LeaseLoco Alternatives for EV Salary Sacrifice in the UK (2026 Guide)
Image source: Shutterstock
What Is LeaseLoco?
LeaseLoco is the UK's largest car leasing comparison website. It aggregates personal and business leasing deals from multiple brokers and uses a proprietary "LocoScore" algorithm to rate each deal out of 100 based on value for money. For someone browsing electric car lease deals, it is a useful starting point — you can filter by monthly budget, fuel type, and contract length to compare hundreds of offers side by side.
However, LeaseLoco is a comparison platform, not a salary sacrifice electric car provider. While it publishes general guides on how salary sacrifice car schemes work, it does not operate or administer salary sacrifice schemes itself. The deals listed on LeaseLoco are standard personal contract hire (PCH) or business contract hire (BCH) agreements sourced from third-party brokers. This is an important distinction for any employer or employee researching electric car salary sacrifice options, because the savings structure, tax treatment, and employer responsibilities are fundamentally different from a standard lease.
Why Salary Sacrifice Is Different from Standard Leasing
A standard car lease through a comparison site like LeaseLoco is a straightforward rental agreement. You pay a fixed monthly amount from your net (post-tax) salary, and at the end of the contract, you return the vehicle. There are no tax efficiencies built in, and extras like insurance, servicing, and maintenance are typically arranged and paid for separately.
An electric car salary sacrifice scheme works differently. Your employer deducts a fixed amount from your gross (pre-tax) salary each month to cover the cost of leasing an electric car. Because the deduction happens before income tax and National Insurance are calculated, employees save between 20% and 50% compared to arranging a personal lease directly. With BiK on pure electric cars set at just 3% for the 2025/26 tax year, the tax advantage of salary sacrifice electric car schemes is substantial.
Beyond the tax savings, a dedicated electric car scheme bundles everything into one monthly payment: the vehicle lease, fully comprehensive insurance, servicing and maintenance, road tax, breakdown cover, and sometimes even home charger installation and salary sacrifice EV charging. This all-inclusive approach eliminates the hassle of managing multiple contracts and policies — something a comparison site like LeaseLoco is not set up to deliver.
Some providers in the market claim savings of up to 60% through salary sacrifice. This figure is misleading. The maximum realistic saving through electric car salary sacrifice is 50%, which applies to additional-rate taxpayers (those earning above £125,140). For basic-rate taxpayers, savings typically fall in the 20-30% range. Any provider advertising savings beyond 50% is likely inflating figures by including employer National Insurance savings in the employee's headline number or using other creative accounting methods. When evaluating alternatives, it pays to scrutinise savings claims carefully.
What to Look for in a Salary Sacrifice Provider
When comparing LeaseLoco alternatives and choosing a dedicated salary sacrifice provider, there are several factors that separate the best from the rest.
Employer Protection
This is arguably the most critical consideration. If an employee leaves their job mid-lease — whether through resignation, redundancy, or ill health — someone has to cover the remaining lease payments. Without robust employer protection, that liability falls on the business. The best providers offer protection from Day 1 of every lease, with no exclusion periods, no excess to pay, and coverage for scenarios including maternity leave, long-term sickness, and employee dismissal. Some providers only begin their protection after a three-month exclusion period, leaving employers exposed during the riskiest early months.
Pricing Model
Some salary sacrifice electric car providers work with a single leasing funder, which limits the range of deals available to employees. Others operate as brokers, sourcing quotes from multiple funders to deliver more competitive pricing. A multi-funder model creates market tension and typically results in better rates for employees across a wider range of electric car models.
Vehicle Range — New and Used
Not all employees can afford a brand-new electric car, even with salary sacrifice savings. Providers that offer both new and used electric car salary sacrifice options make the scheme accessible to a much broader workforce. Research shows that 97% of senior HR professionals underestimate how much employees value used electric cars, and at some providers, more than half of employees who take a car choose a used model. Used EVs also come with shorter delivery times — often within 14 days — compared to potential multi-month waits for new vehicles.
Charging Solutions
The cost of charging an electric car is a significant ongoing expense. Providers that allow employees to salary sacrifice their EV charging costs — whether at home, at work, or on the public network — deliver a more complete solution. This is a relatively new feature in the market and one worth prioritising.
Scheme Administration
For HR and finance teams, ease of administration matters. The best salary sacrifice providers offer simple reporting tools, streamlined onboarding processes, and dedicated support to manage the scheme day to day. A clunky or labour-intensive scheme will quickly lose internal support, regardless of how good the deals are.
Top LeaseLoco Alternatives for EV Salary Sacrifice
The Electric Car Scheme
The Electric Car Scheme is a specialist electric car salary sacrifice provider that offers Complete Employer Protection from Day 1 of every lease. There are no exclusion periods, no excess to pay, and protection covers resignation, redundancy, illness, parental leave, and vehicle damage. This is a genuine market differentiator — many competitors only begin their protection after a three-month waiting period.
The scheme sources vehicles from a wide range of leading UK leasing partners through a single pricing engine, ensuring employees access the best available rates through market competition. Both new and used electric cars are available, with used vehicles ready for delivery within 14 days of order.
The Charge Scheme, another market-leading product, allows employees to salary sacrifice their EV charging costs and save 20-50% on charging at home, at work, and on the go. Named Best Salary Sacrifice Provider by Car Sloth for two consecutive years (2024 and 2025) and EV Salary Sacrifice Provider of the Year 2026 by SME News, The Electric Car Scheme holds a 5-star Trustpilot rating and is trusted by employers including Holland and Barrett, Leeds Bradford Airport, Millwall FC, and TopCashback.
