Vantage Leasing Launches Our Electric Vehicle Comparison Tool

Vantage Leasing has launched a new ‘EV comparison’ tool to help motorists identify the right EV option for them.

The vehicle leasing specialist’s interactive database compares key metrics – including range, price and efficiency – and has created its own ranking based on how vehicles fared. And there were some unexpected results.

Currently leading the Vantage Leasing interactive ‘EV Chooser’ ranking is the SKODA CITIGOe IV, which offers the best value for money based on price and range. The Renault Zoe follows the SKODA, while the Audi e-tron 50 Quattro is currently bottom of the table.

Our data recently revealed that it leased more than seven times as many pure electric (EV) and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) last year as it did in 2018, indicating that the shift towards electrification is gathering significant pace.

Premium brand models made up the majority of the new plug-in vehicle contracts. The Range Rover Sport PHEV was the most popular option, accounting for 60% of all plug-in hybrid models. Even more surprisingly, it was also the most popular version of the car, making up 59% of all Range Rover Sport lease contracts in 2019.

BMW Group’s plug-in models performed particularly well. The second-most popular PHEV was the BMW 5 Series, closely followed by the BMW 3 Series and MINI Countryman. Plug-in derivatives accounted for 30% of 3 Series lease contracts and 67% of Countryman contracts.

Other winners included the Volvo XC90, with double the number of Twin-Engine plug-in hybrid models leased in 2019 compared with 2018.

Although full-electric vehicles (EVs) made up a smaller percentage of overall contracts, there was a huge percentage increase in electric car lease contracts year-on-year.

The BMW i3 – one of the most established electric cars on the market – was the biggest winner, accounting for half of all Vantage Leasing’s new EV lease contracts in 2019. Recently launched models were the next most popular choices, in the shape of the Kia e-Niro, Jaguar I-Pace and Tesla Model 3.

The data mirrors the shift towards electrified vehicles seen in the retail market, with recent Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) figures revealing that sales of new EVs increased by 144% during 2019. As charging infrastructure improves and new models with longer range reach the market during 2020, we expects the overall percentage of EVs to increase dramatically.

Our Managing Director, Rob Walker, said: “The new EV Chooser is an excellent way to assess your potential new EV whether you lease or purchase outright. As well as price and range, the interactive database let’s drivers look at efficiency, performance and also our own unique ranking. It goes without say that it has created some intriguing results.

“Our new data on the increasing popularity of plug in vehicles proves the electric revolution has started. We’re excited to be a part of that, and we want to help our customers make the transition as smoothly as possible. That’s why we offer a wide range of EV and PHEV models, and why we created a unique EV chooser tool that helps our customers choose the right EV for them.”