How to transition to EVs in your business

Which type of EV is best for my fleet?

Now is a great time to choose an EV, as there's never been a wider choice of electric vehicles available on the market!

Here's a quick jargon-busting summary of the main types of electric car and van on offer:

Fully electric (BEVs)
These vehicles are driven purely by electricity, without a traditional combustion engine. BEVs are the cheapest and cleanest option to run, as they are emission-free. They need to be plugged in to charge up their battery at a dedicated electric vehicle charging point. 

Plug-in hybrid (PHEVs)
Like a fully electric vehicle, Plug-in Hybrids (PHEVs) also need to be plugged in to charge. PHEVs have both a traditional petrol/diesel engine and an electric battery. Typically the first 20-40 miles in a PHEV are powered by the battery, with the petrol/diesel engine taking over on longer journeys.

Conventional hybrid (HEVs)
Non plug-in hybrid cars combine a standard combustion engine with a smaller battery-powered electric motor. There’s no need to plug in a hybrid electric vehicle, as the battery is charged by both the combustion engine and regenerative braking.

How does salary sacrifice work?

If you don't have a corporate fleet, you could still incentivise your staff to transition to electric vehicles by offering a salary sacrifice scheme, allowing your team to access a fantastic range of electric vehicles with no upfront cost by paying for their vehicle from their salary before tax.

Because of this reduction in salary, there is a subsequent reduction in income tax and national insurance payments for your employees, as well as in Employers' National Insurance payments for you - so money that would normally go straight to HMRC now goes towards your employee's car payments.

Our partner, Octopus EV, offers a salary sacrifice scheme with a number of tax and personal benefits savings for employees.

The salary sacrifice scheme is totally free for employers to set up - so you get to bolster your employee benefits package, while your team are able to save up to 40% on a new electric vehicle lease plan.