What’s it like to own and drive a used electric car?
At The Electric Car Scheme, we have recently improved and expanded our used electric car salary sacrifice offering. Used electric cars are now available to lease from The Electric Car Scheme - making the switch to electric the cheapest it has ever been!
This is great because it not only makes electric cars more accessible, because of how affordable they are - ultimately, making the switch to electric the cheapest it has ever been. You can also have one delivered to your driveway in 14 days - eradicating long lead times.
One of the main benefits of used electric car salary sacrifice is the affordability aspect. A common barrier to electric cars is how expensive they are, but this is not necessarily the case anymore. Employees with a salary of £30,000 can access popular EV models like the Nissan LEAF, Volkswagen ID.3, and MG4 for less than £250 a month through our salary sacrifice scheme. This is possible because the lease cost is deducted from your gross salary by saving on national insurance and income tax, ultimately reducing the amount of tax you have to pay. EV salary sacrifice schemes, like The Electric Car Scheme, are particularly appealing because of their low benefit-in-kind tax rates for electric cars. This means employees can enjoy driving a new EV at a reduced overall cost compared to traditional car leases or purchases.
You can lease a new MG4 for £305, saving £186 per month on income tax and national insurance savings. Whereas, you can lease a used MG4 for £263 every month, by saving £158 in income tax savings and and £8 in national insurance savings. Visit our quote tool and see how much you could save every month.
Hear from Kerri, one of our Customer Operations Specialists at The Electric Car Scheme. She recently decided to switch to a used electric car using The Electric Car Scheme. Here’s how she found the experience.
When I hear the word Tesla, a few things come to mind. Of course, the first must be Elon Musk—the man who epitomises the world of electric cars. Sustainability—for those of us who are all trying to do our bit for the planet, and I am. Chargers—we know you need them; you see them cropping up everywhere, and we use chargers in everyday life, so it sounds easy enough. And with the sustainability aspect, The New Age—it’s the world where more and more high street brands are working hard to go green—this is the important one!
So, when I started at The Electric Car Scheme back in January 2024, of course, it did cross my mind that maybe I could drive an EV. I must admit, that I didn’t fully appreciate the power of salary sacrifice, but now that I’ve been with the company for a few months, I can see that salary sacrifice is a game changer when leasing an EV. So, after work one day, I followed the lead of our customers and went onto our website and browsed our amazing selection of EVs, dreaming about how cool it would be to drive a new beautiful Tesla.
For some context, I used to drive a 2012 second—or third—hand petrol Kia Rio with 60k on the clock. I was proud to have bought it myself, to have my name on it. But was it the car that I wanted when I went looking to buy it? Of course not! I wanted the cool one with all the bells and whistles. One where you didn’t have an actual key but a button, and one where I could use cruise control. The new cars nowadays even have this cool thing called Apple CarPlay—who knew? But I had none of those in my little Kia Rio named Bonny…she was what I could afford, and she got me from A to B.
The first time I drove a Tesla - or sat in the back of one - was on my way home from Gatwick Airport in a taxi. Thinking about it now, that’s the only one I’ve ever been in. I knew people loved it, but sitting in the back with the slick seats, loads more legroom, and the tiny little whistle the accelerator makes—I was amazed! Although I don’t consider myself a petrolhead (or battery-head) by any means, that car was impressive even by my standards! Since then, I’ve always described the Tesla as a work of art. It’s not a car—it’s a masterpiece! Musk is a genius! A new-age Da Vinci! In my opinion, Teslas are striking and completely live up to the hype.
So, there I am, on our website, looking through the options of cars I could not afford—maybe one day but let’s stop the daydreaming and go back to work. Enter our new Used Cars…
As we prepare for the launch of salary sacrifice for Used Cars, our co-founder Tom suggests that anyone in the team speak to him if they are interested in getting one. I certainly was—Bonny who? The Electric Car Scheme’s mission is to get more people into electric cars—why shouldn’t our own be a part of that goal? A few days later, Tom sent me a picture of an MG ZS EV in ice blue. Yes, please! And the price… there must be a catch! There was…but, when I looked more at the payment breakdown I saw that my monthly car payments after salary sacrifice were great (eerily close to those for my current 12-year-old Kia!) and it was the additional home charger that I was getting installed that increased the first few monthly payments. I was excited!
