LeasePlan's 2020 Car Cost Index

The latest analysis shows that mid-size electric vehicles (EVs) are now more affordable than petrol and diesel cars in the UK, as well as the majority of other countries surveyed. The data also shows that whilst compact EVs are fully cost competitive in nearly half the countries surveyed including the UK, no country currently has cost-competitive EVs in the executive market.

Alfonso Martinez, Managing Director of LeasePlan UK, said:

"The results from our latest Car Cost Index confirm that EVs are no longer a luxury for the few, and are quickly becoming a viable option for all drivers. This is especially true for employees whose employers offer an EV salary sacrifice scheme, which brings down the net cost of driving an EV considerably. This is particularly reassuring in light of recent news that the UK Government is poised to bring forward the date for the ban of sales of new fossil fuel vehicles to 2030 - an ambitious move that we are fully behind.

"The automotive industry is working tirelessly to make electric driving a reality nationwide, but to truly succeed, the Government must uphold its end of the bargain. We need surety of supply post-Brexit, and significant investment in a universal, affordable and sustainable charging infrastructure. Only then will we be able to make a full switch to EV and support the UK's wider effort to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050."

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  EVs in the popular Mid-Size (D2) segment are fully cost competitive compared to internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEs) in the UK and 13 other countries, including: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland
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  EVs in the Compact (C1) segment are fully cost competitive compared to ICEs in the UK along with Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Sweden and Switzerland.
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  The average monthly cost of driving a car varies hugely across Europe, from €491 a month in Hungary to €926 a month in Switzerland
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  Relative to GDP, the total cost of ownership is highest for drivers in Italy and Portugal, and lowest for drivers in Denmark and Sweden
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  Norway and Switzerland are the most expensive places to drive ICE cars. Conversely, electric cars are significantly cheaper than all ICEs in Norway and cheaper than petrol cars in Switzerland
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  Hungary is the cheapest place to drive a petrol car, while Greece is the cheapest place to drive a diesel car

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  The LeasePlan Car Cost Index 2020 is available to download here
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  The 18 countries included in the Car Cost Index are: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom
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  In the 2020 Index, costs are averaged over the first four years of ownership and assume 30,000 km of driving a year. ‘Cost competitive’ is defined for the purpose of the Index as: EVs which are no more than 5% more expensive than their ICE counterparts
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  Due to changes in the car models included, the countries surveyed and the length of ownership assumed, as well as general technological improvements (including more powerful and energy efficient batteries in certain EVs), one-on-one comparisons to last year’s Car Cost Index are not valid
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  According the 2020 Index, the total monthly cost of ownership for the B1 and C1 segments is (data for 18 markets, sorted by EV price):

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  LeasePlan has committed itself to achieving net zero tailpipe emissions from its total fleet by 2030. LeasePlan is also a founding partner of The Climate Group’s EV100 initiative, launched around the UN General Assembly in September 2017

Media contact Jamie Wilson Tel.: 01865 770381 Email: jamie.wilson@wearebottle.com

**About LeasePlan ** LeasePlan is a leader in two large and growing markets: Car-as-a-Service for new cars, through its LeasePlan business, and the high-quality three-to-four-year-old used car market, through its CarNext.com business. LeasePlan’s Car-as-a-Service business purchases, funds and manages new vehicles for its customers, providing a complete end-to-end service for a typical contract duration of three to four years. CarNext.com is a pan-European digital marketplace for high-quality used cars seamlessly delivering any car, anytime, anywhere and is supplied with vehicles from LeasePlan’s own fleet as well as third-party partners. LeasePlan has more than 1.9 million vehicles under management in over 30 countries. With over 50 years’ experience, LeasePlan’s mission is to provide what’s next in sustainable mobility so our customers can focus on what’s next for them. Find out more at www.leaseplan.com/corporate.