Lease a brand new electric car

Electric car leasing is a little like renting, in that it allows you the flexibility of using a new car in the way you want and spread the rental cost of a vehicle over time.

You can choose the make model and specification of your car and drive away without having to pay the typical 20% of the vehicles value upfront, that you’re likely to pay if you bought a new car.

With electric car leasing, you do not own the vehicle but you’re able to drive a new car and spread the cost of the rental over the term of the lease (usually between two and five years). At the end of your leasing period, you simply hand the car back to the leasing company and as long as you’re under the agreed mileage cap and the vehicle is not damaged (other than agreed wear and tear allowances) your payments will end, leaving you free to do as you wish.

There are many benefits to leasing an electric car. Fully electric cars have no exhaust emissions and are therefore helping everyone breathe a little easier, while you reduce your carbon footprint. Also, electric cars and vans, because they don’t run on petrol or diesel fuel, are also cheaper to run. Electricity is much cheaper than traditional motor fuels costing around £2.80 for 100 miles. Not only that, VAT on electricity for domestic customers is only 5% (businesses still have to pay 20% VAT on electricity) compared to 20% at the pump. 

When it comes to leasing, there are also some great benefits. For instance, monthly payments allow for better budget control. By handing the vehicle back at the end of the lease term helps lessees reduce the risk of depreciation and maintenance. Leasing a vehicle allows people to drive away in a brand-new car without the drawbacks of purchasing a brand new vehicle. Leasing also provides people with access to a greater choice of vehicle and to tailor the repayments to suit your needs and budget.

There are two ways of leasing an electric car – Personal Contract Hire (PCH) and Personal Contract Purchase (PCP).

Personal contract hire (PCH) is a long-term vehicle rental agreement where you pay to use the vehicle throughout the length of the contract and then hand the car back to the finance company as the end of the lease period.

Things to consider:

• PCH is subject to credit acceptance
• Minimum duration is 24 months
• Minimum mileage is 5,000 miles per year
• Once a maximum mileage is agreed, any excess mileage will be charged
• Early termination can be expensive
• At the end of the lease the care must be returned in a good condition
• You will not own the vehicle and will have no option to purchase at the end of the lease.

Personal contract purchase (PCP) however, is for customers who want to own the vehicle at the end of the lease period and don’t have the funds to purchase a new vehicle upfront. For PCP, you pay an initial deposit followed by a series of monthly payments. Then at the end of the lease agreement period, the lessee has the option to pay the outstanding balance for the vehicle at which point the vehicle ownership is transferred to the lessee.

Things to consider:

• As above but instead of handing the vehicle back to the leasing company, at the end of your term you have the option to own the car with an ‘Option to Purchase’ fee.

Car lease agreements are straight forward. You choose a car that you like then you choose how long you want the lease for in months, i.e 36 or 48 months and then you choose a set number of miles to suit your requirements, be it 5000, 8000, 10000 miles and so on. Whichever variation you choose will affect the monthly repayments. You can also choose the amount you pay in the initial deposit, which can either increase or decrease your monthly repayments.

Once all this is agreed with the lender, a personalised quote or “Personal Contract Hire” agreement (PCH) is sent to you outlining everything you need to pay, how often and for how much and it also includes all the terms and conditions you should adhere to and any additional charges and considerations you need to be aware of.

Yes, a car lease will affect your credit rating. Any monthly repayment scheme has an effect on your credit rating. Whether that’s a mobile phone contract, a credit card or an electric car lease.

This doesn’t have to be seen as a bad thing though. Your payment history shows potential lenders how trustworthy you are. If you consistently pay your monthly repayments on time and in full then lenders will be more inclined to loan you funds when you need them. So an electric car lease can help you improve your credit score. How much your credit rating improves over time will depend on how well you can keep up these repayments and how long your lease agreement is for. The longer the lease, typically, the slower your credit rating will improve.

Should your electric car or electric van be unfortunate enough to be involved in an accident then the same would apply to this vehicle as it would with any other, you would need to contact your insurance provider to submit a claim. It is the driver’s responsibility to ensure they have adequate insurance cover for the vehicle.

In the case of a lease, if your car is stolen, or written off by the insurer, then there may be a shortfall between the value of the vehicle and the outstanding finance balance where a lessee may have to cover the difference. It would be worthwhile discussing this with your leasing provider, as some leasing providers offer GAP insurance for this very scenario.

