Autonomy has debuted a Tesla subscription service in California with 100 Model 3 vehicles, saying it hopes to offer 10,000 Teslas through its platform by the end of 2022, according to an Electrek report Friday (Jan. 21).
Founder and CEO, Scott Painter, also founder of TrueCar, said Autonomy’s Tesla subscription service represents “the cheapest way to get into a Tesla Model 3.” The offering starts at $550 a month, but those who pay that price also must pay a $5,500 “start fee,” more than a deposit on a base Model 3 lease with Tesla.
Tesla Model 3 leases start at about $480 for a Model 3 RWD and about $560 for a Long Range, the report says. Autonomy users can also pay lower start fees (as low as $1,000), but that means a higher monthly subscription payment (up to $1,000).
Tesla enthusiasts can also buy their Model 3s through the car manufacturer, but will be forced to wait a significant time for the supply to catch up with demand. Autonomy says the company can get you a Model 3 tomorrow if they have availability in their fleet of 100 vehicles. The company told Bloomberg that it wants to build its fleet to 500 cars in March and 10,000 vehicles by the end of 2022.
Autonomy requires a three-month subscription, which includes 833 miles a month and a $0.25 per mile fee if that number is exceeded. The company runs all operations through its app with a driver’s license and a credit card.
Related: Tesla’s Latest Boost And Automotive Subscriptions’ Shifting Future
In July, Tesla launched its subscription service for with a self-driving car package.
Consumers can purchase the firm’s Full Self-Driving package, which adds several features for self-driving cars including navigating on autopilot and auto-park and a full self-driving computer and traffic light and stop control for $199 a month for new drivers and $99 a month for those who had subscribed to the now-discontinued Enhanced Autopilot package.