PHEV through company

[Z4MCSL]

So i know there are various posts on this, please do tell me if I should be reading one in particular that already covers this....


I'm looking at switching my car to an electric vehicle owned by my business for tax reasons.

It looks like j can get a PHEV as long as it does 50g/km or less. BUT it also looks like the Electric only mileage has an impact on the relief.

I'm Keem to get PHEV as I dont have a drive so aojldng be able to charge every day (until I manage to get the council to install one)

Any advice on this much appreciated

[oop north]

You didn’t actually ask a question there! You are quite right that range affects the bik tax payable and that keeping emissions below 50g/km is important to keep tax down.

I am not aware of any manufacturer so focussed on decent electric only range PHEVs as BMW - the X5 is something like 50 miles but I don’t know about other models.

One problem with a PHEV is that they are terribly slow to charge - such that I think having a full EV in some ways might be easier than a PHEV if you cannot charge at home - you can use a rapid for occasional charging of an EV whereas you cannot for a PHEV

[Heres Johnny]

Pretty much all manufacturers updated their phevs when the WLTP testing standard came in as that also includes range element, some will be better than others like all things.

Few can DC rapid charge, and AC destination charging can be half the rate of an EV when in a typical single phase charge point, but the battery is much smaller. On a long trip the battery side isn’t going to help much other than giving regen charging and city centre EV driving if used correctly so they’re more akin to the ‘self driving hybrid’ type cars. But if you drive to work 30 miles and back and can charge while there you’d be able to do a lot of that on battery.

[Z4MCSL]

I currently drive about 5 miles to work (London) and so an electric car would make sense but I dont have a charge point and there is not one at work either.

The issue I am having is it looks like the Electric only mileage on PHEVs is really bad so I am not sure it is really going to make sense tax wise, unless I am missing something?

[Heres Johnny]

Z4MCSL said:

I currently drive about 5 miles to work (London) and so an electric car would make sense but I dont have a charge point and there is not one at work either.

The issue I am having is it looks like the Electric only mileage on PHEVs is really bad so I am not sure it is really going to make sense tax wise, unless I am missing something?

You're not missing anything. I believe the WLTP rules were brought in to try and stop the tax dodging PHEVs that did 10 miles but fooled the testing cycle to make it look really efficient, the new rules encouraging increases in real range, and while the range has edged up a little as models change, the reality of the efficiency is now starting to show through. Some cars have thought to just makie it almost a compl;iance car and gone back to their old ways (the BMW 7 series for instance have gone back to a 6 cyclinder engine in the hybrid rather than the more economical but rougher 4 pot which nobody wanted).

I think the changes are also designed to stop people without any means (or intention) to charge which is sounds like you may be (please correct if thats not the case, but a full EV would work for you if you can charge periodically and a 3 pin plug would top you up for your kind of commute easily if one is accessible). as its not the behaviour they're trying to encourage especially as many Phevs are usually worse on emissions when the battery is flat than their lighter and more efficient non phev equivalents.

[aestetix1]

Can't you get a charger installed at home? If you don't have a driveway have you asked the local council about it?

[Z4MCSL]

Yep that makes sense. I appreciate I probably fall smack bang in the category of what the govt do NOT want to encourage. Darn it

I can see if the council can fit a charger but unless I decide to pull the trigger on a MUCH more expensive electric vehicle than I was planning to buy then I think the petrol head in me will become depressed over time. Although it would make a huge amount of sense to just have something like a zoe or leaf to drive to and from work.

I was looking at used BMW i8s but it looks like that would be a fail