MG and Europcar kick off EV rental
MG ZS EV joins rental car fleet in first step of Australian electrification strategyMG and Europcar have announced the addition of a fleet of MG ZS EV compact SUVs to the latter’s short-term rental offering.
Europcar will add 40 ZS EVs to its Melbourne-based rental offering as the first stage of an electrification of its fleet.
Globally, Europcar has committed to electrifying a third of its fleet via battery-electric or plug-hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) by the end of 2023.
The 2021 MG ZS EV is Australia’s cheapest battery EV. It is priced from $43,990 drive-away.
The addition of the ZS EV to the Europcar fleet has been categorised as a “collaboration” by MG Motor Australia and Europcar.
“This partnership between MG and Europcar proves that the electric vehicle has come of age, and discerning businesses or individuals can take advantage of this for their mobility needs, whilst reducing their carbon footprint,” said Benoit Garel, managing director of Europcar in Australia.
Europcar says it will follow MG’s lead in keeping rental rates for the ZS EV “attractive”.
“We’ll be looking at keeping it close to parity [based on vehicle type],” Europcar Australia commercial director, Jonathan Dexter, told carsales.
Europcar execs told carsales that pending the success of the Melbourne trial, it may add ZS EVs to its offering in other Australian cities. It has also flagged that it is considering the addition of the plug-in hybrid version of the MG HS to its local fleet.
The average distance renters drive in both Melbourne and Sydney is well below the MG ZS EV’s 260km (approx) gazetted range.
Europcar says it will also be working on longer-term rental options for the electrified MGs for consumers who would like to “try before they buy”. Details of these subscription-style offers are still to be announced.
“This exciting partnership will provide many people who are thinking of electric motoring the chance to try it for themselves, on their own terms,” said MG Motor Australia CEO Peter Ciao.
MG Motor Australia has aggressive targets for the battery-electric ZS EV and has committed to launching at least two more battery-electric models by 2023.
The next cab off the rank will be the ES33 that is expected to be unveiled in near-production form at the Shanghai motor show next week.
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