Onto

Important announcement

On Monday, September 11th, Onto announced they had entered administration. What led to this is challenges due to the fall in electric vehicle residual value in 2023, rising interest rates, and a squeeze on disposable income. Onto has a fleet of about 7,000 EVs and a subscriber base of 20,000 customers.

Existing customers received emails saying they couldn't swap or subscribe to a different vehicle any more. However, they can still keep their cars for the time being. Onto has also offered the option for users to buy their cars if they want to.

More on this to follow!

About Onto

Onto is UK's first car subscription service which offers electric vehicles only. They have entered the market at the right time with the continuous increase in demand for electric cars.

Just like other subscription services, the monthly payment includes servicing, insurance, road tax, breakdown cover, but the real kicker is that charging is also included! 

How does Onto work?

Onto really make owning an electric car easy. Here's how to sign up to Onto and what to expect:

1. Create an account, add your personal information and take a selfie.
2. Pick the electric car you want.
3. Request the desired car and a team member will be in touch.
4. Pass the verification process which includes a soft search on your report.
5. No keys are sent to you, rather you'll have to use their Onto app.
6. Pay your first monthly subscription payment (there are no deposits of sign up fees).
7. Your new car will be delivered as soon as 72 hours!

Driver eligibility and requirements

Not anyone can take out a subscription with Onto, you must:

• Be aged between 25 – 85 years of age (or 30 – 85 for premium cars).
• Have held a Full UK/EU Driving Licence for at least 1 year.
• Have been a resident in the UK for at least 1 year.
• No have more than 6 penalty points in last 3 years (minor convictions).
• Not have been banned from driving within the last 5 years.
• No more than 1 fault claim within the last 3 years.
• All major motoring (incl. criminal) convictions must be referred.

We also have an in-depth guide which explains the driver requirements and eligibility in a lot more detail.

How much does Onto cost?

There are no extra sign up fees with Onto so the process is quite straightforward. Once you pick the car you want, you'll have to pay a flat £129.50 delivery fee (for all mainland UK customers). If you decide to return the car, that'll be another £129.50. The fee for exchanging a car is £70.

Your subscription comes with 750 miles included and you can add more miles if you need to. To get an additional 250 miles for tier 1 cars, such as the Zoe, will set you back £70. For tier 4 cars, such as the Tesla Model S, be prepared to fork out £150 for additional 250 miles.

Here's an example of what your Onto subscription could look like:

• Car subscription - £499 (eg. Renault ZOE)
• Sign up fee - £0
• Delivery - £129.50
• First month payment total - £628.50
• Monthly payments after - £499

Onto also now allow users to opt out of the included charging but this is only available on a selection of cars.

Why choose Onto?

Onto could be your first introduction to electric cars. Want to try one before committing to buying? You can do so. Want to try different electric car every month? Sure, go for it. Onto really makes owning and driving an electric car easy. The broad range of cars also is a positive, you can get the cheaper Zoe or the higher performance Teslas too. For more Onto reviews you should check out their TrustPilot account. Thousands of people have snatched an Onto EV so there's plenty of testimonials for you to read through. Check out our in-depth Onto vs elmo drive comparison.

But is it worth it? It can be if you're making the most of your subscription and included miles.

The lack of a sign up fee and 1-month commitment really makes Onto an appealing option.