Porsche will launch an app-based subscription service next month that will allow customers to drive different car and SUV models of the luxury carmaker, but the price will not be cheap.
Named Porsche Passport, the program is reminiscent of services such as Netflix and Spotify. However, instead of movies and songs, subscribers will be able to request for up to 22 different Porsche vehicles, depending on which one they believe is the best one to use at any given time.
Porsche Passport: Price Starts At $2,000
Porsche Passport, which was created in collaboration with startup Clutch Technologies and will launch its pilot program in Atlanta, will require a fixed monthly fee of at least $2,000. Subscribers will be able to use one of the various Porsche vehicles at a time, with exchanges possibly done within the day of requests.
The first subscription tier of $2,000 per month, named Launch, will allow customers to access eight vehicles including the 718 Boxster, the Cayman S, the Macan S, and Cayenne. Customers who are willing to pay $3,000 for the Accelerate tier, meanwhile, will gain access to the full catalog of 22 Porsche vehicles, which include the 911 Carrera S, the Macan GTS, the Panamera 4S sports sedan, and the Cayenne S E-Hybrid SUV.
The monthly fee covers the registration, insurance, and maintenance costs for the vehicles. However, customers will need to pay a one-time $500 activation fee, and they will have to pay for the fuel used up by the vehicles they take out.
Customers who are willing to shell out at least $2,000 to sign up for a Porsche Passport will need to hurry though, as the pilot program for the service will only be limited to 50 people. The program may expand to other markets, but that will depend on the success of its Atlanta pilot program.
On-Demand Services Continue To Gain Traction
Porsche Passport looks to attract younger customers to the brand, as their shopping and transportation habits have been influenced by services such as Uber, Airbnb, and the aforementioned Netflix and Spotify.
Today's customers no longer need to purchase media that they can stream through Netflix and Spotify, nor own properties when they can request to book rooms and houses through Airbnb.
With on-demand services affecting all parts of life, it might not be long before customers will not want to own cars as well. Ride-haling services and self-driving vehicles will continue to make their presence felt in the world, and Porsche is already making sure that it will remain relevant in that kind of future.
