FAQs
Table of Contents
General Overview
Unlike traditional leases, we are specifically for commercial use, have lower upfront costs, and are best suited for high mileage driving.
Our leases include a minimum monthly mileage of 2,000 miles (1,800 for Teslas). If you go over the minimum mileage you pay an overage fee until you reach our Unlimited Miles tier (~2,750 miles). Once that threshold is reached, you unlock a flat rate. We won’t charge you a cent more if you go over.
- We are super excited that you are interested in considering EVs.
- In order to be eligible to work with us, we do require the following:
- You must be located in the United States. We currently offer our services in the following states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, and Texas.
- You must be of legal age in your state of residence – at least 18 years old.
- Your business should be formed as a corporation or an LLC. We will ask for your most recent P&L statement. We also require you to connect your business bank account with Plaid.
- Please also have your insurance policy information handy, as you will provide those documents to us as part of the lease application process.
- If you aren’t currently eligible to work with us, we thank you for your interest. We are constantly evaluating new markets and new product opportunities, so please check back!
We do not run any credit checks, but we do require a standard background check and Motor Vehicle Record report through our third party provider. Our EV specialists will be more than happy to walk you through your application.
Spring Free collects your Personally Identifiable Information (PII) as part of the account creation and lease application process. We may also store your PII through collection of insurance information or in connection with insurance claims.
If you lease your EVs with us or if you connect your EV to your Spring Free account on our dashboard, then you authorize us to connect to and access in real time telematics data for those EVs, which may include data such as odometer, GPS location, battery state of charge, miles of range remaining, tire pressure, charging status, car temperature readings, speed of the vehicle, and any similar vehicle data. This data collection enables us to provide better products and services to you, including by providing you with analytics reporting for fleet management purposes. We do not associate any of this vehicle data with either yours or your driver’s PII.
Please refer to our Privacy Notice and our Terms of Service for more information.
Fleet Services
Our vehicles can not be used as a personal vehicle. This includes use for gig driving (renting the vehicle on platforms like HyreCar, Turo, and Getaround is fine, however). Vehicles are strictly for business-use only.
As soon as we’re able to get the background check processed you could see your first EV in just a few weeks after placing your vehicle order depending on availability. Once you are approved our EV specialists will make sure to help you receive your first EVInstafleet!
Our Web Portal is your one stop shop for ordering more EVs for your fleet. You can also Get Started and one of our helpful EV specialists to place your order.
No, Spring Free EV does not offer personal or commercial fleet insurance at this time. However, we expect to announce new partnerships / products in the near future to better meet your insurance needs, so check back soon!
Lease and Payments
Our innovative pay-per-mile leasing option is designed to lower the upfront cost of the EV. All we require upfront by your EV delivery date is a $1500-$2000 refundable security deposit and a $250 procurement fee per vehicle ordered.
Currently we offer 3 year to 5 year lease terms for each vehicle. Please ask our EV specialists about our pricing.
- When you sign your Master Lease Agreement with us, we ask that you provide a designated payment method to keep on our files. We will then auto-debit or charge your designated payment method for charges you incur under the lease on the dates that those charges become due. We will send you monthly invoices for rent and other charges so you can easily track incurred charges in one place, plus one-off invoices for items like your security deposit and procurement fee.
- We currently accept debit / credit cards, as well as bank accounts for ACH debits.
If you miss your scheduled payment you will incur a late fee and you will be responsible for the payment in full before the next due date.
At this time, we do not offer the option to purchase the vehicle at the end of your lease. In the future we are exploring the option to purchase the EV at the end of the lease.
- Once you’ve reached the end of your lease, our team will coordinate a pickup of your vehicle.
- Within 3 days before your vehicle is picked up, you have the option to ask a qualified independent appraiser approved by us to provide an estimate of the cost to restore your EV to a good condition, and have them send us that estimate directly. If you choose not to do so, we will prepare an estimate based on prevailing industry standards.
- If there are any necessary costs to restore the EV to a good condition, we may deduct this amount from your security deposit or we may separately invoice you for this cost.
- We will work with you to coordinate a time and place for picking up the EV. If you fail to deliver the EV to us at the designated time and place, then you will incur an additional charge of $100 per day of delay, and we may invoice you for any additional expenses we incur to coordinate additional trips for picking up the vehicle.
- At the end of your lease, we ask that you remove the EV from any of your public listings or car-share host sites so that it is no longer available for further renting.
- Once the vehicle has been returned to us, we will return the security deposit to you (after any deductions) to the payment method you have on file with us.
- In order to add additional vehicles to your fleet, you can sign a new lease agreement at any time to cover the additional vehicles. We charge a $250 procurement fee per vehicle ordered and you will also need to pay a refundable security deposit per vehicle.
Maintenance and Charging
Our Fleet Manager partners are responsible for general maintenance such as tires, brakes, wiper fluid, and car washes. Any other major maintenance is handled by Spring Free EV.
