Canoo opens waitlist for subscription-only EV, offers Tesla-like referral perks

The California-based mobility-services company Canoo has officially opened its waitlist.

Canoo will be an automaker by some definitions, with a set of unique, futuristic vehicles; but it diverges from conventional automakers in nearly all other respects. Through an all-inclusive monthly subscription fee—wrapping in maintenance, insurance, registration, and charging—Canoo members will be able to subscribe for whatever period they need the service, with no contract length or designated end date. 

The company is actually gamifying the wait. With the waitlist itself called The First Wave, potential subscribers will earn points based on referrals and survey completion, boosting their position on the waiting list and potentially earning prizes.

It sounds somewhat like Tesla’s highly successful (and recently revamped) referral program, for leads resulting in the purchase of cars or solar products—resulting in free Supercharger credits, invitations to Tesla events, vehicle discounts, and even the possibility of winning (or earning, depending on how you see it) new vehicles.

Up until now very few automakers in the green-car realm have succeeded with subscription models. Hyundai pulled the plug in October 2018 on a subscription plan for its Ioniq Electric, and Rivian has indicated that it might offer a subscription possibility for its upcoming R1S and R1T electric trucks.  

Canoo revealed the 250-mile, 300-horsepower launch vehicle, as well as a suite of other concepts, back in September. The company was founded in December 2017 and is moving fast; it plans to launch the service in Los Angeles in 2021.

Source: greencarreports.com