Select Car Leasing to expand electric vehicle division

Select Car Leasing has announced an expansion of its electric vehicle division, as interest in green transport continues to soar.

Select launched a dedicated ‘Select Electric’ web presence back in 2019, to prepare for the surge in popularity of hybrid and fully-electric vehicles. That team has now been revamped and the number of specialist staff with a primary focus on battery electric vehicles (BEVs) has doubled.

The company has also expanded its dedicated ‘Electric Vehicles & Energy’ division, to ensure that all company departments, together with leasing consultants, are fully conversant with EVs, charging, electricity tariffs, home and workplace energy generation such as solar panels, and how all of these items work together to save customers money and reduce their carbon footprint.

According to David Lewis, Head of Electric Vehicles & Energy (above), it means around 40 per cent of all leasing consultants at Select are specialists in EV solutions for both personal and business clients.

He said: “We now have two dedicated EV teams at Select, with major expansion in the past few weeks and with further growth anticipated at the beginning of next year.

“For us, we know the direction of travel for the entire leasing industry – and that’s towards electrified vehicles.

“The expansion of the Electric Vehicles & Energy division underlines Select’s commitment to green vehicles.

“After all, EVs and energy are inextricably linked, and leasing consultants are now able to talk about the intricacies of off-peak energy tariffs and home charging in the same way they they’re able to talk about the ‘miles per kWh’ efficiency figures of battery electric vehicles.

“Going forward, this ensures we will be at the forefront of the electric revolution, and in a position to offer our customers the best advice and guidance possible.”

Overall, Select’s pure electric new car sales now account for around a quarter (25%) of all vehicle sales at the company.

Those reported sales are 75% ahead of the broader new car market, according to the latest SMMT (Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders) September data, with registrations for pure BEVs up 14.5% year to date in 2022.

Talking about the huge growth in EVs, Lewis added: “It’s clear that leasing and electric vehicles go hand-in-hand.

“It’s far more risk-free to lease compared to purchasing a brand new car. You are able to drive the latest electric technology and you can take a lease for a two, three or four year period, meaning there’s so much less chance of you being stuck with the wrong electric vehicle.

“Furthermore, with fixed monthly fees you can inflation-proof your vehicle costs for the duration of the lease. Plus, there are significant fuel savings to be had if you charge from home. Leasing and electric cars are a win-win for both the individual and the environment.”

News of the Select Electric division’s expansion comes as Mr Lewis and his team also launched an innovative online fuel calculator, which compares the yearly cost of filling-up a petrol or diesel car with charging an EV.

The tool works out an instant price comparison depending on the user’s mileage. If you cover around 10,000 miles in a year, the tool suggests you could save in excess of £1,000 per year – based on charging your electric vehicle, at home, at the new 34p Energy Price Guarantee rate, compared with a typical petrol or diesel car with a fuel efficiency of around 40 mpg.

Lewis explained: “We hope that the fuel calculator is able to really illustrate the benefits of driving an EV, even with the recent rise in energy prices.

“The figures are, we believe, a very fair reflection of vehicle fuelling costs, based on real-world petrol and diesel prices and MPG figures, and what we think is a conservative estimate of an EV’s efficiency, and based on home charging rather than more expensive public charging.

“Whichever way you look at it, the benefits of leasing an EV are obvious. And because it’s an issue that will affect millions of people, we want to lead from the front.”

The Select Electric Vehicles & Energy team also offers its lease customers £100 off the cost of a range of top home EV chargers, all installed professionally nationwide.

It has also begun to provide lease customers with three months free access to the Zap Map ‘Premium’ service, which brings an array of enhanced features with the popular charge point locator app, including the in-car dashboard via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and the ability to save unlimited filters, route plans and EV models.