Top 10 best electric company cars

Top 10 best electric company cars

Autocar

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If the lowest possible tax bill is your main criteria, an electric company car is where you need to be looking

When it comes to crunching the numbers and keeping both drivers and fleet managers happy, electric cars are company car kings. Thanks to a rock-bottom, blanket benefit-in-kind rating of just 1% many of these machines can leave their users with an annual tax bill that’ll cost less than a tank of fuel in the average supermini.

That means that if you can get an EV to seamlessly fit into your business and personal life, then having one as a perk of the job really is a no-brainer. Yes some of the more exotic models will require a very generous employer, but there are mainstream models galore that will be much more palatable to the suits in accounts.

One caveat: HMRC is going to raise the bottom rate of tax to 2% for the 2021/2022 tax year. But even then, when tax bills are doubled, these all-electric machines will still be way less costly than their ICE counterparts. So here in no particular order (well alphabetical) are our top 10 electric company cars.

*Ford Mustang Mach-E* - Mustang Mach E RWD

Ford took its time launching its first EV, but in many respects the wait was worth it. Of course purists are up in arms at the use of the legendary Mustang name for a battery-powered SUV, but the Mach-E lives up to its predecessor in terms of performance, while its ride and handling aren’t bad for such a tall and heavy machine. There are 68 and 88kWh battery options, with the latter combining with a 285bhp motor driving the rear wheels to deliver a claimed 379 miles - more than enough for most long haul business meetings. In fact, it’s this specification that makes the most sense for user choosers, as it’s also one of the most cost effective thanks to its 1% BiK rating resulting in a £95 tax bill for lower rate earners.

*Hyundai Ioniq 5* - Ioniq 5 73kWh Premium RWD

Few cars have managed to shake-up the established order quite as much as the eye-catching Ioniq 5. With angular exterior treatment and a spacious interior that clearly takes its cues from minimalist loft living, the Korean machine has put the frighteners on premium rivals. What’s more, the all-electric Ioniq 5 backs it up with a compelling driving experience that melds engaging handling and effortless electric performance with a cosseting ride and superb refinement. Oh, and in top 73kWh battery guise it’ll crack a claimed 298 miles on charge. Of course for business users it’ll be the 1% BiK that catches their eye, with tax bills as low as £74. However, we’d sacrifice another tenner for that 73kWh battery in 215bhp rear-wheel drive Premium trim.

*Jaguar i-Pace* - i-Pace EV400 SE

One of our favourite EVs, the Jaguar i-Pace stole a march on established rivals when it beat them all to the EV punch. Not only was it the first upmarket all-electric SUV, it was and is one of the best, particularly from behind the wheel. Despite its high-riding stance the i-Pace handles with the agility and involvement of something half its size, while its muscular twin-motor set-up channels 395bhp through all four-wheel for rapid acceleration. It’s also beautifully finished and spacious inside, with the latest Pivi-Pro infotainment keeping you better connected on the move. Better still, it’ll crack 292 miles on a charge, while as a company car it’ll cost higher rate earners as little as £261 in tax. That said, we’d probably ‘splash out’ on £279 for the more lavishly equipped SE.

*Kia e-Niro* - e-Niro 2 64kWh

You’re not going to turn many heads in the corporate car park with the Kia e-Niro, but the bland-looking Korean machine will certainly keep your fleet manager happy. You’ll quite like it too, even if it fails to get the adrenaline pumping when you’re behind the wheel. Yes with 201bhp (there’s also a less powerful 134bhp version) there’s brisk and instant acceleration, but the handling is precise and predictable rather than agile and uplifting. Better instead to take it easy and enjoy the roomy cabin and decent refinement, as well as the top 64kWh model’s impressive 282 mile range between charges. Well-equipped 2 gets all the kit you’ll need, while its 1% BiK banding results in a £70 tax bill, which is only £4 more than the 39kWh battery with its far less useful 180 mile range.

