The Volvo C40 Electric Car Lease

The UK’s personal; and business leasing customers are well and truly invested into electric transportation. Recent tabloid, and broadsheet, conjecture seems to suggest that the demand for these vehicles (BEVs, EVs, all-electrics, zero-emissions - all synonymous) is about to fall.

The main reasons seem to be that EVs are too expensive, their range is misleading and there are insufficient charge points on the public network to satisfy the entire populous. Indeed, Tesla made one of the biggest electric car updates (ever) today - Friday 13th 2023 - when the US automotive manufacturer reduced their best-selling cars by up to £8000! The Model 3 and Model Y are now some of the best value EVs you could lease -this is why personal, business and salary sacrifice customers are moving with considered enthusiasm towards Tesla (see below for details:)

Model Y Rear-Wheel Drive, Long Range and Performance base price decrease effective today (13/01/2023).
Model Y Rear-Wheel Drive decrease of 7,000 GBP
Model Y Long Range decrease of 5,000 GBP
Model Y Performance decrease of 8,000 GBP

Model 3 Rear-Wheel Drive, Long Range and Performance base price decrease effective today (13/01/2023).
Model 3 Rear-Wheel Drive decrease of 5,500 GBP
Model 3 Long Range decrease of 6,500 GBP
Model 3 Performance decrease of 3,500 GBP

Volvo C40 ESTATE 170kW Recharge Core 69kWh 5dr Auto Electric Car Lease

So if cars are affordable in the EV segment, how can we overcome the range and charging issues? The notion of “range” is, in our opinion, a simple misunderstanding which many companies and businesses make when selling and leasing electric cars. The use of a one-size fits all WLTP range is the main statistic used, so that when a customer reviews their range they don’t take into consideration the impact of weather, driving style and terrain on the range.

To be clear, the way you drive your EV, and in what weather you drive it, are all instrumental on the battery’s efficiency. This is why customers will see a robust analysis on our leading, and trusted, EV website. We ensure that a customer can see the stark difference between a cold weather motorway experience in comparison to the city/urban driving in summer/warmer temperatures.

Quite frankly, if a customer receives these figures, and properly understands them, then there are no issues. With high-mileage company car drivers this is where the quality and accuracy of the data becomes more key.

And charge points, domestic, workplace and public destination, do need considered thought. For any customers with off-road parking, we do implore that a charge point is connected to their property. For ease, we have partnered with RightCharge so that a customer can conduct a price, and feature, comparison of available charge points and installers.

Additionally, do ensure you utilise a “solar charging” option if you are a household likely to move to alternative and renewable energy solutions (with battery storage). Employers and workplaces need to consider upgrading their premises too, particularly with grants still in place to assist with this . This is where Raw Charging are so incredible, as they can help you to quickly and efficiently upgrade your premises into a future-proofed and robust environment. We have to collectively work together, home and business, to ensure there are enough regular charge points.

And for those customers on the public network, have confidence that many new “rapid” solutions of 50 kW DC and upwards are being installed all over the UK. Using the Zap Map 2023 statics tool - you can see that some 923 new devices were installed in December 2022 alone. What many drivers, upcoming and existing, need to understand is that top-up DC solutions are only rarely used in most cases, so long as a good domestic or workplace infrastructure is in place.

But this is a focal point for our Government, National Grid and charge point operators. While the recent Christmas carnage highlighted some weaknesses in our network, the rapid growth of EV supply has left charge point installation behind in some areas. But we have to start from somewhere and there are now clear plans to correct it.

The volvo C40 is this the perfect company car / salary scrifice option?

And amazing cars, like the Volvo C40, certainly bring more confidence to the EV debate, with Volvo as the world’s leading manufacturer for safety. Their C40 is an ambient example of quality, affordability and practicality, with Volvo looking to offer alternatives to the Tesla Model Y, VW ID.5 and Citroen C4 X. A nation almost certainly obsessed with SUVs, the Crossover or SUV Coupe, is one segment which has rapidly grown with many customers wanting the ergonomics of SUVs but with the couture and style of the coupe.

BCH and Sal Sac customers enjoy considerable tax benefits under HMRC at present, so the reasons to go EV are somewhat profound. The 2% BiK available on zero-emission cars, which an EV is, translates to monthly car tax bills of £20-40 per month. Stark comparison to the hundreds, if not thousands, of pounds per month a combustion vehicle would offer many drivers.

Add to that the ability to enjoy lower running costs on maintenance, servicing and tyres plus fuel, and you have a perfectly saleable solution for the fleet network. Indeed Volvo offer a considerable discount and fleet saving for business lease customers, with great savings for those entities who can commit for volume.

Volvo C40 ESTATE 170kW Recharge Core 69kWh 5dr Auto Electric Car Lease Best deals

And what specifications can you enjoy? In terms of the equipment levels enjoy:

Core - from £48,355 this option includes Google Assistant, panoramic roof, power tailgate, 19” alloys, climate control, hill start assist, road sign information, lane keeping aid, oncoming lane mitigation, LED headlights, 12” driver display, cruise control, auto-dimmed rear view mirror, park assist camera, wireless charging, Apple CarPlay, heated front seats and lumbar support;

Plus - from £53,395 this option includes Pilot assist, BLIS and cross traffic alert, keyless entry, heat pump, air purifier, heated steering wheel, fog lamps, rear collision warning, power passenger seat, power driver seat memory; and
Ultimate - from £63,105 this top of the line option includes connect suede upholstery, interior illumination, pixel LED headlights, headlight cleaning, 360 degree camera, air-ventilated subwoofer, Harmon Kardon premium sound and 20” alloys.

What battery options does the Volvo C40 offer- what’s the range, charging times and key things I, and the business needs to know?

Single Motor - a usable 67 kWh lithium-ion battery will offer 0 – 62 times of 7.4 seconds, 112 mph top speeds and 175kW (or 235 hp). And the drivetrain will be RWD. Expect a combined winter range of 180 miles with warmer weather allowing for 245 miles on a full charge. On charging, the 11 kW AC max will allow 7 hour and 15 min 0 – 100% charging times with the 150 kW DC maximum allowing 28 minute 10 – 80% times. This SUV has a volume of 419L and vehicle fuel equivalent of 130 mpg; and
Twin Motor - a usable 78 kWh lithium-ion battery will offer 0 – 62 times of 4.9 seconds, 112 mph top speeds and 300 kW (or 402hp). And the drivetrain will be AWD. Expect a combined winter range of 200 miles with warmer weather allowing for 265 miles on a full charge. On charging, the 11 kW AC max will allow 8 hour and 30 min 0 – 100% charging times with the 200 kW DC maximum allowing 27 minute 10 – 80% times. This SUV has a volume of 419L and vehicle fuel equivalent of 122 mpg.

In terms of the car shown, the Volvo C40 ESTATE 170kW Recharge Core 69kWh 5dr Auto (Pure Electric Vehicle), this is based on the following configuration:

Metallic Paint - Onyx black
Textile cloth - Charcoal city canvas + carpet and mats
19"" 5 Double Spoke diamond cut/black alloy wheels
Type 2 charging cable (Suitable for Public charging and home wallbox charger – Fast charging)