Californians Can Now Subscribe To Volvo Car Ownership

Feb. 04, 2023 6:06 AM ET by Michael Butler Industry News / 3 Comments

Care by Volvo lets you drive a car and covers maintenance, road hazard coverage, and more.

Volvo recently announced its plans to create paid subscription services for electric vehicles such as the Volvo EX90 electric SUV, and now it plans to bring its Care by Volvo car subscription plan, first launched in 2018, to California. Care by Volvo gives shoppers the option to subscribe to a new car instead of purchasing it in the traditional sense, and Volvo says that the new system will allow shoppers the flexibility to change cars or cancel their subscriptions after five months.

A new car twice a year? That sounds great, but what about maintenance and other costs? Well, these are greatly reduced too.

Volvo

The new subscription program asks for a simple monthly payment that includes usage of the vehicle, maintenance, road hazard coverage, excess wear allowance, and other services. The new program will start rolling out in February and is an answer to Volvo customers' calls for more flexibility when it comes to car ownership. Interested parties can start their new Volvo journey by visiting the automaker's site to choose a car before visiting a local dealer to review prices. Once the order has been started, the customer will complete an online application process. Once approved, the customer can then set a delivery date and take collection of their new car.

Volvo

The launch of this new ownership model comes at a time when Volvo is dramatically stepping up production of EV models and should appeal to younger or first-time buyers who don't want to be locked into long-term contracts. Volvo might just be on to something here, but as we've seen before, subscription services for cars do not always work out. That being said, California is a unique market, and what was impractical just a couple of years ago may be hugely beneficial today, especially as inflation rises.

For those apprehensive about trying an EV for the first time, or those new to Volvo ownership, this could be just the ticket.