An EV can make financial sense, particularly as a company car (which of course helps only a minority of people).BIK (tax on "benefit in kind") for a comapny car EV is currently 1%. Lease costs for an expensive company car (say a £70k Audi or Mercedes) are around £700 - £800 a month). But for an additional rate tax payer employee (45%) fund via salary sacrifice the true net cost ( loss of money in their pocket) is about 50% - so say £5,000 a year. Tax for BIK for an equivalent petrol or diesel car could be £10k a year.Either lease costs is a lot of money. But then the savings: no toad tax: no London congestion charge; cost of fuel (if charged at home - for someone with a drive - currently 8p per kwh. Which works out at 2.5p per mile, so equivalent to 280 mpg.(But costs a lot more when fast charging at servive stations, but then again many supermarkets now have free charging). So 12k miles a year cost £300. Compared with a petrol car doing say 30 mpg costs about £2,700. So, even taking into account some away from home charging, another £2k saving a year.Servicing costs are next to nil.So, like so many government policies- a lot of money to be saved if you can afford an expensive car.But the sums can also make sense for a personal lease. I've been looking at a Vauxhall Corse (which is essentially same car as the DS and Peugeot). The electric version is around £255 a month. Non-electric about £50 a month less, but fuel saving on say 12,000 mile a year at least £100 a month.So it makes sense if (a) you want / can afford a new car: (b) do a lot of miles (or drive into the congestionzone): (c) and in particular havr home charging.As for the cars - I would never go back to a non-electric car. The good ones are, like for like, years ahead.Your fueling style has to change. Fortunately I have a home charger, so just plug the car in when I get home. But on long journeys one has to plan ahead. For example - driving to the South of France will take about 4 fueling stops - but the trick is to tie them in which coffee/ lunch breaks. (Newer cars will do it in 2, but I doubt many humans coudd drive 900 miles without at least three or four breaks).Fast charging is just as important as range. A car that can charge fast (100 kwh or even 350kwh) will add a few hundred miles in as long as it takes to get a quick cup of coffee.All in all, I spend far less time at fuel stations because I mostly change at hone.Personally, I would still lease rather than buy for the next year or so, because EVs are getting so much better so quickly (range, charging speed, costs etc.)
T P Howell ● 1090d