Octopus EV
Octopus EV is the electric car salary sacrifice arm of the Octopus Energy group. Its main differentiator is the integration with Octopus Energy tariffs, which can offer competitive home charging rates for employees already within the Octopus ecosystem. It bundles EV leasing with energy tariffs and home charger installation for a joined-up experience.
However, Octopus EV's employer protection only begins after a three-month exclusion period, which leaves businesses exposed during the earliest and often most uncertain months of a new employee's lease. For a direct comparison of Octopus and The Electric Car Scheme, see our detailed guide. The scheme is also tied to a single energy provider, which limits flexibility for employees who prefer a different energy supplier or who already have a home charger installed.
Tusker
Tusker is one of the most established names in the UK salary sacrifice electric car market, having been founded in 2007. It has strong relationships with large public and private sector employers and offers a well-known brand in the corporate benefits space.
Tusker's "Lifestyle Protection" for employers, however, only kicks in after three months — creating a gap that can expose businesses to early-termination liabilities. Our Tusker comparison guide details these differences. Tusker's scheme is also limited to new electric vehicles, which excludes employees on lower salaries who might benefit from more affordable used electric car options. For large organisations already partnered with Tusker, it is a solid choice, but employers looking for Day 1 protection and broader vehicle accessibility may find better options elsewhere.
loveelectric
loveelectric, founded in Edinburgh in 2021, operates as a broker sourcing electric cars from a network of leasing partners. The company grew rapidly to support over 1,500 employers and 125,000 employees before being acquired by Perkbox in December 2025, which introduced a period of transition.
loveelectric's "Zero Risk Guarantee" covers employers from Day 1, but the cost of this protection is borne by employees through a scheme fee built into their monthly payment. If an employee leaves and their car needs to be returned, early termination fees typically range from £500 to £1,500, with higher charges for employees who leave within six months of delivery. This is a different approach from providers where employer protection is included as standard at no additional cost to the employee.
Zenith
Zenith is a large fleet management company that also offers electric car salary sacrifice as part of its broader fleet services. Its scheme is designed primarily for large corporate clients that already run company fleet programmes, providing payroll integration and fleet management tools alongside salary sacrifice.
Zenith now offers both new and used EVs, with used car contracts starting from just 12 months, which can suit employees who want to try an electric car without a long-term commitment. However, Zenith's primary focus remains large enterprise fleet management, and smaller employers may find the onboarding process and service model less suited to their needs.
Fleet Evolution
Fleet Evolution claims to have pioneered the UK's first electric car salary sacrifice scheme back in 2011. It positions itself as a specialist EV salary sacrifice provider and offers a scheme that is free for employers to set up.
Fleet Evolution states that it will take back a vehicle without penalties if an employee leaves, regardless of the reason or timing. It also incentivises EV adoption by offering a free two-port 22kW charger to businesses once five employees have signed up through the scheme. However, Fleet Evolution is a smaller provider compared to some of the names listed here, which may mean a narrower vehicle range and less robust infrastructure for large-scale scheme rollouts.
How The Electric Car Scheme Compares
| Feature | The Electric Car Scheme | LeaseLoco | Other Salary Sacrifice Providers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dedicated salary sacrifice scheme | Yes | No (comparison site) | Varies |
| Employer protection from Day 1 | Yes — Complete Employer Protection | N/A | Often 3-month exclusion |
| New and used EVs | Yes | N/A | Some new only |
| Multi-funder pricing engine | Yes | Aggregates broker deals | Some single-funder |
| Salary sacrifice EV charging | Yes — The Charge Scheme | No | Rare |
| All-inclusive monthly payment | Yes | No | Varies |
| Trustpilot rating | 5 stars | N/A | Varies |
| Set-up cost to employer | £0 | N/A | Typically £0 |
The Bottom Line
LeaseLoco is a useful tool for comparing standard car leasing deals, but it is not an electric car salary sacrifice provider. For employers and employees looking to access savings of 20-50% on an electric car through salary sacrifice — with the added benefits of all-inclusive packaging, employer protection, and dedicated support — a specialist provider is essential.
The Electric Car Scheme combines Complete Employer Protection from Day 1, multi-funder competitive pricing, new and used EV availability, and The Charge Scheme for salary sacrifice EV charging into a single, 5-star-rated service. Whether you are an employer exploring salary sacrifice options for the first time or an employee looking at the most tax-efficient way to drive an EV, the right provider makes all the difference.
Get an instant quote to see how much you could save, or explore how salary sacrifice works for companies if you are an employer ready to offer the electric car scheme to your team.
Are you an employer?
BOOK A DEMOAre you an employee?
SEE AVAILABLE CARSEcs Business Toolkit
Electrify Your Fleet: Tools and Guides to Help Your Business Get Started
-
How the Scheme WorksFind out how salary sacrifice can work for you or your business.
-
Complete Employer ProtectionAll employers and drivers are protected from day 1.
-
Our ImpactWe are an award-winning B Corp - find out about how we do good.
-
Case StudiesJoin thousands of employers already offering The Electric Car Scheme.
You Might Also Like…
Last updated: 10/03/2026
Our lease 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.
Copyright and Image Usage: All images used on this website are either licensed for commercial use or used with express permission from the copyright holders, in compliance with UK and EU copyright law. We are committed to respecting intellectual property rights and maintaining full compliance with applicable regulations. If you have any questions or concerns regarding image usage or copyright matters, please contact us at marketing@electriccarscheme.com and we will address them promptly.
