Auto technology company Carbar has become the first car subscription service in Australia to join the Electric Vehicle Council.
The partnership comes as Carbar plans to ramp up its Electric Vehicle (EV) footprint, aiming to increase the proportion of EVs in its fleet from 5 per cent to 25 per cent over the next few years.
Through joining the EV Council, Carbar intends to work with the group on matters regarding policy and raising awareness of EV issues. It will also aim to provide a unique car subscription viewpoint to the industry groups efforts.
“This partnership with the EV council represents another key milestone in Carbar’s focus on EVs and their adoption in Australia.” Carbar co-founder and CEO Des Hang said.
“We’ve long believed that due to ongoing affordability and accessibility concerns car subscription will play a key role in their uptake of EVs. Through various surveys and feedback we’ve found strong support both from our customers and partners for moving in this direction.”
“The writing is on the wall in the auto sector: EVs are the future. Yet the topic is still treated like a political football and a proxy for broader debate. We value the work the EV Council is doing in cutting through this noise and look forward to supporting this.” Electric Vehicle Council chief executive Behyad Jafari said it was terrific to have Carbar aboard.
“Carbar is an exciting presence on the Australian scene and it’s great to welcome them onto the Council,” Mr Jafari said.
“The combination of innovative tech with innovative models of use is irresistible and has so much potential to change our society for the better.
“The electric vehicle revolution is now well and truly underway in Australia. Carbar’s involvement on the Electric Vehicle Council underscores just how diverse and multifaceted the shift on Australia’s roads will be over the next decade and beyond.”
The announcement follows two key partnerships with AGL and sonnen to support the launch of both brands’ EV subscription services.
Carbar also recently closed a $50 million debt facility with Global Credit Investments that will be used to fund the purchase of EVs for subscription.
Starting from $145, car subscription includes everything except fuel, so moving to electricity makes perfect sense as consumers try to reduce debt and ongoing costs of running a vehicle.