If you are keen to ‘go green’ and are considering the car leasing option of a PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle) it’s important to have some facts and figures to hand.
Here’s our handy round up of what you need to know before leasing a PHEV.
Manufacturers MPG Figures – The MPG figures that manufacturers advertise are often difficult to achieve in real life even with standard diesel and petrol powered vehicles but we have found that the figures supplied for the new PHEV vehicles can be misleading especially when drivers are doing longer journey’s. When a manufacture calculates the MPG for a new vehicle it is measured over a maximum of 4.3 miles in laboratory conditions, because of this the PHEV vehicles are being powered by the battery for the majority of the test resulting in exceptionally high figures that the manufactures are allowed to advertise. As soon as you start using the vehicle for normal day to day use these figures are dramatically reduced because you are relying on the petrol engine more than the batteries. The members of our car leasing team are experts and work hard to provide realistic figures which we will always share with you. These figures are taken from websites such as www.honestjohn.co.uk where drivers can report their MPG and also from figures provided by dealerships we work with. If going for a PHEV vehicle it’s really important to get your hands on these realistic figures.
Range – As a rule we have found that for the manufacture to keep the emissions down many PHEV vehicles have smaller fuel tanks. This saves weight but equally reduces the range of the vehicle between fill ups.
Tow Bars – A lot of PHEV vehicles do not allow tow bars to be fitted. In some cases it is due to the batteries being stored in the boot floor. This is worth knowing if you are keen to tow a trailer / caravan etc. You should always speak to your car leasing provider before modifying any vehicle with tow bar etc.
Charging – While all PHEV vehicles can be charged with a 3-point plug it does take several hours. You may need to install fast charge points at the office and potentially at home. Please note there are grants in place at present to help with the installation of fast charge points. You can find more information here
You need to remember to plug your car in! Even if it’s cold, wet and you’re in a hurry!
Cost of Charging - You must factor in the cost of electricity to charge your PHEV when costing up your car leasing
Benefit in kind – If you are leasing a PHEV as a business, they do work out exceptionally well on BIK for the employee due to the very low CO2 emissions.
There is no doubt that PHEV vehicles have many advantages but in reality unless the driver is doing less than 30 miles between charges then leasing a good diesel vehicle would probably prove more cost effective.
Our team of car leasing expets are very happy to speak to you if you are considering leasing a PHEV ...or any other car! Just email sales@carcontracthire.com or call 01491 615514
Happy Motoring!