The range of Stellantis vehicles that are now available through ONTO has expanded to include both the Vauxhall Mokka-E and Corsa-E models – with the new vehicles being added to ONTO's booking system through March and April 2022. That brings the ONTO line up to 20 different models with monthly subscriptions starting at £379.
What started in 2017, after a series of discussions between founders Rob Jolly and Dannan O’Meachair, has now grown to the point where ONTO has the single largest fleet of electric cars in the UK with close to 6,000 subscribers on a regular plan.
The appeal of the ONTO model is simple and it's largely based on how much drivers are favouring flexibility as the driver's market evolves. While the stats for ‘billions of annual kilometres travelled in the UK‘ using buses, coaches, motorbikes and the rail network have hardly changed since 1950, the rate of expansion for cars, taxis and vans has been significant. This kind of road transport is now more than six times more popular than any of the other methods of transport.
Going back to the early 1950s, UK car ownership was restricted to less than 20% of all households. By 1997, that that figure had grown closer to 80%. Many experts are predicting that personal ownership rates will plummet in the coming decades, as people start to move from ‘owning' and ‘leasing' to a more flexible ‘rental' model – with much lower up front costs. It's this trend that ONTO is betting on.
There are some things that all drivers will need, including getting the vehicle delivered, comprehensive insurance, servicing, maintenance and an average of 750 miles worth of charging each month (based on RAC numbers for average miles driven by Brits).
Leasing products can offer these things, but then there is the up-front deposit and long term commitment. Deposits might typically be in the region of £2,000 or more with three-year contracts being quite normal. What if you only need an EV for a year or two and you don't want to pay a deposit?
Powered by a 50kWh battery connected to a 136PS electric motor, the zero-emissions Corsa-e and Mokka-e can travel up to 222 and 209 miles respectively on a single charge (WLTP). Supporting up to 100kW rapid charging, these vehicles can replenish an 80% charge in just 30 minutes.
The Elite Premium trim features a striking exterior design enhanced by 17-inch bi-colour alloy wheels and a contrasting black roof, while the Corsa-e also benefits from IntelliLux LED Matrix headlights.
Inside, the Mokka-e features Vauxhall’s innovative Pure Panel interior, with a single panel that contains both a 12-inch digital instrument display and 10-inch central touchscreen. Infotainment on the Corsa-e is provided via a 10-inch colour touchscreen which, like the Mokka-e, comes equipped with Satellite Navigation and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto.
Onto customers will also enjoy further features such as heated front seats and a heated steering wheel, as well as front and rear parking sensors. Both cars come with a range of safety and driving aids, including driver drowsiness alert, speed sign recognition and automatic emergency city braking. The Mokka-e adds additional features including adaptive cruise control, forward collision alert (all speeds), plus side blind spot alert and flank guard.
For WhichEV, adaptive cruise control is a winning feature and we'd happily trade a small amount of performance for the relaxation that a good adaptive system brings to longer motorway runs as well as dull inner-city journeys.
Rob Jolly, CEO and co-founder of Onto, said: “We are thrilled to be partnering with Vauxhall and growing the collection of brands and car models we offer to our customers. The Vauxhall team has a great commitment to expanding the range of electric cars in their fleet, which is fantastic for the industry. Introducing the award-winning Mokka-e, the new face of Vauxhall cars, and the Corsa-e, the hugely popular supermini, to our fleet will further drive our mission to offer a flexible way for people to join the electric car revolution.”
Paul Willcox, Managing Director, Vauxhall, said: “I’m thrilled that Onto customers will be able to experience two of our fully electric models, the Corsa-e and Mokka-e. I’m sure they will prove very popular and customers will enjoy their striking designs, impressive technology and WLTP range of over 200 miles. Our aim is to democratise access to electric vehicles, so partnering with Onto is a great way for more drivers to be able to experience the benefits of driving electric.”
The Corsa-e and Mokka-e form part of Vauxhall’s comprehensive electrification offering. The British brand will offer an electrified variant across its entire model line-up by 2024 and will have a fully electric vehicle range by 2028 – seven years ahead of the UK Government deadline for all vehicles and two years ahead of the ban on petrol and diesel vehicles.
When we investigated ONTO in some depth last summer, we concluded that ONTO is definitely onto something with its subscription service. The addition of popular new models like the Mokka-E and Corsa-E (as well as the promise of Fisker's innovative Ocean coming soon), only makes a stronger argument for looking at a subscription if you’re not experienced with EVs, but are curious enough to give the concept a try.
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