SK rent-a-car was set to begin long-term rental services of electric vehicles from Mar. 18 on Jejudo Island, where an EV expo is being held, company officials said Friday.

This marks the first time for electrically run cars to be available for rental periods stretching up to five years. 

The models include Renault Samsung’s SM3 Z.E., Hyundai Motor‘s Ioniq, BMW i3 and Nissan’s Leaf. For some of the cars, customers will be given a lease option to purchase the car after the rental expires.

Additionally, the company will shoulder the cost of charging the cars during the contract period.

“We’ll be providing 100,000 kilometers or up to a five-year warranty for batteries throughout the rental period so that our customers don’t have to pay for anything other than the monthly rental fees,” an SK rent-a-car official said.

For emergencies, the company will also dispatch charging vehicles to customers.

SK rent-a-car plans to expand its long-term EV rentals to the inland, but the company did not specify a time frame.

In 2012, SK rent-a-car—operated by SK Networks—had been first in the local market to offer short-term rental car services with electric vehicles. 

By Hong Sung-pyo
(hong1@heraldcorp.com)