It’s a no-brainer! “Yes please,” I wrote back to Tom, “when does it arrive?”
In a week, I would be setting aside my beloved little Bonny and moving on up into an all-electric slick MG ZS. I started looking at pictures; does it have cruise control—it does; and is it a fob or a key - it’s a fob. What about the Apple CarPlay—yes, yes, and yes!
Excited by all the bells and whistles, I realised I needed to sit down and properly think through the practical elements of getting a new car. I had to understand how the car worked and what the annual mileage would equate to. I needed to sort out my maintenance and insurance and see if I could put anyone else on the insurance to drive it. I spoke to one of our EV Specialists who confirmed maintenance and insurance are all included. Another tick and less fuss, leaving me more time to think about the fact that I was getting a cool electric vehicle.
The one practical element I have struggled with—and didn’t properly prepare for—has been charging. I’ll admit, it was confusing in the beginning—the kW, the rapid chargers vs. the slower or normal ones. How do you pay? Did I need to download all the different apps? Luckily, I have colleagues at work to speak to and learn from, and I also opted for the home charger to be installed, which has since made charging a lot easier and quicker.
In retrospect, I would have done what was suggested by colleagues and friends—do research on EVs and charging. I should have researched the chargers in my area—I’ve since found ZapMap to be a big help. One colleague described moving from petrol to EV as “a life change.” I get it now and I agree. It takes time to settle in, to get comfortable with the chargers and how to use them. But ultimately, would I go back? No chance!
Sally—as she’s newly named—is my exciting new life change. I get to be in the car with the bells and whistles, the car I feel safer in, the car that doesn’t break the bank, and the car that makes a change to our planet. She’s the whole package and one step closer to making my Tesla (actually Polestar as I now prefer it) dream a reality!
Our Co-Founder and CEO, Thom Groot, also recently got a used Kia Niro through The Electric Car Scheme. Here’s how he found the experience.
I love my Kia Niro EV – it meets all my needs perfectly. I can drive to work comfortably, it’s a great family car, and we can even fit our miniature dachshund in the boot! Choosing a used car was a no-brainer for me. The monthly salary sacrifice cost is cheaper, and the delivery times are significantly quicker than ordering a new one.
The process was quick and easy, partly because I already knew which car I wanted. The EV Specialist team provided helpful information about the car’s condition, and the delivery team kept me updated throughout the process. This was a relief, as it meant I didn’t need to spend time chasing updates.
In the UK, we still have a long way to go to meet the 2035 target of all new cars sold being EVs. However, there is a strong desire among consumers, including myself, to achieve this goal.
Every company in the UK can help their employees on their personal journey to net zero by offering The Electric Car Scheme as an employee benefit. For every business to offer electric car salary sacrifice, it has to be a 'no-brainer'. That’s why The Electric Car Scheme is no cost to the employer to set up and run and our Complete Risk Protection means you are covered from unexpected costs. Salary sacrifice schemes like The Electric Car Scheme allow employers to boost employee engagement and retention, especially now that used cars mean more people have access to the scheme.
Last updated: 24/05/24
Our pricing is based on data collected from The Electric Car Scheme quote tool. All final pricing is inclusive of VAT. All prices above are based on the following lease terms; 10,000 miles pa, 36 months, and are inclusive of Maintenance and Breakdown Cover. The Electric Car Scheme’s terms and conditions apply. All deals are subject to credit approval and availability. All deals are subject to excess mileage and damage charges. Prices are calculated based on the following tax saving assumptions; England & Wales, 40% tax rate. The above prices were calculated using a flat payment profile. The Electric Car Scheme Limited provides services for the administration of your salary sacrifice employee benefits. The Electric Car Scheme Holdings Limited is a member of the BVRLA (10608), is authorised and regulated by the FCA under FRN 968270, is an Appointed Representative of Marshall Management Services Ltd under FRN 667174, and is a credit broker and not a lender or insurance provider.
