Electric Vehicle Subscription Program in Marion County
(photo courtesy: Motor Drive)
Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowThe parent of Indianapolis Power & Light Co. has gotten into the electric vehicle industry, including the launch of an EV subscription service in Marion county.
Virginia-based AES Corp. (NYSE: AES), through its subsidiary Motor, has launched a monthly full-service electric car program called Motor Drive.
The company says the service was established to get drivers comfortable with operating electric cars without having to make long-term commitments.
“Already a provider of electricity, AES saw Motor Drive as an opportunity to accelerate adoption of electric cars out on the road today and we see an important role for utilities in this conversation,” said Mike Barg, head of strategy and business development at Motor.
Motor Drive members can sign up for a monthly plan or a longer-term subscription. The company says there are three subscription tiers with monthly plans beginning at $649 per month.
The plan includes insurance, routine maintenance, and access to several charging options.
“Our goal is for people to experience the superior performance of electric cars without the commitment of a purchase or lease,” Barg said.
The city has already had an electric car sharing service with IndyBlue, which launched in 2015. But that company left the market in May saying, “the service did not reach the level of activity required to be economically viable here.”
Barg says Marion county is the first location in the country to offer Motor Drive.
“Indianapolis is a car market unlike any other. Most people here own and drive cars, if not own multiple cars per household. We knew that this community cares about cars, and about innovation, and so we felt it was a good fit,” said Barg.
He says the EV subscription program is a natural fit for the company.
“AES has an innovation arm called AES Next, which was created to support the organization’s mission to accelerate a safer and greener energy future,” said Barg. “Transportation represents one of the largest opportunities to positively impact emissions.”
The program offers a variety of models, including Nissan Leaf, Chevrolet Bolt, Tesla Model 3, Audi e-tron, and Tesla Model X.
Once signed up for the program, a car is delivered to the subscriber’s home.