The Electric Car Scheme vs
Zenith
Compare EV Salary Sacrifice Schemes from The Electric Car Scheme and Zenith
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 Zenith
Specialism: The Electric Car Scheme is built for EV salary sacrifice first; Zenith's centre of gravity is large-scale corporate fleet management.
Pricing: The Electric Car Scheme quotes across multiple funders on every order; Zenith typically uses its own funding book, which can limit dynamic pricing on individual orders.
Vehicle choice: The Electric Car Scheme includes hundreds of used EVs; Zenith's salsac panel leans towards new vehicles.
Risk protection: The Electric Car Scheme includes Complete Employer Protection from day 1 with no caps or excesses; Zenith's protection has standard fleet-market exclusions.
Charging: The Electric Car Scheme salary-sacrifices home, workplace and public charging; Zenith's salsac charging is not as fully integrated.
The Strongest Prices for Employee Electric Cars
Zenith's owned funding book can offer stability but limits dynamic pricing vs a multi-funder broker. The Electric Car Scheme routinely tests every order against the market to land the best available monthly.
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
Zenith
Primarily new-vehicle inventory within the salsac proposition
Funded predominantly from the company's own book
Less flexibility on in-stock used EV deals
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
Included as standard from day 1
Covers resignation (3 months+), redundancy, dismissal, parental leave, long-term sickness, loss of licence and death
No excess fees, caps or annual limits
Cover continues even if the employee doesn't pay termination fees or damage costs
How does Zenith’s early termination protection compare?
Standard fleet-market exclusion periods typically apply
Monthly-rental excess and annual caps common
Gaps around employee non-payment of termination fees or damages
Employer exposure can rise with workforce size
| Event | The Electric Car Scheme | Zenith |
|---|---|---|
| Resignation | Covered from 3 months, no excess or cap | Typically 3-month exclusion; excess may apply |
| Redundancy | Covered from day 1, no excess or cap | Exclusion period and annual cap common |
| Dismissal | Covered, no excess or cap | Often partial or excluded |
| Parental leave | Covered, no excess or cap | Often excluded or time-limited |
| Long-term sickness | Covered, no excess or cap | Often time-limited |
| Loss of licence | Covered | Varies by provider |
| Death | Covered | Covered |
| Employee non-payment | Covered — scheme absorbs loss | Often not covered |
Service, Technology and Portals Comparison
The Electric Car Scheme
Salsac-native Employer Portal: approvals, payroll reporting, live order tracking, sustainability reporting
Employee Portal with quotes, insurance, charging, orders and lease management
API/SFTP/SSO integrations into benefits and payroll platforms
Dedicated Customer Success Manager per employer
Zenith
Enterprise fleet management tooling tailored to operators
Salsac employer/employee experiences bolted onto fleet workflows
Integrations into benefits platforms less off-the-shelf
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
The Electric Car Scheme treats charging as part of the salsac benefit, not a separate fleet product.
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
Zenith
Home charging solutions available
Workplace and public charging not salary-sacrificed end-to-end
Tariff integration narrower
Cost to Run and Employer NI Sharing
Both schemes can operate at no net cost. The Electric Car Scheme gives explicit control over NI savings: retain, reinvest or split.
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 Fleet Alliance?
Salsac-native focus over fleet-ops-first heritage
Multi-funder, market-priced quotes on every order
Deep used-EV inventory for inclusive pricing
Unconditional, day-one employer protection
Full charging salary-sacrifice
Modern tech stack and dedicated CSM per employer
If you'd like to see how The Electric Car Scheme compares with Zenith 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.