Volkswagen plans to launch an on-demand autonomous driving rental service in the future.
2021-05-07
Volkswagen plans to launch an on-demand autonomous driving rental service in the future.
On May 7, according to foreign media reports, Volkswagen has unveiled a new operational model for its future autonomous driving technology, offering rental options to meet the needs of certain car owners. Recently, Klaus Zellmer, Volkswagen’s Head of Sales and Marketing, revealed in an interview that the company is exploring the possibility of launching rental services for select vehicle features—such as its Level 4 automated driving assistance system—potentially charging around €7 per hour (approximately RMB 55 per hour). Zellmer emphasized that Volkswagen plans to equip all vehicles rolling off its production lines with the necessary hardware systems from the start. Owners who wish to access these advanced features could simply pay on a periodic basis; for instance, if they need the Level 4 driving assistance system, they’d only have to activate it by paying the corresponding fee, after which Volkswagen would grant them access to the feature.
He stated that drivers do not need to pay upfront for autonomous driving technology, as doing so would drive up the price of new vehicles—today, adding this feature typically costs tens of thousands of dollars. Instead of passing this expense on to new car buyers, it’s more cost-effective to simply unlock the feature whenever the driver chooses to use it.
Besides the general public, this subscription-based business model is increasingly being adopted by automakers. Tesla has long planned to offer its advanced driver-assistance system for use on a pay-per-cycle basis, while BMW previously revealed a similar leasing initiative. How effective this approach ultimately proves to be remains to be seen.
Translated from Sina Auto
Volkswagen plans to launch an on-demand autonomous driving rental service in the future.
2021-05-07
Volkswagen plans to launch an on-demand autonomous driving rental service in the future.
On May 7, according to foreign media reports, Volkswagen has unveiled a new operational model for its future autonomous driving technology, offering rental options to meet the needs of certain car owners. Recently, Klaus Zellmer, Volkswagen’s Head of Sales and Marketing, revealed in an interview that the company is exploring the possibility of launching rental services for select vehicle features—such as its Level 4 automated driving assistance system—potentially charging around €7 per hour (approximately RMB 55 per hour). Zellmer emphasized that Volkswagen plans to equip all vehicles rolling off its production lines with the necessary hardware systems from the start. Owners who wish to access these advanced features could simply pay on a periodic basis; for instance, if they need the Level 4 driving assistance system, they’d only have to activate it by paying the corresponding fee, after which Volkswagen would grant them access to the feature.
He stated that drivers do not need to pay upfront for autonomous driving technology, as doing so would drive up the price of new vehicles—today, adding this feature typically costs tens of thousands of dollars. Instead of passing this expense on to new car buyers, it’s more cost-effective to simply unlock the feature whenever the driver chooses to use it.
Besides the general public, this subscription-based business model is increasingly being adopted by automakers. Tesla has long planned to offer its advanced driver-assistance system for use on a pay-per-cycle basis, while BMW previously revealed a similar leasing initiative. How effective this approach ultimately proves to be remains to be seen.
Translated from Sina Auto
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