The launch of imove.se provides Sweden with its first electric car subscription, making it possible to have access to an electric car without the binding periods of the car leasing deals or the capital investment of the car ownership. Car subscription reduces the barriers to entry to becoming an electric car user, and this service will help Sweden achieve the climate goal of 1 million electric cars in the country by 2030. This subscription model has already become a great success in Norway, where imove A/S together with its partner and part owner, Hedin Bil, over the last three years have seen a growth of over 800 electric car subscriptions covering everything from Volkswagen e-Up to Tesla Model 3 and Polestar 2. The Swedish mobility entrepreneur Magnus Engervall is the newly appointed Country Manager, and he is aiming for imove Sweden to acquire its first 500 car subscribers before the end of the year.

The 17th of February imove.se was launched as the very first electric car subscription service in Sweden. Similar to i.e. Spotify or Netflix the service is based on a subscription model without any binding period, and with a wide variety of electric cars to choose from. Lately a trend of flexible access instead of ownership has emerged, and imove is riding the wave of this trend. Additionally, imove has chosen to have nothing but 100% battery powered electric cars in its fleet as part of its commitment to being an environmentally friendly option. According to the founder Hans Kristian, the key to an increased adoption of electric cars in society is giving more people the opportunity to try them without the commitment of traditional leasing or owning.

“To buy or lease an electric car is a big step for many. Too big. We are reducing the barriers to entry for the use of electric cars which we are convinced will increase the number of full-time electric car users in the future.”

Hans Kristian Aas, CEO imove

The car subscription concept has grown dramatically on a global scale, and prominent consulting firms such as McKinsey and Accenture are estimating that 20-25% of all cars being registered by 2025 will be car subscriptions. Subscription providers offer hassle-free car access where the car is delivered to your door, tire changes and car service is taken care of, and the user is free to change or cancel the subscription at any time. Imove also offers unlimited mileage and access to a larger “weekend car” 10 days every year as part of the monthly subscription fee, in order for its subscribers to still be able to make the longer vacation trips without having to drive an oversized car the rest of the year.

“The car industry is going through a complete structural overhaul at a record pace where customers now are offered hassle-free access to cars without any risk or commitment. Car leasing was the first step. Car subscription is the next level.”

Gunnar Birkenfeldt, Co-founder imove

The mobility entrepreneur Magnus Engervall, who introduced car sharing between private individuals in Sweden 2011 (today called snappcar.se) has taken on the challenge of making electric car subscribers out of the Swedes. He realized the power of the trend during his three years as Innovation Lead for SKODA AUTO DigiLab in Prague, where he developed new mobility concepts for the car manufacturer SKODA AUTO. Magnus has created an initial team of four employees in Stockholm and Uppsala, the first two cities in Sweden where imove is launched.

“In the same way as Spotify revolutionized the music industry and Netflix revolutionized the film industry, car subscription will revolutionize the car industry. The flexibility, variety and simplicity of car subscription will make the private car ownership obsolete in 5-10 years.”

Magnus Engervall, Country Manager Sweden, imove AB