HEATHROW Airport will be the base for a UK-based White Car Tesla fleet promising a self-drive hire revolution with the new shape Tesla Model S 90D when the company launches this summer.

The innovative car rental business, which is giving the public the opportunity to invest in the company via a £250,000 Crowdcube campaign, will have five of the new shaped Teslas available to hire from Monday 1 August from its base at Heathrow Airport. Pre-bookings can be made now.

Using a similar business model to the hugely successful Silvercar in the US, which received a $28 million investment from Audi earlier this year, White Car says it will remove all the hassle and confusion that currently comes with hiring cars, allowing customers to simply ‘arrive and drive’ all at the touch of an app.

White Car is the brainchild of Mark Strachan, a proven entrepreneur who, said: “We are reaching an exciting tipping point in the electric car market, with companies like Tesla paving the way for electric cars to become a mainstream reality.

“This, combined with the fact that the car rental market in the UK and Europe is often cumbersome, confusing and lacks innovation, means there is a wonderful opportunity to disrupt the sector with the launch of a premium all-electric car hire company driven by a smartphone app.”

The White Car Tesla fleet will consist exclusively of the much-vaunted Tesla Model S 90D, which is 4-wheel drive and has the largest battery in Tesla’s offering with a range of 300 miles per charge. The innovative approach to self-drive care hire guarantees that customers never have to settle for a different car to the one they originally booked.

Using the latest smartphone technology, White Car will simplify the booking and collection process with a clear pricing structure. Customers will book through the simple and easy to use app (iOS and Android), taking away the need for onerous paperwork.

When a customer arrives at one of the White Car hubs – which will first launch at London Heathrow Airport, the premium quality Tesla will be delivered to the driver personally. The customer will use the app on their phone to gain access to the car, cutting out lengthy transfers to car hire offices and long queues at the kiosk.

There will be free delivery for those living within 50 miles of Heathrow and all future White Car hubs who want a Tesla delivered to their door. Equally, customers will be able to leave the car at any location of their choice for free if within 50 miles of the White Car hub. Those based further afield will be able to have a Tesla delivered to their choice of destination or drop off where they want, for the cost of a day’s rental.

There will be one competitive flat rate all-in price of £149 per day including VAT, which is cheaper than hiring a BMW 5 Series or Mercedes E Class from an established car rental company. There are no baffling insurance options nor nasty hidden costs. With nearly 4,000 electric charging points across the UK, fuelling a Tesla is completely free, while a 20-minute top-up at a Tesla supercharger gives a range of up to 170 miles.

The incredible global success of the Tesla Model 3, which has registered over 400,000 pre-orders, shows the growing appetite for electric cars. The White Car Tesla operation offers a unique opportunity to capitalise on the trend while disrupting the car hire industry in Europe.

White Car will be seeking to raise £250,000 via Crowdcube for 33% of the company and projects that by the end of the third year it will have 20 outlets across the UK and Germany with a turnover of £20.8m. By reducing operating costs by 13% compared to the traditional car hire operators, it forecasts a pre-tax profit of over £6m by the end of year three.

Anyone investing over £2,000 will be rewarded with the use of a Tesla for a day; those investing £5,000 or more will have one for a weekend; those investing £20,000 or over will get a week; and those investing £50,000 get the chance of a trip to the Tesla factory in California as well as the use of a Tesla for a week.