The newest developments connected with DriveItAway have distinct Michigan connections.

First, the provider subscription-to-purchase technology announced on Wednesday that it has launched its electric vehicle program with General Motors to offer the Chevrolet Bolt and Chevrolet Bolt EUV. 

And the CARite dealer group, based in Madison Heights, Mich., with 32 locations in 14 states, is the first automotive retailer to partner with DriveItAway on the roll out of its new Bolt subscription to ownership program. 

DriveItAway founder and chief executive officer John Possumato highlighted how the actions coincide with recent announcement by GM of the substantial price decrease of the upcoming 2023 Bolt/Bolt EUV.

“Mary Barra, CEO of General Motors, pointed out recently in a Yahoo Finance interview that most EVs sold in the US last year were luxury models, purchased by people who owned at least two vehicles, and that, ‘If you want EVs to get 100 percent or even 50 percent of the market, there have to be affordable EVs,’” Possumato said in a news release.

“Early last month Mary Barra & GM set the stage by dramatically reducing the price of the 2023 Bolt, now DriveItAway is rolling out the dealer focused platform to make driving & owning an EV truly affordable for all,” Possumato continued.

“DriveItAway’s easy and transparent app driven consumer platform was created so that anyone, regardless of credit or cash down, can immediately enjoy the benefits of driving a new Bolt EV through a turnkey vehicle subscription (insurance, maintenance and all servicing included), and build down payment equity to buy the vehicle, with a portion of the subscription fees going towards the purchase, should the driver choose to buy it, which is an option at any time,” he went on to say.

The DriveItAway program was created as a platform for dealers to enable all consumers, regardless of credit score or cash down payment, to drive and buy the vehicle of his/her choice.

With the DriveItAway program, the subscriber has an unlimited “test drive” to make sure an EV is right for him/her, with the option to purchase the vehicle at any time. 

The DriveItAway program is geared to be more flexible and better than a conventional vehicle subscription or rental, as a portion of what is paid in to drive is not wasted, but goes towards the purchase price, when and if the driver chooses to buy.

It’s those features that likely attracted the CARite dealer group.

“At CARite, we pride ourselves on providing all customers, with better cars, a better buying experience and peace of mind with every purchase,” said Lee Wells, general manager of the CARite dealer group, “We have used the DriveItAway platform in the past as a way for those who are down payment challenged to immediately drive the vehicle of their choice in our inventory while enabling a future purchase, so when they came to us with this unique Bolt EV program, as a way for customers to drive and then buy an EV, we immediately ‘got it’ and are proud to be among the first to feature it as a customer option.”

“It’s clear that EVs will be a rapidly growing segment of what we and others sell, and the DriveItAway subscription to ownership program is a great new way to introduce and enable our customers a new choice with a subscription that can lead to ownership, at our customer’s option,” Wells went on to say.

As many employees do nowadays, Saleem Shaik also has a hybrid work schedule where he has to drive 45 miles each way three days a week. 

“I did not want to make the financial commitment of buying or leasing a vehicle right now, because I’m not sure what my schedule will be in the future,” Shaik said in the news release. “At the same time, I thought it would be best to have an EV instead of a gasoline vehicle due to fuel prices being as high as they are. I wanted a “hedge” just in case my commute becomes more regular, and if I end up needing to buy a vehicle, I’d rather it be an EV.” 

“When I discovered the DriveItAway subscription to ownership program for the Bolt EUV, I was instantly sold, it fits my needs today and the program is flexible enough to accommodate me if my needs end up changing down the road” Saleem continued

Possumato added that U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., may have summed it up at a recent trade event when she said, “Too many Americans cannot afford EVs.”

Possumato said, “We designed and created our DriveItAway platform to enable all consumers an easy transparent, affordable way to drive, and then buy if he/she chooses, the vehicle of choice, flipping the ‘service pyramid’ upside down for credit or down payment challenged. This is especially true when applied to EV vehicles. Why should just affluent, ‘three cars in the garage’ Tesla buyers be the only folks who enjoy the benefits of driving and owning an EV today?”