How Selfdrive is rethinking on-demand mobility

Tell us about Neos.
Neos, is a “drive a new car every year” programme that will offer UAE customers the much-needed flexibility and the option to drive a new car every year. It is an alternative to car ownership and a hassle-free experience as all the services are built in one single monthly fee without having to worry about down payments. We have partnered with automobile manufacturers and car dealerships across the country to offer this programme. We have over 50 different car models from Chevrolet, Volkswagen, Cadillac, BMW, GMC and Audi. Moreover, additional brands will soon be joining us on the platform.

How will it help individuals who rent cars?
Until today only multinational corporations and enterprise clients were entitled and were served under the car lease programme. This is the first time our programme will allow its customers to not just lease a brand-new car for 12 months but also exchange those cars every year with another new car.

As a market leader in the vehicle subscription and digital leasing, we have always been a forerunner in identifying the customer needs and in introducing services that cater the customer requirements with a seamless experience. As such, under our programme, the customer needs to select a car for a one-year tenure and pay a monthly fee. A new car will get delivered as per the date and time requested.

The predetermined monthly amount for subscribing to the vehicle under programme includes insurance, service and maintenance, replacement vehicle and roadside assistance at zero additional cost. With zero maintenance or no overhead cost and no 20 per cent down payment, our latest offering aims to provide car ownership with zero liability.

What are the cost benefits for users?
Typically renting cars on monthly basis can be a bit expensive. Also, in a monthly subscription model, most cars offered are from the readily available fleet of cars, posing a bit of limitation for the selection of car models and trim levels. However, in this programme, customers can save up to 15 to 20 per cent as the minimal commitment is for a year.

Secondly, users get a new car which is exclusively registered for them plus the option to select the colour and trim level of their choice. In a monthly rental model, customers will have the option to only choose car models and brands that fit the monthly subscription bracket. Under the Neos programme customers have the option to also drive premium cars, while aligning with their budget.

Read: Why automotive apps are the future of car rentals