What should I look for when leasing an electric car?
As we move towards 2035, the clock is counting down for petrol and diesel cars. From the start of the new decade, with some short-term exceptions for hybrid vehicles, no new combustion engine vehicles will be allowed to take to the roads in the UK.
With fuel prices rising and MOT rules already cracking down on exhaust emissions, especially from diesel cars, more and more motorists are turning their attention to electric vehicles instead.
Electric car leasing is an excellent way to experience a top-of-the-range EV for the first time, so that you can see what they’re really all about.
Leasing an EV for 2, 3 or 4 years means you can drive the latest technology and then choose the next generation electric vehicle when the lease ends. So you’ll always be up-to-date with your vehicle as technology continues to develop, with no risk of vehicle depreciation to yourself – as you simply hand the car back at the end of the lease, and organise delivery of your next electric lease vehicle.
But if you’re new to electric cars, or to leasing your car — or you’re new to both — how do you know what to look for when deciding on which car to lease?
This guide will go through some of the main things to look for when leasing an electric car, as well as giving some answers to the big question asked by many motorists: “Why should I lease an electric car?”
What To Look Out For On A Leased Electric Car
There are really three elements to leasing an electric car: the lease, the electric ‘engine’ and the rest of the car. By knowing your own priorities, you can make sure you get a vehicle that gives you everything you need.
For some drivers that could be performance — acceleration and top speed to rival a petrol or diesel hatchback — while for others it might be about the aesthetics of the bodywork.
Here are four more things to look out for when leasing an electric car, which you can compare between different models to help make your shortlist even shorter.
Charging
Think about how and where you will charge your car. Check its manufacturer’s specifications to see how long you will need to plug in your car in order for it to recharge to 100%, or to at least 80% in a hurry.
A wallbox charger is a sensible addition to your home if you plan to park an EV in your driveway for years to come. Get an untethered charge point installed if you want to be sure that any future electric car you bring home will be able to plug in without any problems.
Range
Maximum driving range on a single charge is a crucial characteristic of electric cars, so again make sure you compare different vehicles’ specifications, and remember in the real world you are unlikely to achieve quite as many miles as the vehicle did under test conditions.
Your driving style can affect the maximum range — for example, if you accelerate strongly and brake hard, you’re likely to drain the battery in fewer miles than if you adopt a more gradual approach, leading to you needing to recharge more often.
Range is an important consideration, and your Synergy Account Manager will talk you through the areas to be aware of when leasing an EV.
Comfort
You might spend a lot of time in your car — so don’t feel like you have to compromise on comfort for the sake of an all-electric engine. Each new EV launched on the market has its own characteristics, including gadget-filled interiors and a swathe of quality-of-life features.
Leasing an electric car is a good way to explore many of these comfort features. Even if you’re new to electric vehicles, this is also one area where your knowledge of combustion engine cars could help you, as the interiors of EVs are not significantly different from their conventional counterparts.
Running Costs
Running costs are typically much lower than petrol or diesel cars, as you don’t have to pay the high price of fuel. You might want to pay to have a dedicated charge point installed at your home, but again this should soon recoup its own expense, just by the amount it saves on fuel bills in the first year alone.
In addition, company car drivers and salary sacrifice car drivers benefit from extremely low benefit-in-kind tax which makes electric cars a no-brainer. They offer significant tax savings for these individuals. Your Synergy Account Manager can provide the relevant information to pass to your accountant so the savings from driving an electric vehicle can be worked out for your circumstances.
Why Should I Lease An Electric Car?
If the individual reasons to lease different electric cars appeal to you, then the overall argument in favour of leasing any electric vehicle should sound even more persuasive still. With the ban on new combustion engine cars due to start in 2035, it’s time to start adapting.
Dodge The Demand
As we move through the 2020s, demand for the most popular electric car models will only increase. With many motorists set to make the switch during this decade, and electric vehicles expected to cater for the vast majority of the new cars market from 2035, it’s worth finding a car you like and getting your name on the lease agreement to secure the right vehicle for you.
Drive The Change
The current moment is quite literally a chance to drive the change. Electric vehicles are the future. They offer ever-increasing range and ever-faster charging, with smooth and quiet operation, along with performance to rival their combustion engine ancestors. By leasing electric cars over the coming years, you can watch the transition takes place, while benefiting from always being behind the wheel of one of the latest models.
