Lidl has offered electric car subscriptions in one European country via the Lidl Plus app

Lidl has offered a subscription in Germany for 222 euros a month that allows customers to operate an electric car. The offer is likely to appear in other markets where the retail chain operates.

The car is the Elaris Finn model, with two doors, a length of 2.87 metres and a top speed of 115 km/h. The car has a 32 kWh battery pack and a range of up to 300 kilometres. The car offers fast battery charging support. It can be taken from 0 to 100% in about an hour.

The electric vehicle has air conditioning, LED headlights, hands-free calling system, autopilot, electric windows, DAB+ radio and navigation system. The car is just 17 cm longer than the Smart EQ fortwo, so finding a parking space won’t be a problem for customers.

The subscription could be accessed via the Lidl Plus app. Finn is produced by the German brand Elaris in China. The company also has other models in the pipeline: the Beo SUV, a microcar called the Pio and the Caro van.

The Elaris Finn costs €20,330 without state aid. Lidl offers the subscriptions through Like2Drive. They normally cost 269 euros.

Through Lidl Plus, the retailer’s customers received a discount of €47. There were 100 cars available, and stock was quickly sold out. Included in the subscription are, among other things, winter tyres, insurance, regular technical checks and road tax.