A guest author contribution by Boris Baldinger, freelance business and personal branding photographer.
With the advent of car subscriptions, an opportunity has presented itself that I have been keeping a close eye on for a few months. I chose Clyde for a number of reasons.
- The Škoda Enyaq 80x Sportline in All Black was available within a reasonable period of time (for me)
- Taking out the subscription was a breeze
- The possibility of taking out a very short subscription (3, 6 months)
- The car is delivered to my doorstep and picked up there as well
- Electricity is included in the subscription, thanks to Clyde Energy Benefit along with many other things
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The ordering process
Placing the order Placing the order itself is really a piece of cake. Choose the car, configure the subscription, select insurance and excess and submit the order. The whole thing is charged via credit card. Nothing could be easier. I found all the information I needed on the clearly laid out website.
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Pre-delivery anticipation remains high
After ordering, the booking confirmation comes immediately. With the words “Welcome to the Family”, I really feel they are speaking to me. I feel a sense of community.
The email also tells me how the process continues. A short time later another message prompts me to make an appointment for delivery. A tool lets me decide for myself when the car should be delivered to my door. A few days pass and I receive the vehicle registration document electronically. This way, I have all the information I need throughout the entire waiting period, and anticipation of the new vehicle remains enormously high.
Length of term a decisive factor
As I have already said, I would like to test electromobility first, before deciding on a vehicle for the long term. Clyde offers me exactly this opportunity. With short terms of 3 or 6 months, I have the chance to experience it all without having to make a long-term commitment. For me, a 6-month term with 1500 km per month hits the sweet spot. I can extend the subscription or increase the mileage at any time.
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Delivery / checks
The delivery of the car was a great experience. A Clyde-branded vehicle drove right up to our front door. On the trailer, the brand new Škoda Enyaq 80x Sportline in All Black. The car was unloaded and the nice gentleman from the delivery service made another video to record the condition of the vehicle. One signature later, I held the keys in my hand. What a beautiful moment. And again, everything is very uncomplicated.
Driving experience
Even though Clyde has nothing to do with the driving pleasure of a Škoda, I would like to briefly mention it here:
Once a BEV, always a BEV.
For me, it is inconceivable that I would switch back to petrol or diesel.
The crisp acceleration and quiet comfort in the Škoda Enyaq 80x SportLine are impressive. The matrix headlights are worth their weight in gold and, on the whole, the vehicle can be driven very sportily with its 265 hp.
External charging: does that work well?
Of course, the issue of range anxiety was very big for me as a diesel driver. My wife also had her reservations here. At the time of the subscription, we live in a rented flat without the possibility of installing a charging point. So we are left with charging via swisscharge.ch at compatible stations.
That was one of the biggest risk factors for me in the beginning. After three months, I can now say it’s not a problem for us. Although the inaccurate display showing the remaining mileage doesn’t help. But with time you get a feeling for the remaining range.
Fortunately, we have various charging options here in Rapperswil. Including a fast charging station at EWJR energy supplier in Jona-Rapperswil. This is only about 800 metres as the crow flies from our home
The charging station: a meeting place for fans of BEV
Already during my first charge at EWJR, I met two nice people. We spent about thirty minutes discussing the topic of electromobility and charging options. Somehow it felt like being with fellow dog owners: people with the same interest meet in the same place and get to know each other.
I have had this experience again and again at various locations. I find that really brilliant. And it turns out that, by the look of it, I am still one of the early adopters.
Infrastructure and charging on the go
The charging infrastructure in Switzerland is well developed.Fast chargers you can find enough. And with a little research, I found a charging option in every place I went. Even if some of them were only 11 kW stations. I really never had to worry about whether I would reach my destination or get home again.
In these three months, my wife and I have been to a charging station 32 times. So on average 10 times a month. And yes – there were days when we wished we could have charged at home. Especially late in the evening or in the rain. In those moments, I waited in the car instead of going home or to work. Fortunately, it is possible to keep yourself busy during this time.
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Technology and humans
In most cases, we (my wife and I) have had no problems with charging stations. As a rule, everything has always worked well. However, sometimes there were technical problems where the cable could not be disconnected from the charging column. This is very annoying, especially in the evening or at night. Swisscharge reacted in an exemplary manner here and contacted me by phone when I recently tweeted about this.
Unfortunately, BEV drivers sometimes park their cars in charging areas even when not chargingThis is also rather annoying, as the charging point then shows as vacant.
The future
In January, Clyde announced the collaboration with Solarify Likewise, Helion was taken over by AMAG and thus became the installation partner for these solar projects. This means that more and more of the electricity for Clyde’s electric fleet comes from renewable sources.
But that’s not all – as you can see from the latest press release from Clyde, the electricity you charge at home will now also be reimbursed by Clyde. Clyde Energy Benefit. From my perspective, another point in favor of an e-car from Clyde.
Tyre change
Another contact point with Clyde is the tyre change. Here again, I received an email with all the necessary instructions. Partner garage in Jona selected – appointment made – appointment kept. And you’re done. Here too – everything is very easy. When making the appointment, I pointed out to be on the safe side that it was a Clyde vehicle and I did not have summer tires. However, this was already recognizable from the system and therefore not necessary.
Value for money
When I tell my friends that I have a car subscription, the first question that always comes up is the price. I often see astonished faces when I tell them I pay over CHF 1300 per month for my subscription.
However, if you take the time to compare all the costs of a lease with the subscription and all the other costs, you quickly realise that the difference is not all that great.
The subscription keeps its promise: delivery, insurance, vignette, servicing, tyre changes and electricity are included. So I don’t have to worry about any of the costs involved. This works for me because, as I said, I went into the subscription model with the idea of testing it out.
Conclusion
My current subscription with the Škoda Enyaq runs until the end of July. I can’t say yet whether I will opt for another car or extend the current subscription. One thing is certain: I will stay with electromobility. I’ll also stick with the Clyde subscription for a while. This all-inclusive package makes my life so much easier. And with the new plans to reimburse electricity charged from home, late evening trips to the charging station are also a thing of the past. But so are some of the lovely encounters with nice people at charging points.
As a fan of social media, I quickly networked with other people interested in BEVs and found a small and fascinating community. This is where people exchange ideas and help each other out. That spreads joy.
About Boris Baldinger
Boris is 43 years old and father of three children. Professionally he is on the road as a freelance business and personal branding photographer, privately with the Škoda Enyaq from Clyde.
Your electric car includes the electricity
Thanks to our unique Clyde Energy Benefit, electricity is included both at public charging stations and at home or at work. If you charge your electric car at one of the many public charging stations in our partner charging network in Switzerland and throughout Europe, electricity is included in your monthly subscription. Private charging is credited in the form of vouchers that you can put towards your next monthly payment.
