Fast track 35 years and buying a car still means trading a sum of money for a large accessory that says something about the sort of person you are. The hatchback said – student, drifter, adventurer. Other cars have said mother, shopper, saver. None have ever said Premium, European, Future facing. But now with the canny arrival of Opel EV and iOWN it could.
My first car was a beaten up hatchback. The car was banana yellow and had bucket seats. I could throw my mountain bike and surfboard in the boot. I could move flats without hiring a trailer and I loved it to bits. Sure the sum I paid to own it outright meant at least 12 other people had owned it before me. Buying something which had only one elderly lady owner was an elusive high bar.
iOWN is the new kid in the car financing stable that has revolutionised the way we can get behind a new set of wheels. Unlike many other finance schemes iOWN requires no deposit and has lower weekly repayments than a tank of fuel. They’ve switched things around by guaranteeing the value of your car at the end of your term, so when the time comes, you can choose to continue ownership by refinancing the balance or swap your car for a new one, or simply return it and walk away.
Sounds too good to be true? Believe me it’s not. Fast becoming the modern way to purchase a vehicle in Europe the scheme was introduced to New Zealand last year and has enabled thousands to get behind an electric vehicle.
As Opel NZ’s Commercial Manager Noah Robertson says “ It just makes sense. Right now people are worried about their cash flow. Interest rates have gone up, mortgage repayments have gone up, expenses have gone up. People need to figure out how they can save. iOWN is really good for that as on a basic level it guarantees your cash flow.”
With iOWN not only do you know how much you’re paying on your car for the next 4 years, you are guaranteed what it will be worth in 4 years time and you have a bumper to bumper factory warranty. Meaning if anything goes wrong, you’re sorted.
It’s easy to calculate the costing. Currently I am paying $150 a week on fuel. iOWN repayments start at $139 a week and if you buy an EV you get to swap queuing at a petrol station with the sociability of a charging station. You can see how depending on your fuel usage it can be financially prudent to make the change this way. On top there is the governments Clean Car Rebate you can claim, all of Opel’s model range are low or zero emission cars, and therefore qualify for a rebate of up to $8,625 for the full EV models.Last year Opel EV was the fastest growing car brand in Europe. “The first cars arrived in November last year and we pre-sold the first boat before it got here” Noah says. Opel’s are the most efficient cars on the market, he tells me, with one of the lowest emissions, whether you go EV or not there will be savings but there’s no denying the cool factor. How to up your style in one easy contract.
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The hero car in the fleet has a bright green two tone colourway, and is unmistakably European with a German sculpted, precise look – the visor envelopes the grill, the logo, the lights, the bumper and the bonnet and looks like one continuous piece. It’s a car that looks like it’s come from the future. The interiors have dual screens wrapping around you presenting you with all of the things you need to know and none of the things you don’t.
“It’s not just giving you an ipad stuck onto a dashboard” says Noah ”It’s really critical forward thinking tech. No old operating software.”
When I bought my first car, I named it because it was part of my identity. The car represents you in a way. Now that I’m ready for a car that leans green and I can see with iOWN that it’s something within my reach, I’m ready for a new me.
“Buy a Mokka E for the price of a tank of fuel” he says
I don’t need persuading.
Viva la revolution with iOWN.
Visit Opel EV for more information.
