SOCAR said on the 26th that it will add the all-electric Mini Cooper model as the first electric vehicle lineup for its "test drive" service—which lets users experience new cars for an extended period with no lending fee—in partnership with an auto brand, and will expand the service area nationwide.
With this lineup expansion, SOCAR will deploy 100 all-electric Mini Cooper Classic models as test-drive vehicles. It noted that electric vehicles require sufficient real-life experience tailored to daily use—such as charging infrastructure, their distinctive driving feel, and regenerative braking—more than internal combustion vehicles. Taking into account factors that are hard to assess in a conventional 30-minute test drive, including EV driving performance and charging convenience depending on travel patterns, the company designed the program to allow verification over a longer period in everyday life.
Along with the lineup addition, the service operation area was also expanded. Test-drive hubs, previously limited to Seoul and the greater metropolitan area, were broadened to major cities nationwide such as Busan, Daegu, Daejeon, and Gwangju, allowing more members to experience the test drive service.
Launched on the 26th of last month, the test drive service drew strong interest, with 8,000 applicants in the first 10 days. At the time, competition per available test-drive vehicle exceeded 60 to 1, and 66% of applicants were counted as being in their 30s and 40s.
Applications for a test drive run from 2 p.m. on the 26th to Jan. 9 next year. Any member aged 26 or older can apply, and winners will be announced on Jan. 14 next year. Selected customers will begin weeklong test drives sequentially starting Jan. 19. Vehicle pickup and return will be handled entirely contactless at the location designated at application through a delivery infrastructure. Subsequent application rounds and test drives will continue weekly.
Do Young-seok, head of SOCAR's test drive business team, said, "Test drives are increasingly seen not as brief, simple experiences but as chances to share daily life as if actually owning the car, and they are receiving strong responses," and added, "We hope more consumers can have the opportunity to fully experience vehicles that fit their lifestyles without restrictions through the test drive service."