Why every EV leasing scheme needs a charging bolt-on

EV salary sacrifice leasing schemes have solved one problem very well: making the cost of getting into an electric car cheaper through pre-tax salary deductions. What they generally have not solved is the cost of running the car once it is on the drive. That gap is where a charging bolt-on belongs.

What EV leasing schemes actually cover

A typical salary sacrifice car scheme bundles the lease, insurance, servicing and sometimes a home chargepoint installation into a single gross salary deduction. It is a genuinely good deal for employees and a well-understood product for employers to procure.

What it almost never includes is the ongoing cost of electricity. Employees are left to pay for charging, at home, at work, or in public, entirely out of taxed income, using whatever tariff, app or card they can find themselves.

Why that is an odd place to stop

The entire pitch of salary sacrifice is turning a cost into a pre-tax deduction so employees pay less overall. Charging is a cost the employee incurs every single week for as long as they run the car, often adding up to more over a typical four-year lease than several of the other bundled extras combined. Leaving it out of the tax-efficient structure is inconsistent with the rest of the scheme.

It also creates a confusing employee experience. Someone who has just been sold "save tax on your car" then has to go and find, compare and pay for charging apps and tariffs entirely on their own, with none of the savings mechanism they were told about.

Why a bolt-on, not a switch

The Charge Scheme is designed specifically to bolt on to any existing EV salary sacrifice or company car scheme. That is a deliberate choice, because switching leasing provider to get a charging benefit is not realistic for most employers who already have contracts, relationships and procurement sign-off in place.

A bolt-on means:

• No renegotiation with your existing leasing provider
• No change to how the car itself is procured or administered
• A charging deduction added as its own payroll line, working the same way any other salary sacrifice item does
• Access to home, workplace and public charging (76,000+ chargepoints) through one app and charge card, powered by Plugsurfing

What it looks like once added

Once bolted on, employees get a single place to charge and pay, whether that is plugging in overnight at home, using a workplace charger, or topping up on a motorway rapid charger during a longer trip. The cost is calculated and passed through payroll as a gross deduction, saving the employee 20 to 50% depending on tax band, the same saving mechanism already familiar from their lease.

For the employer, there is no cost to add: the employer National Insurance saving on the sacrificed amount typically covers the light admin involved, and support and onboarding are handled outside of HR's day-to-day.

Questions to ask your current scheme provider

If you already run an EV salary sacrifice scheme, it is worth checking:

• Does the scheme include any charging benefit today, or only the vehicle?
• If not, is there a way to add one without renegotiating the lease contract?
• Who is responsible for supporting employees with charging queries right now?

More detail on how bolt-on works technically and contractually is on the how it works page, with specifics for fleet and procurement teams managing existing lease relationships.

Next steps

If your EV leasing scheme does not yet include charging, book a demo to see how the bolt-on works alongside your existing provider.