Autonomy pivots to gas vehicles to keep the dream of car subscriptions alive

9:15 AM ETDeveloping

Technology Desk

In Short: Autonomy, a California startup that once pledged to buy thousands of electric vehicles, is pivoting to internal combustion engine vehicles to stay competitive.

Autonomy, a California startup that once pledged to buy thousands of electric vehicles, is pivoting to internal combustion engine vehicles to stay competitive. The company, which had barely grown past 1,000 vehicles, lost around a third of its value and almost went out of business due to an EV price war started by Elon Musk. According to reports, Autonomy is now sourcing vehicles from Los Angeles-based Galpin Motors and making them available to customers in California.

Autonomy's CEO, Fred Weick, told TechCrunch in an exclusive interview, 'If you’re going to be successful in anything, you’ve got to give the customer what the customer wants.' The company is targeting four types of customers with this push into ICE vehicles: university students, military families, foreign workers, and people who want a 'company car' experience. Weick said Autonomy is still seeing interest for EVs, especially in California.

Autonomy's fleet, which had barely grown past 1,000 vehicles, lost around a third of its value. Founder Scott Painter, who also created TrueCar, had to bail out the company while major automakers abandoned their own plans for vehicle subscriptions. However, the startup has stayed alive and hasn't given up on vehicle subscriptions. The new lineup will feature gas-powered Ford vehicles like the Mustang, Ranger, and F-150 pickups, as well as SUVs like the Bronco Sport, Escape, and Explorer.

Previously, Hertz claimed in 2021 that it was going to buy as many as 100,000 Teslas (and more from other automakers), but wound up selling a majority of them in 2024 in favor of gas vehicles. Autonomy is renewing its bet on vehicle subscriptions at a time when new car prices soar above $50,000. The company is offering 25% off tickets now, back by popular demand, to save up to $300 on its Disrupt event.

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