I've just leased a Kia Soul EV through Drive Electric (
http://www.drive-electric.co.uk/). It's an arm of Fleetdrive, a vehicle leasing company that has been around for 22 years.
The experience has made me think it could help a lot of people get on a Zero that otherwise wouldn't consider it for financial reasons. Leasing is already proving an effective method of enabling people to drive electric cars, so why not bikes?
Bearing in mind you get a new vehicle when leasing, the rates seem really good. I've always thought you're paying for the depreciation with these deals. There is an element of that for sure, but
I also think there are some efficiencies going on when it comes to leasing, which helps make it more financially viable. The owner is the leasing company who can reclaim the VAT (sales tax). Therefore the vehicle only costs the company 10,000 instead of the 12,000 that it would cost a private buyer. The monthly lease cost will have VAT, but a much lower amount over the two or three year lease compared to the full purchase.
I also think that leasing companies manage to strike better deals with manufacturers than individuals and some of this saving helps keep the lease rates down.
How would you feel about leasing your next bike?
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Topic: Could leasing boost Zero's sales? (Read 528 times)