My wife is getting a new job, and a company car is part of the package. The main issue is that the car must be either BEV or PHEV. She will have access to a range of options via their fleet rental system, but details are still TBC, but at an estimate, it’ll be somewhere around £40,000 final price. There’s a number of options in the price range, so we’re looking at various models and have kicked some wheels in showrooms, mainly small SUVs, think Kia Niro/Fisker Ocean/Peugeot 2008 as representative models.
The big question is whether a BEV or PHEV is best suited for her. The company has 5 locations, situated (approx) 40 (base office), 50, 100, 190, 210 miles away from our home. Our expectationis that she will be spending 4 days a week in the base office, and driving to one of the other offices on a rotating basis on the other day, so 80 miles a day minumum and there will be 400 mile days at least twice a month, all on 70mph motorways. We are in the process of getting a driveway and charger installed, but currently do not have either (ETA 2/3 months.) There are public chargers available to us within a mile or so, and the office locations have chargers installed in 3 of the 5 locations (base office, 50 and 190 miles away, not in 100 or 210, so would rely on public charging en route.) The battery only range of PHEVs is too short for any of these commutes, so we’d still be using petrol regularly; but relying on public charging for a BEV on long distances is still a lottery in the UK and being late for a meeting because of charging is not a good look.
In terms of finances, we expect a BEV will be around £800-1000pa cheaper in taxes than a PHEV. The company will pay for any home charging, provide a payment card for public charging/petrol fillups, then bill her for personal use (don’t know what rate that will be yet).
What would your thinking be in this situation? What else should we be considering in making the final decision?
Is this your only car? (Sorry if I missed it in your post.)
If you’re concerned about range and charging, it’s worth remembering a PHEV doesn’t actually need any charge to run. Some drive less sprightly and others are not too affected.
If you can plan and integrate charging into the longer runs to work without stress, then a BEV is much better, especially when you consider that so much of our driving is short journeys. Longer personal journeys aren’t difficult to plan, there’s Zapmap and Google maps etc.
If you can change to Octopus they will sort everything for the cost of the charger plus install. Myenergy Zappi is about the best for only a little more than the cheaper Ohm crap.
The Octopus EV tariff is very cheap between 11.30pm and 5.30am, and covers the whole house. When you plug in the car, it makes a plan which can extend beyond those times if there’s excess renewables in the grid. When that happens the whole house benefits during those times.
If you need an underground channel dug for the cable, you’ll have to get that done yourself before they install.
Otherwise, I’m very happy with mine. I hope this is relevant and useful for you.
We’ve currently got an old Honda Jazz that will be my car after I pass my test later this year, after I’ve been qualified for 12 months they will put me onto the insurance for the company car and we will probably get rid of the Jazz. We will probably get an old second hand BEV that I can use as a commuter if we need it.