When new, the Zoe came with a battery leasing plan and a guarantee that lasted for eight years or 100,000 miles, so later models may come with a monthly payment for the battery, but will still be under warranty.
Compelling lease deals and financial benefits are also available to EV drivers. You can expect to pay less than £300 per month for a Nissan Leaf, Peugeot e-208, or Vauxhall Corsa Electric with an initial rental of less than £500.
If you’re a company car driver, electric cars are also set at a far lower benefit-in-kind (BIK) rate than their combustion equivalents. For example, at the time of writing, a BMW i4 eDrive40 M Sport is set at 2%, while the 320d is 30%, so you’ll pay less money in BIK tax for an EV.
Should I buy a hybrid instead?
Hybrids offer a stepping stone for those unsure about owning a purely electric car. Three types exist; hybrids, plug-in hybrids and mild hybrids.
Full-fat hybrids use a combustion engine mated to an electric motor, which is charged up by the engine when it is running low. This allows you to drive it a short distance on electric power alone before the engine kicks in.
Plug-in hybrids are essentially the same, but the battery is charged via a wall socket or other external source, rather than the combustion engine. This enables them to travel longer distances on purely electric power.