Hyundai is bringing back its EV subscription program, aimed at providing “flexible access to electric vehicles.”
For a locked-in monthly price, it’s wrapping in the vehicle plus insurance, roadside assistance, and maintenance.
Pricing depends on the model and mileage, and it starts at $699 a month for the Kona Electric and $899 a month for the Ioniq 5, with 1,000 monthly miles allowed and surcharges for overage clearly laid out. The only additional cost is a $300 acquisition fee. Hyundai notes that the subscriber can cancel at any time, with no long-term commitment.
The solution makes a lot of sense for those who might want to try an EV for a few months—especially those who have a remote assignment or need to commute to a different job for a few months. Hyundai notes that it costs about half the amount of a daily car rental—with monthly rental also on the list of options at some Hyundai dealerships.
2023 Hyundai Ioniq 5
The details have been a long time coming. Hyundai first noted the Ioniq 5 at the center of this new subscription plan in May 2021. Then, it says that so-called “mobility pioneers,” who were used to using subscription services in many other aspects of their lives, would want to try the Ioniq 5 in this way. Perhaps the strong demand and relatively short supply of the Ioniq 5 have been limiting factors delaying the rollout.
Hyundai’s parent company has also been exploring the idea of battery leasing to lower EV prices and coordinate reuse, but this idea doesn’t appear to be put to use in Evolve+.
Evolve+ isn’t the first time Hyundai has tried EV subscriptions. In Southern California, it rolled out the previous subscription plan, called Unlimited+, on the 2017 Ioniq Electric. For one monthly fee—then modeled after top-of-the-line smartphone plans—it rolled in Blue Link remote-vehicle services, maintenance, and unlimited public charging privileges, along with reimbursement for tax, title, and registration fees.
The charging perk for Unlimited+ was removed in 2018, and Hyundai made clear that the cars couldn’t be used for ride-hailing, such as for Uber and Lyft; but shortly after that Hyundai pulled the plug completely on that form of it.
Hyundai Evolve+ EV subscription alongside other offerings
A few other factors make this program different. This time Hyundai claims that it’s worked on this with its dealers, with the program itself dealer-operated. Because of that, shopping tools will be able to easily offer the range of options, including buying, leasing, renting, and Evolve+, all satisfied at the dealership.
Exact vehicles for Evolve+ can be selected via an Evolve+ smartphone app that’s available on the Google Play and Apple Store. Terms can easily be renewed from the app, and a simple credit card payment secures the vehicle, with a pickup time chosen at the dealership.
Evolve+ will start in seven cities across six states (not yet named), Hyundai says, with plans to expand the service to more markets.
