SelfDrive Mobility to partner with UK dealers for car subscriptions

SelfDrive Mobility is looking to partner with UK dealerships to offer a subscription offering as an alternative to supplemental car rental business.

The company, which is based in the UAE, is now entering the UK and believes launching a subscription offering can help dealers to monetise idle new or used inventory, increase car utilisation and reach a broader customer base "without additional infrastructure".

The business is looking to compete on affordability with PCP finance offers, by offering models on subscription from £199 a month, fully inclusive of insurance, servicing and maintenance.

Drivers can also opt for a three months’ subscription on select car models from £249 per month.

In a bid to reduce barriers to entry, SelfDrive is also offering models without a deposit or initial rental cost.

SelfDirect’s founder Soham Shah told Automotive Management: "Our tech platform plugs directly into the dealer management system allowing them to list vehicles in real time and dynamically offer services like daily, weekly or monthly subscriptions and yearly lease.

"We manage customer acquisition, verification, payment, and support - ensuring incremental revenue with zero operational overhead for our partners."

While unable to share names at this early stage of its UK launch, SelfDrive Mobility said it is in "active collaboration" with several established dealer groups in Greater London, Birmingham and Manchester.

Brands like VW Group, Kia and Hyundai are already live on SelfDrive's platform.

Short-term mobility is a service most dealers have not yet been able to monetise. In 2019 experts from Tomorrow's Journey, including former JLR director David Betteley, told Automotive Management that dealers could have an opportunity to earn from under-utilised demonstrators or ageing stock through offering them for hire via technology.

Progress of flexible car subscription services has been limited as yet. In 2024 Volvo Car UK wound down its subscription service four years after launch.

But some of the continuing service providers such as Dribe still believe it offers new mobility options for people who don't want to commit to a particular car for several years.

A regional approach and mix of new and used options

SelfDrive UK, which is the trading name of Pinewoods Technology UK based at Chiswick Business Park in West London, is launching in the UK with a regional-first strategy, initially focusing on key urban and high-demand mobility corridors like London, Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh.

The service is being aimed at urban professionals, expats and business users who are shifting from ownership to usage-based models.

A nationwide rollout will follow progressively, "aligned with dealer network expansion and demand patterns", the company says, and SelfDrive Mobility will offer new and manufacturer-approved used vehicles on subscription.

Shah said: "The priority is quality and reliability, so all vehicles—new or used—undergo strict eligibility criteria and come fully maintained, insured, and subscription-ready.

"This hybrid approach gives users more choice and gives dealers more opportunities to maximise vehicle movement."

SelfDrive is targeting a customer base of 50,000 active subscribers in the UK within the next three years. It says it already has more than 1.5 million subscribers using the service across the Middle East.

This includes a mix of individual consumers (millennials, digital nomads, expats), corporate users (senior executives, project-based consultants), and SMEs.

Shah added: "We’re not just launching a car subscription service, we’re redefining how UK drivers access vehicles.

“With SelfDrive, subscribing to a car is as easy as ordering a takeaway. We’ve stripped away the paperwork, deposits, and delays, so users get on the road in minutes, not days."