
Many car manufacturers and subscription providers also see a subscription service providing a gateway to electric car ownership, giving customers the opportunity to live with an electric vehicle for a few weeks or months before making any major financial commitment. So far, EV customers have been one of the biggest adopters of car subscriptions, with the vast majority continuing to drive an EV long after their initial subscription period ends.
These are the top UK-based car subscription services available as of January 2023.
Multi-brand subscription providers
Independent car subscription providers are taking the lead on subscription services while car manufacturers are scrambling to sort themselves out. They offer vehicles from a number of brands, with various different offers and restrictions.
At this stage, the number of different models available on a subscription service are more limited than your choices with leasing or traditional dealer finance, but the choices are growing all the time. We keep this list up to date on a regular basis.
Mycardirect*
URL: mycardirect.co.uk
Mycardirect is a new online car subscription service that offers new and used cars from a number of different brands. It may be a new company, but its team has extensive backgrounds in finance and leasing with major car companies.
Claiming to offer an all-inclusive and easy experience, Mycardirect currently has four locations in England but offers nationwide delivery. As well as both new and used cars, Mycardirect also offers vans, which is great for small businesses that may not need a van all-year-round, or may need an additional vehicle for a short-term contract.
Insurance isn’t included in the advertised prices – Mycardirect can help you with that or you can sort it out yourself if you prefer. As of September 2021, prices kick off at £397/month for an all-electric Renault Zoe on a six-month contract.
Elmo*
URL: elmodrive.com
Elmo is a specialist electric car subscription service and its users can put together a bespoke plan from a bundle of options. Open to drivers aged 25 or over, all advertised prices include the monthly cost of the vehicle, comprehensive insurance, breakdown cover and road tax.
For 2023, Elmo has reorganised its subscription offerings into two products – Flex and Save. Flex is aimed at customers who want a car for a shorter term – there’s a minimum 60-day term – or want to change their car regularly. Save is a minimum 12-month agreement, which allows you to save about 10% on the monthly fee. Elmo also now provides a charging card so you can use more than 20,000 charging points with one card and a single monthly invoice, rather than needing multiple apps or cards for different charging networks.
A total of 23 different EVs from ten manufacturers is currently available, including popular models like the Tesla Model 3 and Polestar 2. A Fiat 500e is advertised from £429 a month on the 12-month Save plan. Elmo has also branched out into salary sacrifice, which is an increasingly popular way to drive a new electric vehicle.
Wagonex*
URL: wagonex.co.uk
Wagonex is one of the original car subscription providers, founded in London in 2016 and now based in Cardiff. Wagonex says its reasoning for developing a subscription platform was for “the ability to have an SUV for the winter and convertible for the summer”. The company has a selection vehicles available from more than 20 different manufacturers (although no convertibles, ironically).
Like other subscription offerings, there’s no hefty upfront payment. Instead, there’s a small refundable deposit. Road tax and maintenance are covered, although insurance is not included in the monthly fee. Terms can be anything from one month to two years.
Cocoon*
URL: cocoonvehicles.co.uk
Cocoon Vehicles describes itself as a family business based in Derbyshire and operates short-term leases from one to three months or subscriptions. It doesn’t sell insurance and you can rent convertibles and performance cars.
A minimum of 1,000 miles is included and the lowest monthly subscription starts at £598.80 for an Audi A1 Sportback on a minimum 90-day contract (as of September 2021).
Onto*
URL: on.to
Like Elmo, Onto is a car subscription service purely for electric cars. You choose your model – which can be new or up to three years old – according to a monthly charge with one-month rents possible. There’s no set-up fee, but a £49 delivery charge. Access to UK public charging points via BP Pulse, Shell and Tesla superchargers is included. If you charge at home, it’s on your bill.
Insurance for one person (for over 25s) is included. The subscription is all run by an app on your phone, which also then acts as the key to the car. The Onto range starts with the Renault Zoe and runs up to Audis, Jaguars and Teslas. Prices in April 2021 started at £389 for a Zoe.
Onto has a special deal for The Car Expert readers! Until the end of June, you can get 20% off any SUV for the first three months of your subscription using the code CAREXPERT-SUV20. T&Cs apply, so find out more from Onto.
EZoo
URL: www.ezoo.uk
Formerly known as Electric Zoo, EZoo is another EV-only pay-as-you-go subscription scheme like Elmo and Onto.
The Saranna family, who run the business, used to sell high performance Porches, but now they concentrate on finding suitable electric cars for their customers, from the tiny VW e-UP to larger models such as Tesla’s Model 3.
