Frequently asked questions

No - the UK is committed to getting to Net Zero by 2050, and has committed to all new cars that are sold being 100% electric by 2035. Therefore the government is offering up incentives to help you make the switch, and The Electric Car Scheme is a great way to access these incentives.

Similar to the Cycle to Work scheme (encouraging take up of cycling), The Electric Car Scheme works through salary sacrifice.

So while it’s very good, it’s not too good to be true!

You can choose any electric car on the market.

Click here to see the current range and cheapest rates available in one place. If you can’t find your preferred car - simply contact our Customer Services team on info@electriccarscheme.com.

Hybrids are typically not available through the scheme.

Yes, you can choose any accessories and specify colours although please note these choices may impact upon lead time as they may require a car to be built in a manufacturer factory.

The Leasing company will be the registered keepers and owners of the vehicle.

You can usually take up to 2 cars on the scheme, subject to your employer’s approval, and as long as your salary does not fall below the national living wage after all salary sacrifice deductions.

The agreement term must be between 12 and 48 months, and the maximum mileage on the lease is 30,000 miles pa. The term and mileage are flexible to suit your requirements, but you must choose mileage you could cover whilst you have the vehicle, before you place the order.

This allows the lessor to do the financial calculation to take account of the impact of mileage on the second hand value of the car when you return it to them at the end of the term. If you exceed the mileage the lessor will charge you for the additional mileage at a rate quoted to you on entering the lease.

Click here to compare different leases

We notify Smart Home Charge as soon as a delivery date has been confirmed. They will then get in touch and organise the installation. The installation date is usually 1-2 weeks depending on the customer's location.

Unfortunately, there are currently no used electric car leases as there are very few used electric cars on the road, and the lessors currently do not offer used car leases. If this changes in the future, we will be able to offer these through the scheme, but this is currently not possible.

A salary sacrifice scheme works on the premise that you contractually agree to a reduced annual salary in return for a benefit - in this case the use of an electric car.

You save income tax and National Insurance by sacrificing salary, but you incur a benefit-in-kind (BIK) tax. The amount of BIK tax depends on the value of the car, and the BIK rate – which is set at 2% until the ’24 / ‘25 tax year. You must pay the taxation on the benefit provided.

If the lease for your car continues beyond April 2025, unfortunately at the point of writing this, the BIK tax rate is not yet known. Any tax estimates provided through The Electric Car Scheme will typically assume a BIK tax rate of 5% for tax year ‘25 / ‘26 and beyond. Please note that your change in take-home pay will vary depending on the actual BIK tax rates.

Your employer is providing a vehicle for your benefit. HMRC rules dictate that this benefit has a taxable value if you use the vehicle for personal use. The taxable value is established in the Finance Act (i.e. the Budget) each year.

We account for this in our calculation clearly showing the charge for each car and consequent impact on the effective savings. While the BIK tax is low, it is unfortunately not zero.

As the car is leased through the company, the company will undergo a credit check, however, there is no personal credit check.

This depends a bit on your employer, however, if your employer is signed up, typically everyone can access the scheme subject to the following:

• Minimum age 21

• Completion of 6 months’ service and outside of probation

• Minimum salary of £20,000 after all salary sacrifice reductions

• Full driving licence for a minimum of 6 months, with no more than 6 current endorsement points for all drivers of the vehicle

• Entry to the scheme is ultimately at the employer’s discretion

It is expected that your commitment is for the duration of the lease of the car, (1, 2, 3 or 4 years).

Yes, all chargers are compatible with all energy providers.

Yes, you would be able to do this directly with the lease company after your car has been delivered. They will already have a process in place for this.

You would need to notify the leasing company as they’re the owners of the car and they will be able to advise you further in regards to the policy and any documents might need.

Unfortunately, you would not be able to modify the vehicle in any way as the leasing company is the owner of the car. Please speak to the lease company for further advice on this.