Foundation KredEx will end the provision of ELMO rental service from 10 July 2017

Due to the procurement contracts ending and the initial goals being achieved, Foundation KredEx will discontinue the provision of ELMO short-term rental service from 10 July 2017.

Estonia is one of the global pioneers in using electric cars. As led by the government, electric cars have been taken into use in the provision of public services and purchase grants were provided to those interested in getting an electric car. A quick-charging network for electric cars covering Estonia was also constructed, which is among the first in the world.

As electric cars were a new and foreign concept for many and acquiring one involved fear and risk, in addition to the grants and the charging network, the state wanted to provide a short-term rental service to give the people a chance to get to know electric cars, so that they would better receive the new type of vehicle. The purpose of the short-term rental service was to give a first user experience for those people who were interested and direct them to use electric cars, making the novel vehicles commonplace and normal. ELMO Rent has been a supporting marketing measure beside the main activities of the ELMO programme, quick charging and purchase grants.

The short term rental, with 32 electric cars available, was financed from the ELMO programme.  There were 12 rental centres, of which 10 were located in Tallinn and 2 in Tartu. In the course of four years, the service was used more than 35,000 times.

The rental cars travelled almost 2.5 million kilometres during 255,000 rental hours. There were more than 8,000 registered users, but only 24 active users who rented the vehicle at least once a week.

Due to the procurement contracts concluded for the provision of the service ending, and the initial goals being achieved, Foundation KredEx will discontinue the provision of ELMO short-term rental service from 10 July 2017.

The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications has organised a public auction for selling the service, currently the best tenderer is being sought. The results of the auction will be published on the website.