VANARAMA said it plans to provide EV leasing customers FREE electric vehicle home charge points.
The scheme, which will initially run for one month from today (July 9) until August 4, has been developed in partnership with provider ChargedEV.
The offer is designed to support the UK Government’s Net-Zero commitment and will help provide a financial stimulus and to encourage the transition to electric car leasing as a more environmentally friendly and viable option.
Vanarama Chief Executive Andy Alderson said: “We’re seeing a huge consumer shift in the automotive industry away from ownership and towards usership.
“Car leasing is the great enabler for our customers to keep up with the pace of change. We know that one of the key reasons consumers hesitate about making the change to EV is the access to charging points, our home charge point offer will remove this obstacle and make leasing an electric vehicle more accessible for our customers.”
The Smart+ home charge points, which will be supplied and fitted by ChargedEV, will feature A 7kW output, programmable charge times and load balancing which will deliver a simple and effective solution for customers.
Supported by the Kaluza data intelligence app using AI and machine learning to optimise smart home devices for a more flexible and resilient energy system, the Smart+ is feature rich and future-proofed to ensure customers can get the very best from their home charging experience.
Paul Kirby, Head of EV at Vanarama, added: “Statistics show that where off street parking is available, over 80% of charging will be done at home. But it is also clear from research and feedback that one of the concerns people have about moving to an electric vehicle is how easy it is to charge and the cost of installing a charge point.
“We hope our offer will make this happen seamlessly and simply for our customers.”
It is estimated that over 350,000 homes will be fitted with electric vehicle chargers by 2025 as plug-in car uptake surges, according to installer of high-end home charging points, Andersen.
By 2025, an expected one million electric vehicles will be registered on UK roads bringing with it a spike in the number of home chargers.
Analysis of sales trends by Andersen has found that 362,270 wall boxes could be installed in UK driveways and garages over the next five years based on current installation rates, adding to the current crop of 120,000.
Andersen predicts this year will be a tipping point for electric vehicle uptake, following January sales that were four times as high as the same period last year.
The electric vehicle market grew by 132% in the year to May 2020, compared to a 66% drop in petrol vehicles, and a 54% drop in diesel, over the same period; triggered by the Government’s announcement in February that all petrol and diesel cars would be banned in the UK by 2035.
The low emissions charge is set to continue as the number of electric models on the market is predicted to rise from 60 to over 176 by the end of 2020. Recent changes to the UK vehicle excise duty system saw electric vehicles become exempt from benefit-in-kind tax, further enhancing their appeal for fleet buyers.
The EV market has demonstrated resilience in the new COVID-19 environment, illustrated by Andersen logging its record trading day in June 2020.
Despite this, battery-electric vehicles and PHEVs have both increased year-on-year sales over the first quarter, a story mirrored across the globe, as one in seven new cars in Europe no longer just has a combustion engine.
Jerome Faissat, Commercial Director of Andersen, said: “As we move towards a new normal in the wake of the coronavirus, we’ve seen clear evidence that people want to change their habits so that they can move forward in a way that is more mindful.
“Over the past three months, pollution has fallen in our cities and we’ve enjoyed the cleanest air we’ve had in decades, and it’s inspired many to rethink the way they get around. We’re seeing people vote with their feet – as they make the switch to an electric car, bike or scooter.”
