The Electric Car Scheme vs
cinch
Compare Buying a Used EV from cinch 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 cinch
Structure: cinch is used-car purchase; The Electric Car Scheme is gross-pay EV salary sacrifice.
Cost: For a 40% taxpayer, EV salary sacrifice typically costs 30–40% less than a post-tax used-EV purchase or finance.
Risk: The Electric Car Scheme includes Complete Employer Protection; a cinch purchase keeps depreciation and finance risk with the buyer.
Charging: Salary sacrifice bundles tax-efficient home, workplace and public charging; a used-car purchase does not.
Choice: The Electric Car Scheme offers hundreds of used EVs priced into a fully-protected salsac package.
The Strongest Prices for Employee Electric Cars
cinch sells used cars at post-tax retail prices — the buyer takes depreciation risk. Salary sacrifice via The Electric Car Scheme uses gross pay and leaves depreciation with the funder.
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
cinch
Used multi-fuel vehicles for outright purchase or finance
No salary-sacrifice option
Buyer carries depreciation risk
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
cinch’s protection
Buyer carries all risk post-purchase
Standard used-car warranty windows apply
No redundancy, sickness or parental-leave safety net
| 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
cinch
Consumer-facing car retail and classifieds platform
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
cinch
No charging package included
Charge-point arranged separately by the buyer
No tax efficiency on charging
Cost to Run and Employer NI Sharing
Outright purchase generates no employer NI savings. Salary sacrifice does — and The Electric Car Scheme gives employers explicit control over how they're used.
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 cinch?
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 cinch 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.