When it comes to servicing and MOT’s, new electric cars do not require MOT’s in the first 3 years and many leasing providers offer optional maintenance packages, with a variety of levels of cover. If you choose not to take out a maintenance package with your electric vehicle, then it would be the drivers responsibility to ensure that the vehicle is well maintained and returned to the leasing provider at the end of the lease period in good condition.

Test driving an electric car or van through a leasing provider is not as simple as popping down to the dealership and driving before you buy. Many leasing companies don’t have forecourts and therefore no cars on a site for you to drive. However, leasing companies source their vehicles directly from manufacturers in order to get the best prices available. So, if you have a vehicle you are interested in then talk to the leasing provider and they will work closely with local manufacturer dealerships to arrange a test drive for you. If you are interested in test driving a particular electric vehicle then please submit an enquiry

No, your leasing price does not include electric car insurance. It is the driver’s responsibility to insure the vehicle. Electric vehicle insurance is still in its infancy and policies are continuously evolving as the electric vehicle market matures. Many insurance companies now offer car insurance tailored specifically for electric vehicle owners and it pays to shop around to find an insurance provider and premium to suit your requirements and to take advantage of any discounts and offers that are available.

There are numerous places to charge an electric car, either at home or in public.  Electric vehicles come with a charging cable which can either be plugged into a standard three pin home socket. This solution is very slow and often takes a full 12 hours depending on battery size. Electric car manufacturers also offer charging cables that allow for faster charging sockets, however these are often classed as accessories, so it’s always best to double check if your car includes one or not.

The simplest and most convenient way to charge your electric car is at home. If you have off-street parking, then you can buy a home chargepoint. A home chargepoint is a particular type of socket that can be installed externally or in a garage and can either be slow (3kW) or fast. Fast chargers are the most common and can be anything from 7 kW – 22kW, depending on the electricity supply to your home. Most UK households will not be able to support a 22 kW charger.

When it comes to public electric car charging, there are many options and nearly 25,000 connections at nearly 10,000 locations throughout the UK.  Some local authorities have installed lamppost chargers which are either 3.7kW slow or 7kW fast chargers, allowing local residents and those without off-street parking to charge by the road side.

Then there is rapid charging. Rapid charging is currently the fastest way to charge your electric car or van and can be found at many motorway service stations. Rapid chargers have a typical capacity of 43kW-50kW and allow drivers to charge their cars to about 80% in 20-40 minutes.

Leasing an electric car is simple and there are options available to include servicing and maintenance as an additional package. These packages can be tailored to suit your needs and available budget and are included in your monthly price plan. Prices for this vary depending on leasing provider and it’s best to talk to the leasing provider to understand what is included in a vehicle maintenance package because any physical damage, such as scratches and dents would not normally be covered under this type of cover. However, breakdown and annual servicing would normally be included.

Our leasing partner, DriveElectric, offer optional maintenance packages to cover the manufacturer recommended servicing and tyres. This allows you to choose your dealership of choice leaving you with complete control over where and when your car is serviced and maintained.

Breakdown cover, much like servicing and maintenance can be included in monthly price plan of your lease. This can be tailored to your needs and it is always recommended to talk to your leasing provider to understand what is covered and when it’s applicable. If you do not have breakdown cover wrapped into your electric vehicle lease, another option is to ask your insurance provider for a quote. Most insurance companies offer breakdown cover as part of an insurance package, but again it’s worth having a conversation with your car insurance supplier to understand your requirements and the costs associated with it.

Electric car technology is developing all the time. Ranges are improving and charging technology is changing. Every year, we’re seeing new and improved makes and models on the market with enhanced specifications and tech features. By leasing an electric car, you don’t need to worry about missing out on the latest models. Minimum lease durations are around two years for individuals and typically around three to four years for businesses. Once your lease is up you can simply hand back the car with the potential to get your hands on a brand-new model and keeping your early adopter status.

Being able to hand back the car at the end of your term is one of the things that makes leasing so attractive to electric car drivers. The market for second hand electric cars is still very small in the UK so because you never own the vehicle, there’s no risk on the final resale value and no hassle to try to sell it on. This will all be taken care of by the lease company. Leaving you to think about what model you want to choose next.