Potential EV company car options

[MrSpanky49]

Hello

I am currently on a cash allowance (£700pcm) which i a using to fund a PCP.

I am considering going back into the company car scheme for an EV. My usage is around 20-30k a year (likely to be closer to 20k this year as one of my customers has moved to a collegues territory. i would say the vast amount of my daily driving is under 150 miles per day, with a return trip to leeds from nottingham being the only journey above 150 miles at around 170 miles. Occasionally, i will help collegues further afield and may do 200+ miles in a day.

My car choice is limited so unfortunately its not a case of 'just get a tesla' the p11d value has to be £36,000 or lower. That gives me the following options:

-Any MG EV (would probably go for the MG4 trophy long range) X power out of budget and range not enough IMO
-Renault Megane E tech
-Smart #1- exterior is 'challenging' for me but the interior looks nice and gets great reviews.

All of these have quoted WTLP ranges of 260-290 miles, which should cover most of my usage, even in winter, so i think I am happy with that element.

My other option is sack off my PCP and keep taking the allowance, of course i'd have to factor in purchasing a car- looking at something around £10-12k. plus the maintenance costs etc, im beginning to think an EV company car may be a better option?

I think i like the megane most of all, havent sat in any of them yet, anyone own any of these options? which would you go for?

[Nomme de Plum]

I know a guy that runs a Megane EV as a taxi but only for longer trips to LGW or LHR and I've travelled in it a few times.

Seems OK with adequate range.

[Muzzer79]

MrSpanky49 said:

Hello

All of these have quoted WTLP ranges of 260-290 miles, which should cover most of my usage

Don't forget that WLTP isn't real world - that kind of range would be nearer 200 miles winter real world and do you really want to be pushing it down to zero? Bearing in mind:

MrSpanky49 said:

Occasionally, i will help collegues further afield and may do 200+ miles in a day.

Depends on how occasionally and how comfortable you are with using public charging if you need to.

Your car allowance isn't disgracefully miserly.....I'd be looking into what you can get with that - given the list you've presented of EV options.

[TooLateForAName]

I think the smart is the same platform as the volvo ex30

[bradders]

Muzzer79 said:

Depends on how occasionally and how comfortable you are with using public charging if you need to.

Your car allowance isn't disgracefully miserly.....I'd be looking into what you can get with that - given the list you've presented of EV options.

I've just taken ownership of a Q4 e-tron 55 sportback - WLTP is claimed at 313 miles from a full charge. With the car set to stop me going over the speed limit and curb my right foot, it is looking very likely to hit 200 miles max.

I bought it to use locally, so range is not a problem at all for me (and I really like the car), but I wouldn't want to rely on the WLTP figures to calculate how far I can get.

[Tractor Driver]

I guess for reasons of cost, Renault omitted fitting a heat pump to the Megane e-tech when it first came out. Several magazines ran early ones as long termers and found the range really took a hit in winter.

They now fit a heat pump to the higher spec models, so if you are looking at the Megane and you can get one within budget with a heat pump, I think it’d be worthwhile for your journey profile.

[MrSpanky49]

Tractor Driver said:

I guess for reasons of cost, Renault omitted fitting a heat pump to the Megane e-tech when it first came out. Several magazines ran early ones as long termers and found the range really took a hit in winter.

They now fit a heat pump to the higher spec models, so if you are looking at the Megane and you can get one within budget with a heat pump, I think it’d be worthwhile for your journey profile.

woud be the base spec i.e. no heat pump- not exactly filled with confidence!

[TheDeuce]

MrSpanky49 said:

Hello

I am currently on a cash allowance (£700pcm) which i a using to fund a PCP.

I am considering going back into the company car scheme for an EV. My usage is around 20-30k a year (likely to be closer to 20k this year as one of my customers has moved to a collegues territory. i would say the vast amount of my daily driving is under 150 miles per day, with a return trip to leeds from nottingham being the only journey above 150 miles at around 170 miles. Occasionally, i will help collegues further afield and may do 200+ miles in a day.

My car choice is limited so unfortunately its not a case of 'just get a tesla' the p11d value has to be £36,000 or lower. That gives me the following options:

-Any MG EV (would probably go for the MG4 trophy long range) X power out of budget and range not enough IMO
-Renault Megane E tech
-Smart #1- exterior is 'challenging' for me but the interior looks nice and gets great reviews.

All of these have quoted WTLP ranges of 260-290 miles, which should cover most of my usage, even in winter, so i think I am happy with that element.

My other option is sack off my PCP and keep taking the allowance, of course i'd have to factor in purchasing a car- looking at something around £10-12k. plus the maintenance costs etc, im beginning to think an EV company car may be a better option?

