Electric car leasing FAQs

03/12/2021

Electric car leasing FAQs

Electric car leasing is growing in popularity as growing numbers of us switch to greener vehicles, and for those with lots of questions, this article will aim to answer them.

While many drivers are positive about switching to EV's, others may be worried that electric cars are not quite ready for replacing diesel and petrol engine powered vehicles currently.

Among the concerns of those worried about switching to contract hire electric cars include:

  • Range anxiety: How often must the car be recharged?
  • Battery: how long do batteries in EV's last?
  • EV prices: the price of an EV is still too high
  • EV charging: where and how can people recharge their electric car
  • Maintenance: the costs of servicing and repairing EVS.

We will look at each of these issues in turn in a bid to answer your questions about electric car leasing.

 

How often must an EV be charged?

Perhaps the biggest issue that motorists thinking of switching to electric car leasing is the range of the battery.

That's because they may run out of battery charge and not get to their destination - this is known as range anxiety.

On average, currently, an electric car can travel more than 150 miles on a single charge, while others, such as the Jaguar I-Pace offer 200 miles or more.

You need to appreciate that battery technology for electric cars is improving all the time with more efficient battery-powered cars being released regularly.

However, it's also worth noting that when you lease an electric car, they have a range indicator to highlight when you are running out of power and most manufacturers offer a satnav or a smartphone app to show you where the nearest charging station is.

There are more than 15,000 charging points available around the country - and this number is growing all the time.

 

How long do batteries in EV's last?

Another issue for those wanting to invest in an electric car is over how long the batteries last.

You'll find that most vehicle manufacturers offer an eight-year warranty for the batteries in their electric cars but that's not an issue if you lease an electric car.

That's because you will be leasing your car for a few years, with Tilsun Leasing, for example, contract hire agreements are between two and four years.

That means your EV battery will be as good on the day that you hand your car back, as the day you received it.

The price of an electric vehicle

While the price tag of a new electric car is higher than diesel- or petrol-powered siblings because of the cost of batteries, the prices for EVs are falling.

You also need to appreciate that the cost of servicing and maintaining an EV is much lower than a petrol- or diesel-powered alternative, plus the running costs are also much lower.

Depending on the car you choose, it may attract a plug-in grant from the Government to lower the price tag so you will find that leasing an electric car may be a viable alternative to buying one.

 

Where and how to charge a contract hire electric car

As mentioned, the network of public chargers is growing rapidly, and they are located in easy to access places.

For example, you may find that your local supermarket has several charging stations in place so you can do a quick shop while your car is charging.

Don't forget too that most people will be charging their electric cars at home using a wall box and they will do this while they're asleep.

Alternatively, you could use a rapid charger and your battery will be recharged from 20 minutes to 40 minutes.

 

What is the cost of maintaining and servicing an electric car?

Even when you lease an electric car, you will still be responsible for maintaining and servicing it but the costs are much lower than for petrol- or diesel-powered cars.

That's because they have fewer moving parts, but you still need to maintain the brakes, steering and electric cables that are in the vehicle.

You could opt for a contract hire agreement with a maintenance package to ensure that you enjoy worry-free driving with your leased EV.

Also, you will still enjoy the manufacturer’s warranty when you lease the vehicle and there will be a local dealership geared up to offering EV servicing and maintenance.

Other electric car leasing FAQs

What charges are available when public charging? Normally, there are type I and type II chargers available, type II chargers are common on European cars, while US vehicles tend to use type I. You need to ensure that the connector that is supplied with your EV can be used at public charging stations.

What is an untethered or tethered cable? There's a simple explanation when you lease an electric car about what a tethered or untethered cable is – a tethered cable is fixed to a public charging point. An untethered cable can be removed and plugged at any charging point.

Do EV's have different charging modes? A contract hire electric car will have one of four charging modes. You'll find that modes 1-3 are for use with an in-car battery charger using a mains connector. Mode 4 is for use with an ultra-fast charger.

How long will it take to charge my electric car? As mentioned, most people will be using a wall box at home to charge their car which could take up to 12 hours. Alternatively, with the correct charger and cable, you can use rapid recharging, and this can be done is in as quickly as 20 minutes.

Can electric cars be charged at home? If you don't have a wall box fitted at your home, you could use a domestic three-pin socket. This type of charging takes longer but you should investigate whether there are grants available for having a home charger installed.

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