Best electric car lease and finance for April

By Tom Seymour

Last updated: Apr 23rd 2024

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Drivers are once again spoiled for choice with an even wider selection of new electric models and offers available.

Car manufacturers and leasing companies are all rolling up their sleeves to help the UK on its way to a 22 per cent new car market share for electric vehicles (EV) this year, which means they are working hard to make it as affordable as possible to get into a plug-in vehicle. Smart Home Charge has once again looked through some of the latest deals available to customers before the end of June. 

Each of these offers can be found either through the Electric Car Scheme, Drive Electric or by going directly to car manufacturers and their dealerships. 

Top 3 personal contract hire lease deals 

The BYD Dolphin is one of the newest EVs available and it’s from an exciting new brand that has already established over 30 sales and service dealership locations across the UK, with 100 locations expected before the end of 2024. A personal lease deal of £319 a month with a potential range of 265 miles offers a lot of practicality for the price point. 

Likewise, the Kia Niro EV is another great option which is available as part of a special personal lease offer through Drive Electric right now. You get an ultra-modern EV with a WLTP range of 288 miles, that can be ultra-rapid charged on a 350kW charger in 43 minutes. 

The brand-new Hyundai Kona is also available for just over £350 a month with deliveries starting in October this year. It’s available through Drive Electric and drivers get an EV with a WLTP range of 319 miles in addition to technology like smart cruise control with stop-and-go functionality and lane follow assist.

All examples are from Drive Electric

Top 3 salary sacrifice deals 

If you’re looking for an EV quickly and your business can facilitate a salary sacrifice scheme, there are models available right now through The Electric Car Scheme. Salary sacrifice schemes can be run through your employer to create a tax-efficient way to access the latest EVs. 

Funding an EV in this way lowers an employee's monthly take-home pay, meaning they also pay less in income tax and National Insurance each month. The benefit is they get access to an affordable brand-new EV. The Electric Car Scheme has relationships with leasing companies which means it can access discounts on vehicles of between 30-60% compared to alternative options of funding for a new EV. 

The Nissan Leaf is one of the most affordable models highlighted here at £234 a month. The Leaf is such an established pioneer in the world of EVs and the second generation model is better to drive, has more space inside and has up to 168 miles of range. 

The brand new Mini Cooper electric hatch is available through The Electric Car Scheme and it goes without saying that it continues the brand’s reputation for offering small cars with smart and bold design at their core. This new model offers up to 189 miles and is available from £323 a month. Every new Mini Hatch comes with a striking circular OLED display, which combines minimal touchscreen technology alongside some tactile analogue switches too. 

The Nissan Ariya is an interesting option as it’s the Japanese brand's flagship electric model that has been positioned as a competitor to premium EV rivals, but it’s available at under £350 a month through The Electric Car Scheme. You get up to 250 miles of range with the Ariya, which makes it a good option for those looking to do longer trips. The Ariya can be rapidly charged to add 217 miles of range in around 30 minutes. 

All examples from The Electric Car Scheme and based on a 40% taxpayer

Top 3 car manufacturer retail offers 

These offers are available directly from car manufacturers at the dealerships or stores. One of the downsides with PCPs is you have to pay a higher deposit to get the monthly payments down, but there’s also added flexibility with a personal contract purchase (PCP) to exit early or change vehicles before the end of the term.

The BMW i5 is one of the latest EVs to become available in the UK and it offers a new premium electric saloon, which stands apart from a market that has been mostly dominated by SUVs, crossovers and superminis so far. As a premium brand, it comes with a premium monthly price of just under £750, but BMW is offering a £2,000 discount for those that fund through personal contract purchase (PCP) finance. 

The Ford Explorer is another brand new model that has just launched and finally expands the Blue Oval’s EV line-up, in addition to the Mach-E. Importantly, Ford is backing the Explorer with 0% finance over four years, which is a pretty strong proposition when looking at funding options for new EVs. The Explorer offers long-range practicality, with one of the highest potential WLTP ranges here at 374 miles. It can charge to add 107 miles in just 10 minutes using a 150kW DC public charger. 

Renault’s new Scenic E-Tech is also another new entrant to the UK’s EV market and offers a long range of up to 379 miles, 0% finance and family car practicality for under £235 a month. It has a 545-litre boot capacity and features over 30 advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) as part of the package.

All examples from car manufacturer retail offer websites