elmo

About elmo

elmo aims to be the easiest way to switch to an electric car.

The elmo team believes that new technology should benefit everyone and work for a brighter, cleaner future for people and the planet.

Customers can select and subscribe to an electric car in a few minutes on the platform. There’s no deposit to pay and users can keep the car for as long as they like on a simple monthly subscription plan. Only 30 days’ notice is required to return the car (just like Netflix or Spotify).

The basic package includes the electric car, comprehensive insurance cover, maintenance and breakdown cover.

In other words, everything you need for truly ’net zero’ driving is included in a single monthly price.

Customers can also choose to add a ‘bundle’ of services to their subscription to fit their lifestyle and preferences, such as public charging.

How it Works

The sign up process takes 5 minutes and is all done online.

• Customers register by uploading their driving license, proof of address, and a selfie
• The elmo team runs identity and driving license checks to verify eligibility
• elmo delivers anywhere in Great Britain and as early as one week from booking, depending on car availability
• Customers get a physical key with the car and an online dashboard with all their driving data
• The service is flexible with just 30 days’ notice required to upgrade, or cancel a subscription

Costs and Fees

Their pricing aims to be competitive when compared with lease deals, but without a deposit or lengthy contract. At the point of booking, customers are asked to make an initial payment covering the following:

1. First month of subscription. The first month of subscription is taken upfront at the point of booking. Future monthly payments from the second month onward will be taken by Direct Debit.
2. Delivery. A flat fee of £119 for all of England and Wales. Additional delivery fees may apply for Scotland.

Standard package pricing
The standard package is the monthly price each car is advertised for on the website. This includes:

• Electric car hire
• Comprehensive insurance cover
• All scheduled maintenance & servicing
• Breakdown cover

The standard package fee may vary depending on how long users choose to have the car and how many miles per month they need.

The basic mileage allowance is 800 miles per month (though this rolls over so just needs to average at 800 miles per month for the period the user has the vehicle).

Customising the subscription
Users can customise their subscription to include extra options and features according to their lifestyle and preferences. elmo currently offers:

• Public charging membership – which includes unlimited access to the full BP Pulse Network, including their ultra-fast chargers, for £10 a month.
• Additional Drivers – Add up to 2 additional drivers. It costs £10pm for each driver added.
• Flexible Mileage – choose from 800, 1,000, and 1,200 mile packages.

Brands & Models

elmo exclusively offer 100% electric cars. Here is a selection of the popular makes and models they have available on subscription:

• Tesla Model 3
• BMW i3
• Polestar 2
• Volkswagen ID 3
• Honda e Advance
• Kia e-Niro
• Fiat 500e
• Renault ZOE ZE50
• Nissan Leaf e+ Tekna
• MG ZS EV
• MG5
• Vauxhall Corsa-e

Notice Periods

elmo needs 30 days’ notice to change or cancel a subscription.

What’s Special about elmo?

Here are the main benefits of switching to an electric car on subscription with elmo.

• Price. The prices are competitive with lease deals, plus there’s no deposit to pay.
• Flexibility. Customers can keep the car as long as they like and return or swap it with just 30 days’ notice.
• Control. Customers get access to an online dashboard showing them everything from their driving data, cost and carbon savings to mileage data and a driver safety score.
• Simplicity. The monthly payment can cover every cost of ‘owning’ the car including charging.

elmo have developed an attractive proposition building on other flexible services. They have set themselves apart with a focus on net zero, integrations with the energy eco-system and offering best-in-class customer service.

They have also advised us that they are building out features to reward customers for safe and sustainable driving.

Plus, in 2022 they will be launching a salary sacrifice scheme where employees can pay their electric car subscription each month using their gross salary – offering tax benefits and savings.

Videos

elmo in Social Media

Instagram – @elmodrive

Twitter – @elmodrive

Facebook – elmodriveEV

LinkedIn – elmo – EV subscriptions

Conclusion

According to the elmo website, their mission is to make switching to an electric car smart, seamless and sustainable, for everybody. And thanks to the net zero nature of their subscriptions, this will stop thousands of tonnes of CO2 from entering the atmosphere each year in the process.

That’s a laudable endeavour and the elmo team appear to have developed the right business model and tech platform to achieve it.