How to try a Tesla for a month without committing

Posted on March 02, 2023 by Peter McGuthrie

Prospective Tesla buyers have a lot to consider ahead of making a purchase, and even more so if it’s their first time buying an electric vehicle. However, one new service will let users try a Tesla out for just a month, without forcing them to commit after they’re done.

Those considering whether or not they should buy a Tesla can now try one out for a month without committing through the use of EV subscription company Autonomy, as PC Mag reports. To do so, users can simply sign up for Autonomy’s month-to-month leases at the minimum term of 31 days, and the company will drop a Tesla Model 3 off at your door.

PC Mag’s Emily Dreibelbis rented a Tesla Model 3 from Autonomy to test it out as she considered whether to buy a traditional gas car, a hybrid or a battery-electric vehicle. The main lessons she took away from the short-term lease revolved mainly around charging and expectations of range, both factor which many consumers may be concerned about prior to making their purchases.

Autonomy founder and CEO Scott Painter points out how the company’s model hopes to make trying EVs easy, even for those who haven’t driven one before.

“The electrification of the automobile is a little bit intimidating to some, and [Autonomy is] a really easy way to get acclimated to the product,” Painter said. “Autonomy is almost like an extended test drive because you can take the car for three months and give it back, or you can take the car for nine months or two years—whatever you like.”

Currently, Autonomy is primarily available in California’s major cities Sacramento, San Francisco, San Diego and L.A., along with a few other U.S. cities including Fort Lauderdale and Miami, Florida, Austin and San Antonio, Texas, Phoenix, Arizona, and Seattle, Washington. Autonomy plans to launch in the Washington D.C. area and New York City in the first quarter of the year.

Early users of the system have noted that it’s user-friendly and makes getting an EV nearly painless.

"After I filled out the application on the app and paid my deposit, someone immediately called me and said, 'We have cars available, can you come tomorrow?'” said Lisa Vasconcellos, a current Autonomy subscriber leasing a Model 3 in a statement to PC Mag. “So, I said, 'Yeah, I can come tomorrow,' and I went picked it up at a Mercedes dealer in Torrance, California. I was there for 10 minutes and then I had the car.”

Users interested in trying out a Tesla can subscribe to the service through the mobile app, which can be found on the company’s website.

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Source: PC Mag / Autonomy