The best electric car to lease today

What is the best electric car to lease today?

So how was September in the UK’s car industry? If you read the BBC’s latest on our automotive market, you could be forgiven for presuming it’s all bad news and we are all facing turmoil and strike - “Worst September … this century” says their tag line.

We actually disagree quite strongly with some of the negativity within this article and the suggestions of the bleakness we now face. For us, and many of cohorts in the car leasing industry, we are facing some of the busiest periods to date. The issues caused by COVID-19 have certainly impacted our industry without a doubt.

However, the changes we are seeing are not just down to a pandemic. What you are witnessing is a change in consumer behaviours. The traditional dealership model and PCP-centric approach is changing rapidly, as more “online” solutions are sought by a time-constrained and educated customer.

Now we are not saying its all about car leasing/contract hire; you will have seen the prodigious efforts of Cazoo as they look to make a real impact in the used car online market. Even manufacturers are openly advertising online market solutions, like Mercedes, in an effort to keep up with the growing Amazon culture. But, to be clear, the dealership model is not dead, nor will it ever be. There will just be changes, as multi-model experience centres and demo programmes are likely to feature more heavily along with service and customer service aspects. Grow or go.

Forget the doom and gloom news of September

But is there good news out of the doom and gloom of the BBC’s rhetoric? Well, it seems like there is a little. The author goes on to acknowledge the growth of EVs which, as you will see below (taken from the SMMT), has experienced significant growth, along with PHEV and hybrid solutions.

So are car makers doing this because they are “forced to do so” as the author states? It isn’t just about a political and economic persuasion. The fact is that electric cars make sense - they drive better than a combustion engine, they are cheaper to run, more cost-effective to service and, if we are to reduce air pollution and use of non-renewable fuels, part of a long-term solution.

Just because they are green doesn’t mean they are not fun to drive; take a spin in a Model 3 Performance or Porsche Taycan and you will see that manufacturers are keeping the joys of driving very much alive. Indeed, the Taycan was Porsche's bestselling car in September!

So which EV should me or the business be leasing?

While the team at e-car lease will listen to the customer and provide a solution which meets their needs and requirements, we do have one car which just ticks most of the boxes - the Long Range Tesla Model 3.

Pound for pound this is the best electric car to lease; very much the VW Golf in the world of combustion engines! It’s not the solution for every customer, whether due to budgets or requirements, but we find this fits many of the requirements which customers need - credible ranges, affordable, aesthetically low-key and easy to function.

During September, it was no surprise that this was the best-selling car for our electric lease team. Now the Tesla isn’t perfect, there are still some issues with their processes and the product. Add to that the some customers find them a little under-whelming compared to our functional European styling, i.e. Mercedes and BMW.

However, the Tesla share prices do not lie; the Tesla brand just grows and grows with little signs of slowing down anytime soon. With a more functional Model Y due 2021 and an affordable hatchback to arrive pre-2025, it will be unsurprising if one, or more, manufacturers do not purchase the Tesla car brand and align it with their own.

Tesla Model 3 Saloon Long Range AWD 4dr Auto

In terms of the car shown, the Tesla Model 3 Saloon Long Range AWD 4dr Auto (Pure Electric Vehicle), this is based on the following configuration:

• Midnight Silver Metallic Paint
• Premium material - Black PUR seat
• Premium heated seating and cabin materials throughout including open pore wood décor and two rear USBs
• 18" Aero wheel

As standard the car includes 18” alloys , base autopilot, emergency braking with collision avoidance.

Bluetooth App interface, adaptive cruise control, front and rear parking sensors, park assist camera,

Rear cross traffic camera, traffic sign recognition, BLIS, 15” touchscreen, auto dimming/power-folding and heated side mirrors, DAB radio, navigation, premium audio with 14 speakers and 1 subwoofer, automatic high beam assist, LED headlights, tinted glass sunroof.

Ambient interior lighting, 12-way power adjustable headed front and rear seats, keyless entry and alarm/immobiliser. Apart from some alloy or interior upgrades, there is little you can change with the cars.

On the technical side, company car and business users can note the P11d at £50,989.99 and CO2 at 0g/km. Electric cars emit zero tailpipe emissions. The 88kWh battery delivers  a WLTP range of just under 350 miles, 350ps and 0-62 times of  4.5 seconds.

In terms of charging, a 7kW domestic charger will take 11-12 hours to fully-charge the vehicle  whereas a rapid AC (11kW) will take about 8 hours to do the same.

Plug this into the ultra-rapid 250kW DC and you get 80% power in about 30 minutes! Tesla’s charging infrastructure is second to none. Service intervals on a Tesla are every 24 months or 25,000 miles, whichever lands sooner.

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