We recommend that you do your due diligence on the make and model of vehicles in your fleet to understand the basics of your fleet and the needs specific to your EVs. In general there are a few things to keep in mind.
- Air Filters – Although an EV does not require air filters for any of the engine components, every make and model requires cabin air filters. These filters are to prevent debris from entering the cabin through the AC/Heater vents. They typically only need to be replaced once a year.
- Tires – Not only does the increased weight from the EV battery mean longer braking distances, but also the high instant torque of the electric powertrain means more tire wear too. EV tires can wear out fast! Fortunately, tire retailers are upgrading the rubber in their tires to withstand heavier weight and higher torque. We advise tires should be rotated every 6,2500 miles to be safe. When the tire tread is less than 1/16 of an inch thick, make sure to replace them immediately.
- Windshield wipers and wiper fluid – Most auto body shops can assist with this, even traditional repair shops. Windshield wipers and wiper fluid will be specific to your vehicle make and model so make sure to check your owner manual to confirm details.
- Brakes – Most electric vehicles utilize regenerative braking which is a way of running the motor in reverse and absorbing some of the energy back into the battery for preserving your range. Nonetheless, you will need to check your brake pads for normal wear but most EVs will average 100,000 miles before replacing the pads.
- Over-the-air (OTA) software updates – Many electric cars have the benefit of a robust computer system capable of receiving OTA software updates. Check your owners manual or connected car app for details. It is best to have the EV connected to Wifi when making an OTA update.
You can use your home, business, or public charging stations to charge your fleet. As your fleet grows, we will help you with charging solutions. You can view chargers in you area and learn about available charging station incentives here
- Yes, we are proud to offer a pilot with Bluedot to provide seamless access and one low-fixed price to fast charge at multiple public networks. Get in touch with us at support@springfreeEV.com for an exclusive Spring Free EV + Bluedot sign-up bonus.
- For installation of a Level 2 home / garage charging unit, we can recommend a preferred partner.
Toggle ContentMost EVs have an estimated range based on a full charge. An EV’s charge depends on the driving conditions, heater/A/C usage, and vehicle make/model. According to the EPA, the average range of EVs is about 234 miles on a single charge. The Tesla Model 3 has an average range of 358 miles on a full charge. Compared to the compact Nissan Leaf with an average range of 149 miles on a full charge.
In order to get more efficiency out of your battery, there are some suggestions to help extend vehicle range.
- Reduce depth of discharge – Frequent “top off” charges are better for your battery range than draining to empty and fully re-charging again.
- Avoid prolonged heat exposure – Avoid charging or storing your EV in hot environments for extended periods of time. Park in a covered garage when possible.
- Use fast charging sparingly – Only use DC fast chargers occasionally or when necessary for road trips. “Slow charging” overnight is best for the battery and your wallet.
The short answer is yes, but this also depends on how much you drive and how much electricity costs in your area. Overall, your savings on gas will more than offset the cost of electricity and depending on your city and state. Some utility companies and local city governments offer EV incentives and discounted rates.
- You must also report any damage, loss, theft, seizure or impoundment of your EV to us within 24 hours of the incident. Please provide as much information as possible, including a description of the incident, photos if any are available, the details of your insurance claim, as well as the name, address, and any additional insurance information pertaining to the EV or the driver. Please send all such information to paymentsolutions@springfreeev.com.
- You must also immediately report any incidents to your local police department, to your insurance company, and to the car-sharing platform that you host on (if applicable).
- Please reach out to our customer support team if you have any questions or concerns.
EV Basics
Full EVs, also known as battery electric vehicles (BEVs), operate on batteries that store the vehicle’s electricity. Unlike ICE vehicles, some EVs will have more than one electric motor and multiple batteries. Since the vehicle runs on electricity the vehicle uses large traction battery packs and requires electric vehicle supply equipment to charge. The EV will have a charge port that is usually located to the rear of the vehicle where the gas tank would be depending on the make and model.
Beyond making a positive impact on the environment by reducing your carbon footprint, the benefits are pretty clear.
- No Fuel – All EVs run on electric energy, there is no need to refuel your vehicle and pay for gasoline.
- Low Maintenance Cost – Since electric motors are efficient and do not require so many moving parts, they do not require frequent servicing. Plus EVs do not require the same oils and fluids which also saves on maintenance costs.
- Environmentally friendly – With an EV, there are no tailpipe emissions that are harmful to the atmosphere.
Regenerative braking is not as confusing as it sounds. It’s the method of using “wasted” energy from slowing down and converting it to the battery. When you slow down your vehicle, the friction from the brake pads create kinetic energy which is usually absorbed in the atmosphere. Most newer gas powered vehicles have regenerative braking systems and are used for various systems in a vehicle. Technology advancements with EVs have improved regenerative braking systems and certain makes and models can capture about 70% of the kinetic energy from braking.