Electric vehicles (EV) are becoming an ever-popular consideration for drivers. Not only do they reduce a person’s carbon footprint, but they cost less to run than petrol or diesel cars.
However, the initial outlay for such a vehicle can be very expensive. This is why many employers are incentivising employees to make the switch via a Salary Sacrifice Electric Car Scheme.
If you’re considering offering this great employee benefit, but unsure which EV scheme provider to choose, this guide is for you. We’ve compiled information you need to pick the best Salary Sacrifice Electric Car Scheme for your business.
Before choosing a provider, there are a few things you’ll need to consider in order to find the best Salary Sacrifice EV Scheme for your business.
To pick the best EV scheme, you need to think about why you’re offering the benefit in the first place. Is it because you want to:
Different schemes will offer different things, so make sure to research the providers to see what they offer. Knowing why you want to introduce a scheme can help you make a final decision.
Danielle Bines
Consultant, Employee Benefits
Before you begin looking at the providers on the market, it’s good to have a rough idea of what your budget is. Although an Electric Car Scheme costs very little to set up, there are some costs to be aware of. These include:
Terms and conditions vary from provider to provider, and so do potential costs. Some providers include cancellation protection, where others might waiver the early termination costs under certain circumstances. You will need to factor these into your budget.
Remember to keep your budget in mind while researching different providers. The best scheme for your business will depend on how much your company and employees can afford.
For example, staff earning an average wage may want an EV that doesn’t reduce their income too much. So, you’d pick a provider that offers a range of cars for different budgets.
This is a big factor in selecting the best scheme for your company. There’s no point choosing one based only on the business and its budget. As the employees are going to be the people utilising the scheme, their opinions and feedback are essential.
The above questions will help you find the best Salary Sacrifice Electric Car Scheme. Some providers will offer a dedicated account manager to set up and run the scheme, for example. This extra support may be useful as it reduces admin responsibilities and provides a contact for employees if they have issues.
To help you find the right salary sacrifice electric car scheme for your company, we’ve listed some of the top providers along with key scheme details.
As an independent employee benefits consultancy, we deal with a number of leading providers every day. We’ve weighed up the key features and benefits of each provider’s offering to create this shortlist. Details we’ve compared include:
Octopus Electric Vehicles (Octopus EV) is the electric-vehicle leasing arm of Octopus Energy Group, offering an all-in-one service that bundles EV leasing, home-charging installation, and smart renewable electricity tariffs. They focus exclusively on 100% electric vehicles – supplying cars from a broad range of manufacturers.
Octopus EV is one of the largest providers of Salary Sacrifice EV schemes, with over 7,000 businesses in their customer base. They provide companies with everything they will need to set up and run their electric vehicle scheme. What’s even better is that they also supply a free home charger with installation if the driver has on-street parking, or 5,000 free miles if not.
Submit an enquiry to talk about adding an Octopus EV scheme to your employee benefits package.
loveelectric is a B-corp certified provider, with the Salary Sacrifice employers’ scheme as its core offering. Its vehicle stock offers both new and approved-used cars to promote affordability.
loveelectric’s “Zero Risk Guarantee” protects employers if an employee leaves mid-contract, and offers access to both new and high-quality used EVs, widening affordability for a broader workforce.
Submit an enquiry to talk about adding a loveelectric EV scheme to your employee benefits package.
A carbon-neutral company, Tusker is one of the UK’s longest-established car-benefit providers, with a strong reputation in risk-management and compliance.
Tusker’s flagship “Lifestyle Protection” package covers life events such as redundancy, long-term illness, or maternity leave – offering a decent level of protection for employers compared to other competitors.
Submit an enquiry to talk about adding a Tusker EV scheme to your employee benefits package.
The Electric Car Scheme operates as a modern, service-led brokerage that prides itself on simple onboarding, hands-on employer support, and competitive pricing achieved through multi-leasing-partner sourcing.
The Electric Car Scheme is highly customer-service-orientated, offering more personalised support for payroll teams and employees. It’s popular with organisations that want a straightforward, no-frills scheme with strong guidance and administrative help, without being tied to a single funder or leasing model.
Submit an enquiry to talk about adding The Electric Car Scheme to your employee benefits package.
Novuna (formerly Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions) is a major UK leasing and fleet provider with a strong track record across corporate, public sector and large-scale fleets.
Novuna is particularly suited to larger employers with complex requirements. It’s a robust choice if you need a provider with deep fleet capabilities and the ability to handle high-volume or a multi-site workforce.
Submit an enquiry to talk about adding a Novuna EV scheme to your employee benefits package.
A Salary Sacrifice Electric Car Scheme offers many great savings for your company and your employees. While its suitability will depend entirely on the needs of your unique workforce, there are a number of reasons to implement a scheme.
One of the best savings a company can make through an electric car scheme is on fuel reimbursement costs. Often, business mileage is a large expense with traditional company cars. But, electric vehicles are cheaper to power than a petrol or diesel car.
Your employees pay less National Insurance (NI) as the salary sacrificed reduces taxable income. As they don’t pay NI on the amount sacrificed, your company doesn’t pay NI on it either. The more employees that sign up to the scheme, the higher your savings. VAT is also included within the employee’s monthly lease costs. As an employer, you can claim back 50% of this cost, making the scheme tax efficient.
Starting an Electric Car Salary Sacrifice Scheme for your employees costs nothing to set up. So, no matter how many staff members sign up to the scheme, there’s nothing for you to pay upfront. It’s a free employee benefit to introduce.
An employee pays nothing upfront to get a brand new electric car in a Salary Sacrifice scheme. Unlike personal leases taken out on an individual basis, employees don’t have to pay any deposits or extra fees when signing the agreement. This is very attractive to those wanting to drive an EV, as one of the biggest barriers to having one is the initial purchase cost.
Once you’ve chosen a provider, the success of your EV scheme comes down to communication. Keeping employees engaged and informed will not only to check everything’s running smoothly, but to ensure employees are aware they have access to such a great benefit.
Joe Toft
Senior Consultant, Employee Benefits
We understand that setting up a valuable employee benefits package can be challenging for companies, which is why we’re here to help. There’s a lot to consider and many decisions to make.
At Drewberry, we do all the hard work for businesses to help them set up their employee benefits, ensuring your team is getting the most value.
Compare employee benefit quotes and get free specialist advice from one of our financial advisors. You can call us on 02074425880 or email us at help@drewberry.co.uk.
Employee benefits can be a headache. But our specialists do this day-in, day-out, offering first class service when you need it most. Here’s why you should talk to us:
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