I think i like the megane most of all, havent sat in any of them yet, anyone own any of these options? which would you go for?

What's your £700pm car allowance actually worth to you after tax? That's surely the crucial bit in deciding which way is best... If you're a 40% tax payer + NI then you're getting just half of it, in which case taking the company car would make sense. If 20%, then you have enough 'car allowance' net income to lease an EV privately - one that has a P11D value substantially higher than £36k.

If you do have your own private car, you can then claim mileage allowance which at ~20k pa isn't insignificant.

[MrSpanky49]

TheDeuce said:

What's your £700pm car allowance actually worth to you after tax? That's surely the crucial bit in deciding which way is best... If you're a 40% tax payer + NI then you're getting just half of it, in which case taking the company car would make sense. If 20%, then you have enough 'car allowance' net income to lease an EV privately - one that has a P11D value substantially higher than £36k.

If you do have your own private car, you can then claim mileage allowance which at ~20k pa isn't insignificant.

i'm 40%. i'm just concerned that i'd be exploring the outer reaches of the range too often. i could go phev but thats even more limited- a C5 aircross or a leon FR. im also not sure a phev would be a favourable tax break- and they're just a bit compromised...

RE mileage- i buy my fuel with my work credit card- which i pay my company 13p/mile for private mileage.

Edited by MrSpanky49 on Thursday 18th January 10:19

[andburg]

our MG ZS Standard range is doing ~160 miles per full charge at the minute through winter, eco mode with the blowers and demist. I can't see anything with a 260+ mile range being a problem given the 150 miles run being the general worst case. On those odd 200+ mile days if you did need to charge it'll only be a splash and dash for 5-10 minutes while you use the loo and grab an overpriced sausage roll.

[MrSpanky49]

andburg said:

our MG ZS Standard range is doing ~160 miles per full charge at the minute through winter, eco mode with the blowers and demist. I can't see anything with a 260+ mile range being a problem given the 150 miles run being the general worst case. On those odd 200+ mile days if you did need to charge it'll only be a splash and dash for 5-10 minutes while you use the loo and grab an overpriced sausage roll.

This is what i was hoping for. Don't mind stopping on occasion. still do it now, very rarely go 200+ miles without stopping to stretch my legs for 10 mins. I think the frustration for me would be if i'm a long way from home one evening and just want to hammer along in the outside line to get home with not enough range. but again, rare.

Missus car is ICE should i have to do mega miles, (and the family wagon) so i do have backup!

[JQ]

If you want to know the real world range, I've found this site quite good.

https://ev-database.org/uk/cheatsheet/range-electr...

[curvature]

Also remember that the range on an EV is massively affected by how you drive.

I'm 3 weeks into iX3 ownership and even in this cold weather I am seeing 3.4 miles/kW on long journeys which should give me a range of 250 miles.

I drove to Blackpool and back yesterday and started on a full charge with the vehicle pre-heated and to start it was showing a range of 199 miles.

When I got back to my office I had driven 195 miles and the range was showing as 55 miles with 20% charge left.

I am sure you have looked at charging costs but they vary massively and until I get my home charger installed it is not cheap.

Ionity - 40p kW with BMW card. Rates for 1st year.
Instavolt - 90p kW
Gridserve - 81p kW

I've swapped to Octopus for my home energy and their EV schemes gives overnight charging at 7.5p kW

[Th3 D0n]

Your company car policy is a bit quirky. I’ve just come off a car allowance (£535 pm) and into a £49k (BiK value) EV6.
I have to top up the lease via salary sacrifice but my man maths lead me to believe the net cost of the EV should be in the same ballpark as running my own car.
This option doesn’t seem open to you though?

[MrSpanky49]

Th3 D0n said:

Your company car policy is a bit quirky. I’ve just come off a car allowance (£535 pm) and into a £49k (BiK value) EV6.
I have to top up the lease via salary sacrifice but my man maths lead me to believe the net cost of the EV should be in the same ballpark as running my own car.
This option doesn’t seem open to you though?

Not really. Hard p11d ceiling value of £36k. I believe it’s not been updated for some time- goes back to before EV was favoured that would have got you a decent car.

I worked out I get £381 of my £700 car allowance (give or take) so if I’m to price my own maintenance in gives me maybe £300pcm to play with? Probably less factoring in insurance!

[MrSpanky49]

JQ said:

If you want to know the real world range, I've found this site quite good.

https://ev-database.org/uk/cheatsheet/range-electr...

Thank you for that. Very useful!