The automotive industry is being disrupted with services like Uber, Lyft and in the not too distant future, autonomous vehicles. This means we’re really changing the way we think about vehicle ownership.
Introducing Carly. This service lets you pay a monthly subscription to borrow one car at a time, but switch it whenever you want for another car.
Think about it, generally, your daily commute should be something economical, but next month you fancy some home improvement, so fancy a trip or two to Ikea, and Bunnings, for that, you’ll need a ute. Then the following month, you plan a road trip with the family during the long weekend and would love a station wagon. It’s the end of the year and summer means you want to tow your jetski and motorbikes around. For this, you’ll want a more capable SUV.
Carly would allow you switch between vehicles, simply and easily, to suit your ever changing needs. Carly allows users to switch cars on a monthly basis.
A simple monthly payment covers insurance, registration and servicing. That monthly payment starts at A$180 per week. That may sound like a lot, but so does A$80,000 as a one off purchase, as well as the maintenance costs. Obviously you still pay for fuel with Carly, but the rest is included in that monthly price.
In addition to flexibility, convenience is a strong drawcard for Carly. Rather than having to pay separate fees for a car loan/lease payment, car registration, roadside assistance, comprehensive insurance and CTP insurance – along with ongoing maintenance costs, subscribers simply pay a single monthly subscription fee and Carly takes care of the rest.
At launch, they’re offering access to 20 automotive brands covering everything from economy to luxury and hatchback to SUV. Carly says they will have popular brands including Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, Toyota, Subaru, Holden and Hyundai.
Basically the success of subscription services and people’s willingness to replace a one off bulk payment, with an monthly payment, encouraged Carly to pursue the model. Think of our mobile plan, or services like Netflix which are good example of the massive shift to subscription services. I’d add Spotify, Foxtel and even Microsoft’s success with Office 365 subscriptions, as well as their Xbox Live and Game Pass.
The convenience and flexibility of subscription is a natural fit for how we want to access cars today. Carly provides an easier way to get into the car you want, without the hassle, while providing the flexibility to change the car when your life changes.
Carly is a drastically different approach that recognises that traditional car ownership and car leasing models aren’t providing the options that people now want. If you value flexibility; if you like the idea of being able to start, stop or change your car subscription as your lifestyle changes and don’t want to be tied into a long-term car loan or lease, then Carly is a far better solution.
CEO, Chris Noone
With the freedom to stop and start the subscription at any time, Carly is perfect for those who are travelling overseas and don’t want to spend money on an idle car. Similarly, if a subscriber is looking to save money for a few months, they can simply turn off their subscription.
Once subscribed to the service, drivers can choose their first car, which will be delivered directly to their door. They can continue subscribing to that car for as long as they like, or they can choose to switch it for a different car each month.
Carly will launch in March 2019.
A special pre-launch $200 subscription upgrade is available for people who pre-register at https://www.carly.co/
