Electric Vehicle Leasing FAQs

An electric vehicle (EV) or (BEV) battery electric vehicle is powered by electricity. Unlike traditional petrol and diesel powered vehicles, EV's use electric motors and batteries to power the vehicle.

EV's have an electric motor, some higher power EV's have two electric motors, rather than and internal combustion engine, that is powered by batteries. The batteries store energy that is used to drive the electric motor, which propels the vehicle. The batteries can be charged by plugging the vehicle into an electric charge point at home or the workplace or by using one of the public charging stations available around the country. You may have seen them in car parks, retail parks, supermarkets and service stations. Some EV's also use regenerative braking to produce energy which is also used to top up the battery.

The time it takes to charge an electric vehicle depends on a few factors like the output of the charge point or charging station you use and the size of your vehicles battery and onboard charger. These factors will determine how quickly your EV can recharge its batteries. The majority of EV's on our website also have all the information you need to work out how long it will take to recharge your new EV.

Yes, there are a few different connectors depending on the vehicle manufacturer, the most common are Type 1, Type 2, CHAdeMO and CCS combo Type 1 and 2. Our website shows you what charging type the vehicle uses. Most home charging points are Type 2 and can charge at 7kWh, some home chargers can be up to 11kWh. Workplace chargers tend to be 22kWh and public charging stations can range from 50kwH to over 300kWh. (kWh = Kilowatts per hour) and gives you an idea of how many kilowatts of power can be supplied to your EV.

The range of an electric vehicle varies depending on several factors like the size of the battery, the power output of the EV and weather conditions. Changes in the weather can affect the range of your EV because adverse weather conditions like ice, rain and snow mean you use more energy running things like heaters, demisters and windscreen wipers. In winter it also takes longer to heat up your vehicle, and darker mornings and evenings mean you will use your headlights for longer which all use more power. This means the range of your EV will differ depending on the climate and seasons, usually, your range increases in the summer months and decreases in the winter months.

The initial cost of an electric vehicle can be higher than a traditional petrol or diesel powered vehicle, however, the cost of electricity depending on your tariff can be much lower than the fossil fuelled equivalent. Also maintenance costs on an electric vehicle are much lower than that of a traditional petrol or diesel because there is no engine to service or repair, no oil to change and brake pad wear and tear is generally much lower on an electric vehicle because they use regenerative braking systems to slow the vehicle down rather which means the wear and tear on brake pads, shoes and discs is a lot less. If you are leasing your electric vehicle through a business or salary sacrifice scheme, the government offers many incentives and tax benefits to encourage the use of electric vehicles. When working out if a new EV lease is right for you, you must always look at the total cost of ownership over the full lease period to get the best ideal of overall affordability.

The number of charging stations is rapidly increasing, and it is becoming easier to find charging stations in many locations. Many businesses such as shopping centres, car parks, pubs and restaurants are installing charging stations for the convenience of their customers. Additionally, the government along with other organisations are working hard to increase the number of accessible charging stations available to the public.

Most electric vehicles come pre-installed with applications built into the vehicles infotainment system that shows you the nearest charging station. You can also download a vast array of app's from the android and apple stores like Zap-Map, Chargepoint, Plugshare, Podpoint and BP Pulse. There are many more available and we have a link on our website detailing all the available charging systems and apps available in the UK.

The answer is Yes, and certainly as far as our health is concerned. Electric vehicles produce zero emissions from the tailpipe and significantly less emissions over their lifetime than traditional petrol or diesel powered vehicles. Additionally, many electric utility companies produce electricity using renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power, which further reduces the environmental impact of electric vehicles.

It all depends on your individual, family or business needs and preferences. Some factors to consider when choosing an EV include the range of the vehicle, the size and style, available features and benefits, overall whole life costs, charge point availability and charging infrastructure near to your home and work and your individual thoughts and feelings on social responsibility and the environment. There are two big drivers in making the choice to switch to EV and they are usually overall cost savings and having a positive impact on our health and environment.