Mercedes EQC - EQC400 4MATIC Sport

For most thrusting executives looking for a set of business wheels to impress, then a large SUV with a Mercedes badge should do the trick nicely. The EQC is the German firm’s first crack at an EV and it’s a strong debut effort. With soft air suspension and hushed refinement it’s more for cruising than carving out shapes on a twisting back road, yet there’s enough poise and grip for when you want to go hard, while its twin-motor layout serves-up a respectable 402bhp. It’s also spacious and packs one of the most alluring interiors in the business. You’ll need an understanding fleet manager to stump up the £65,000 for the entry-level Sport, but with a BiK of 1% even higher rate earners will only be facing a nominal tax bill of £263.

*MINI Electric* - MINI Electric Level 2

With its 144 mile range you won’t be attending many far flung business conventions in the MINI Electric, at least not without plenty of planning. Yet if your patch is closer to home or you're simply commuting, then the battery-powered Brit is a hugely entertaining option. Handling with the same hyperactive appetite for fun as its internally combusted cousins and powered by a punchy 181bhp motor, the MINI is a real giggle to hustle down your favourite back roads. It’s also beautifully finished inside and, firm ride aside, reasonably relaxing when you just want to cruise. It’s also easy on your pay packet, that 1% BiK meaning a modest £57 tax bill for a lower rate earner, which rises to £61 for the more generously equipped Level 2 version.

*Porsche Taycan* - Taycan

If you want to have the rest of the corporate car park green with envy, then look no further than this Porsche. Arguably the best EV currently available, the Taycan is every bit as brilliant to drive as the firm’s ICE offerings, yet for company directors looking to save a packet in tax it’s also as cost effective as a supermini. Like all EVs it’s rated at 1%, which means even the outrageously fast 751bhp Turbo S will cost higher rate taxpayers back just £557 in salary sacrifice (for a Panamera Turbo S they’d face a £20,304 bill!). For most the standard 402bhp Taycan (£336 for tax) will be just the ticket, especially as with the optional Performance Battery Plus it claims 301 miles on a charge.

*Skoda Enyaq iV* - Enyaq iV 80

Underpinned by the same bespoke MEB EV architecture as the VW ID3, but with a typically Skoda twist of providing more space for less cash, the Enyaq is one of our favourite electric cars. It’s not a born entertainer, but it’s extremely easy-going with, with excellent refinement, a controlled ride and an interior that surpasses its more expensive VW and Audi siblings for upmarket appeal. There’s a choice of 58 (badged 60) and 77kWh (80) batteries, with the former being the most cost effective for business users. Yet all are rated at 1%, so even the pricier 80 will cost a lower rate taxpayer just £86 in salary sacrifice, yet will deliver a claimed range of 331 miles.

*Tesla Model S* - Model S Long Range

Tesla’s current success in the UK can partly be attributed to the Model S’s success as a popular choice with well-heeled user-choosers. Back when fully electric cars were zero rated for tax and the American machine was priced at the same level as a generously specified BMW 5 Series, the Tesla was a no-brainer for those that could live with an EV. An increase in BiK taxes (and then a reduction to current 1% rate) and the ever-increasing price of the Model S have meant it’s not quite as attractive now, but if your company can stomach the £95,980 price of the entry-level car, then you’ll get a car that’ll cost a higher rate earner just £384 in tax yet will crack 405 miles on a charge. Neck-snapping acceleration aside it’s rather one-dimensional dynamically, it's roomy, relaxing and now has a far more tightly built interior and that massive 17-inch infotainment screen.

*Tesla Model 3* - Model 3 Long Range

The Model 3’s rise to become one of Britain’s best-selling cars has been rapid and partly fuelled by its success as a first choice motor for corporate go-getters. Taking over where the Model S left off, the less pricey model mixes the same compelling blend of performance and long range with a similarly spacious and tech-laden interior. Yet it also throws in some genuine driver engagement, feeling far more alert and up for a laugh than any of the brand's other models. The line-up is simple, with the standard RWD at one end and the 449bhp at the other. The four-wheel drive Long Range provides the sweet spot, being almost as fast yet capable of 360 miles on a charge, yet landing standard rate earners with a BiK bill of just £97.

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