As with other providers, it’s a simple system – you choose the car you’d like to drive, then select the length of time you want it. Terms start at just one month and rise to up to two years. Sign up, and after that, you simply make arrangements to collect your car. EZoo will even deliver it to you if you wish.
The website is easy and clear, with straightforward steps to follow – the ‘browse cars’ section, for example, opens up lists of cars each with the monthly cost. You chose ‘personal’ or ‘business’ before receiving the relevant inventory. Click on make or model or just browse the range of available cars, from £239 a month up to more than £2,000.
It’s an online service so you do the work yourself, but there are assistants available to ‘chat’ to if you need assistance.
Flexed
URL: flexed.co.uk
Flexed can offer subscription terms from as little as four weeks and as much as a year. There’s a wide choice of makes models available, with more than 2,000 vehicles currently on the fleet – and they’re not all EVs or hybrids if you want a more conventional petrol or diesel vehicle.
Prices start at £312 for a Fiat 500 on a 28-day rolling contract, and cars can be delivered to your door.
Flexigo
URL: flexigocars.uk
Flexigo is also part of the Cocoon group, and offers another alternative for subscriptions. Most of the prices quoted on the site are for a three-month period, but terms as low as 28 days are available if you contact the company directly. The company offers next-day delivery to anywhere in the UK (at extra cost) or you can collect the vehicle from the Fleixo office in Derbyshire.
Prices start at £670 for a Nissan Micra on a three-month contract, which doesn’t include insurance.
Car manufacturer subscription services
There are only a few subscription services currently run directly by car makers, but more are set to join in coming months. Here are some of the biggest players, but we have put together a comprehensive round-up in a brand-new article:
All the latest providers: Car manufacturer subscription providers 2023
Jaguar Land Rover: Pivotal
In 2018 Jaguar Land Rover launched Carpe (from the Latin Carpe Diem seize the day) as a 12-month unlimited mileage subscription aimed at high-mileage drivers who could sign up to a new Land Rover or Jaguar every 12 months. It was relaunched in 2020 as Pivotal, with a minimum 90-day term and monthly vehicle swaps possible.
There are multiple membership tiers and members can put their subscription on hold from month to month. A fresh vehicle arrives every six months. It’s £550 to join, then £750 to £1,600 a month, insurance included.
Volvo: Care by Volvo
Volvo’s Care by Volvo subscription went UK-wide in 2020. Customers can choose any model from the current Volvo line-up (built to order or from stock), assemble the monthly package on an app and try the car on a 30-day trial.
There’s no sign-up fee and then a three-month rolling contract. Insurance is not included and rates go from £559 to £799.
Genesis: Flexibility
Genesis is a new premium car brand from Hyundai, much like Lexus is to Toyota or Audi is to Volkswagen. Although it’s just getting started in Europe (it’s been around in the USA for several years), Genesis has already announced a subscription service called Flexibility.
Pricing starts at £599 per month for a Genesis G70 saloon on an 18-month term and head upwards to about £1,200 per month for 18 months on a Genesis GV80 large SUV.
Hyundai: Mocean
Hyundai launched its subscription platform in late 2021, called Mocean. Currently only a certain number of models are available, which may or may not be a result of the production problems gripping the entire car industry.
Pricing starts at £259 per month for a Hyundai i10 city car on a 24-month terms. Pull that back to three months and it goes up to £439 per month.
Dealer-driven car subscriptions
The car subscription sector may still be in its infancy, but it’s already evolving as new technology and new players look to disrupt the status quo.
One area that looks like it is going to be a real growth area over the next 18 months is car dealers offering subscriptions. There are plenty of benefits for dealers in being able to operate in this area, and additional flexibility for customers.
Technology platforms are now available that car dealers can use to manage their own subscription programmes, giving customers the opportunity to take a subcription on any car the dealer has available. We expect to see this area grow significantly through 2023 and beyond.
Van subscriptions
It’s not just cars that are in demand on subscription. Businesses are now turning to subscriptions to enable them to run additional vehicles for seasonal work or specific jobs, where they want a vehicle (or a few vehicles) for a few weeks or months rather than three or four years.
If you’re looking for a new or used van on subscription, our sister site The Van Expert has compiled a list of the UK’s best van subscription providers.
More car subscription information
Additional reporting by Stuart Masson and Tom Johnston. This article is regularly updated to ensure it remains accurate. Last updated January 2023.
* The Car Expert has commercial partnerships with Cocoon, Elmo, Mycardirect, Onto and Wagonex. If you click through to their websites and/or proceed to take out a subscription contract, we may receive a small commission. This does not affect the price you pay.
