The Electric Car Scheme vs
Autotrader
Compare Buying or Leasing via Autotrader with EV Salary Sacrifice from The Electric Car Scheme
Choosing a salary sacrifice or EV benefit route is a strategic decision. Pricing, vehicle availability, risk protection and operational simplicity all determine whether the scheme is accessible, scalable and cost-neutral for your workforce.
At a Glance: Key Differences Between The Electric Car Scheme and Autotrader
Structure: Autotrader is a marketplace for new, used and leased cars; The Electric Car Scheme is employer-run EV salary sacrifice.
Cost: Salary sacrifice typically costs 30–40% less than a post-tax personal lease or PCP for a 40% taxpayer.
Risk: The Electric Car Scheme includes Complete Employer Protection; a purchase or lease via Autotrader keeps all risk with the individual.
Charging: Salary sacrifice bundles tax-efficient home, workplace and public charging; Autotrader deals do not.
Employer upside: Salary sacrifice generates employer NI savings and supports sustainability reporting; consumer deals do not.
The Strongest Prices for Employee Electric Cars
Autotrader gives consumers enormous choice, but every deal on it is paid from post-tax income. Salary sacrifice is pre-tax, with 30–40% effective saving for higher-rate taxpayers.
The Electric Car Scheme
Electric and plug-in hybrids below 75g CO2/km
Hundreds of used EVs in stock at any time
Multi-funder leasing panel with live pricing
Autotrader
Multi-fuel new, used and lease listings from dealers and private sellers
No salary-sacrifice option
No EV-specific tax efficiency
For larger organisations with a high proportion of employees in the basic-rate tax band, broader access to used and plug-in hybrid vehicles can make the scheme accessible to a significantly wider share of the workforce.
Risk and Early Termination Protection Comparison
92% of senior HR professionals believe salary sacrifice carries risk if an employee leaves while they still have a car.
The Electric Car Scheme's Complete Employer Protection
Complete Employer Protection from day 1
Covers redundancy, resignation (3 months+), dismissal, parental leave, long-term sickness, loss of licence and death
No excess, caps or exclusion periods
Autotrader’s protection
All finance or ownership risk sits with the individual
GAP and payment-protection sold separately
No redundancy, sickness or parental-leave cover
| Event | The Electric Car Scheme | |
|---|---|---|
| Resignation | Covered from 3 months, no excess or cap | |
| Redundancy | Covered from day 1, no excess or cap | |
| Dismissal | Covered, no excess or cap | |
| Parental leave | Covered, no excess or cap | |
| Long-term sickness | Covered, no excess or cap | |
| Loss of licence | Covered | |
| Death | Covered | |
| Employee non-payment | Covered — scheme absorbs loss | Often not covered |
Service, Technology and Portals Comparison
The Electric Car Scheme
Employer Portal: approvals, payroll reporting, live order tracking, sustainability
Employee Portal covering the full lease lifecycle and charging
API/SFTP/SSO integrations with major benefits and payroll platforms
Dedicated Customer Success Manager per employer
Autotrader
Consumer marketplace connecting buyers to dealers, brokers and private sellers
No employer or payroll integration
No in-life benefit management
Our technology is designed to minimise admin, remove manual uploads and double entry, and provide real-time visibility of uptake, savings and carbon impact.
Charging: EV Charging Salary Sacrifice Comparison
A personal lease doesn't include any tax-efficient charging package. The Electric Car Scheme bundles home, workplace and public charging into salsac.
The Electric Car Scheme
Salary-sacrifice home, workplace and public charging
20–50% savings on charging costs over the lease
Home charge-point install included in salary-sacrifice
Preferred tariffs (e.g. OVO Charge Anytime with free miles)
Up to £4,405 of charging value per employee across a typical lease
Autotrader
No integrated charging package
Charge-point arranged separately
No tax efficiency on charging
Cost to Run and Employer NI Sharing
Marketplace deals generate no employer NI savings. Salary sacrifice does — and The Electric Car Scheme gives employers explicit control over how to use them.
Many employers choose to share a large proportion of their employer National Insurance savings with employees to support affordability and maximise participation, while retaining a portion to fund wider people and climate initiatives.
Why Choose The Electric Car Scheme Over Autotrader?
30–40% effective saving vs an equivalent post-tax purchase or lease
Employer-funded day-one risk protection
Integrated, tax-efficient charging
Employer tech stack with payroll and benefits integration
Deep EV and PHEV choice, including used stock
If you'd like to see how The Electric Car Scheme compares with Autotrader for your workforce, we can build you a tailored side-by-side based on your company's demographics and vehicle mix. Book a call with our Salary Sacrifice Specialists here.
Be the Hero and Make Net Zero the Obvious Choice for your Team
Reward your employees, attract the best talent and drive your sustainability goals - all with one simple, cost-free benefit: The Electric Car Scheme.