Mevo want to change the way we drive. The car-sharing company and app launching this year will rent hybrid-electric vehicles for around $15-20 an hour which will be available at council owned parking spaces complete with chargers. We sat down with co-founder and CEO Erik Zydervelt to talk about his hopes and ambitions for the venture.
Zydervelt and the Mevo team have been working hard to forge the relationships and partnerships necessary to get Mevo off the ground and they managed a coup. Audi New Zealand and the Wellington City Council got on board, making the project go from an idea to a reality. The Audi A3 e-tron used by Mevo does its first 35 kilometres in electricity, and the rest on a very efficient hybrid engine.
The environment plays a crucial role in Mevo's business rationale. Zydervelt believes business is the best place to drive carbon reduction.
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"Our generation has inherited a bad situation. Work needs to be done to move toward carbon negative, and that work needs to be done by businesses and leaders. We need to drive competition toward environmentalism."
Zydervelt said adopters will save up to 80% of transport costs by using Mevo - roughly a $200 a week saving. "You only pay for the car when you need it. Nothing else," he said. That means no insurance, repair, tax, upkeep or fuel.
Mevo will launch with three cars located at Clyde Quay (a pod - he calls it), and he's confident on a quick expansion. After conquering Wellington, he wants to move the company nationwide and, finally, across the globe.
While other competitors exist such as peer to peer vehicle sharing, Zydervelt and the team believe Mevo will disrupt car-sharing in New Zealand with its focus on user experience, city-provided parks and luxury vehicles.
