Residents at Castle Hill Chateau Showground development get city-first, exclusive access to Tesla in Elecrit Car Club scheme

Residents in The Hills could reap exclusive access to a Tesla car club – all you have to do is buy into a luxe new apartment complex before they hand over the keys.

Buy a new unit in a luxurious residential development in a booming area of Sydney’s northwest, get a Tesla “chucked in” with the keys.

That is the secret “value add” promised to residents who buy into a new residential development in Castle Hill, with homeowners given exclusive use of a Tesla Model Y car as part of an innovative, shared electric vehicle club.

A Tesla Model Y is exclusively available at Chateau Showground in Castle Hill as part of an innovative shared electric vehicle scheme called the 'Electric Car Club'. Picture: Robert Cameriere

Chateau Showground in Castle Hill is the first residential community in Sydney to host an Electric Car Club (ECC), driven by shared services provider Smart Urban Properties Australia and shared EV provider Outbound.

Outbound chief executive Luke Rust says the club is a “triple win” for new residents, who will be able to book the Tesla Model Y through his company’s app.

“The Electric Car Club is all about reducing costs, adding convenience and delivering an unparalleled mobility experience with our premium EV’s,” he said.

“It’s a transportation model that’s flipping car ownership on its head.”

Outbound CEO Luke Rust (pictured) is leading the rise of the shared EV economy. Picture: Robert Cameriere

Given the proximity of Chateau Showground at 16 Middleton Ave, Castle Hill, to the future Showground Metro Station – a 200m walk away – Mr Rust says some residents may find their car sitting idle in the carpark more often than not. If they have their own set of wheels or not.

“People still need to get around, for work and leisure, and our aim is to provide a way for them to fulfil that without the hassle and cost that comes with owning a car,” Mr Rust said.

The latest data from the Australian Automotive Association shows that owning a car costs Sydney drivers almost more than $25,000 per year – almost $4000 above the national average.

However, Mr Rust says, the average car in Sydney is parked “96 per cent of the time”.

The Chateau Electric Car Club will cost residents upwards of $20 an hour and $160 a day – without having to refuel when they’re done using the car. Picture: Robert Cameriere

The ECC works much like other vehicle rental programs: users can book and open the Teslas via the Outbound app, with rates starting from $20 an hour and $160 for the day.

The Chateau club is the first of its kind in a residential development, but follows a similar scheme for the Salesforce Tower at Circular Quay, and another in Melbourne.

More ECCs are set to open in Sydney, including another at a commercial building in the city, and one for an upcoming residential community in St Leonards; with Outbound reportedly in discussions with more than 100 locations for ECCs around Australia.

Residents of the 296 dwelling at Chateau will have access to the Electric Car Club, if they choose. Picture: Supplied.

The 296-dwelling Chateau development, by developers Bridgestone Projects, is one of the first in the new Showground Precinct.

Residents of one to three-bedroom apartments, terraces, townhouses and penthouses across four towers, will have access to rooftop terraces, an infinity pool, barbecue facilities, outdoor cinema, alfresco dining space and Zen garden.

As well as having transport nearby, Chateau is situated near the Castle Towers Shopping Centre – soon to be upgraded into a multibillion-dollar shopping complex – parklands and recreation facilities.

And even with the Electric Car Club, Chateau apartments come with basement parking storage cages.