Mercedes-Benz To Launch Vehicle Subscription Service In US

(CNET.com) - Vehicle subscription services are becoming more and more popular with automakers and third-party companies jumping into the market to offer customers the freedom of choice when it comes to what car they drive from month-to-month. Mercedes-Benz will be the next OEM to rollout a subscription program in the US according to the German carmaker's global head of sales Britta Seeger.

In an interview with Automotive News during the 2018 Geneva Motor Show, Seeger says Benz will be rolling out a pilot program for a flat-rate subscription service some time this year. Details on where the pilot will launch and how much it will cost are still being hammered out.

This news follows the announcement of the Mercedes me Flexperience that will debut in Germany to offer subscribers the ability to drive up to 12 new vehicles a year from the A-, C-, E- and S-Class families. Rates haven't been announced, but will include insurance, general maintenance and tires for up about 22,000 miles per year. When it comes time to swap into a new vehicle, customers will make a request online via an app.

Mercedes follows other OEMs such as Cadillac, Volvo and Porsche into the US vehicle subscription service, in addition to a growing field non-OEM companies such as Canvas, Flexdrive, Less and Borrow.