How does a personal customer or business apply for a used EV lease

Used EV Lease - How does a personal customer or business apply?

The Government is a big driver behind the electrification of our fleet. Whether personal customer, business or salary sacrifice, your route into a new or used EV is influenced heavily by the political powers.

This has come in the shape of the ZEV Mandate (dictating the volume of zero-emission vehicles you can sell), electric car grants (ECG) which are now assisting the car manufacturers to sell EVs inline with the mandate and other taxation benefits like the BiK position for zero-emission vehicles. However, many stakeholders and groups, like our EVA partners , are calling for more.

There have been suggestions of zero interest loans for used EVs, energy / charging support, charging assistance for terraced houses and flats or more education and positive information to help car dealerships and leasing / fleet companies sell or lease the vehicles.

To help demonstrate this commitment to the electrification mission, the Government have formally announced further measures in the form of charging / planning permission.  As the publication suggests, red tape will be cut to allow those potential EV drivers without a driveway to access charging at home. Home charging, which brings cheaper overnight tariffs, is probably one of the main reasons for private customers to go electric.

For those who cannot access a charge point at home, this is a big incentive which is unattainable. As you will see on our e-car website, the cost for charging your usable battery is dictated to you by the underlying cost of energy (shown as pence per kWh). If you can procure an overnight tariff on your home charger, this dramatically cuts the cost. A supporting tariff will be over half the price of a standard domestic tariff and a tenth of public charging on a rapid charger.

Announced on 29 October 2025, the Government are now looking to remove unnecessary planning permission for those residents using cross-pavement solutions.  With companies now able to utilise gullies to run charging cables from the home into your vehicles, drivers without access to off-road charging solutions now have an alternative to review.

Going further, the Government are working with Ofgem to ensure public energy costs are more fair and also protect against landowners overcharging tenants for home charging above the market rate. A consultation will soon be launched with the industry, so the Government can ascertain exactly how this can be implemented.

On the surface it appears the Government are ready to make the UK the number 1 EV country in Europe but this will depend very much on the delivery of this programme. With various stakeholders able to assist in this endeavour, we hope that they listen to the practical advice being proffered to help more customers access the joys of EV driving.

However, accessing used-EVs will take more than just cheaper charging (we understand this). There are other metrics to consider such as lease cost, vehicle warranties, battery warranties and of course the application process.  While it is a great marketing ploy just to say "click here and access our deals" we do understand there is a little bit more to it.

Personal or Business lease, you do have the opportunity to browse hundreds of  used-electric cars  in stock  . You can select one, or more, which meets your budgetary criteria. With used leasing you can choose a term of 12 month - 48 months, select a mileage of between 5,000 - 20,000 and alter the initial rental / deposit to what you or the business requires.

Since contract hire is a usership based product, you never own the car; this is simply collected at the contract end. With that in mind there are no residual value or depreciation concerns. As these are funder-maintained, all the servicing, tyres, maintenance and breakdown are included for the term. You just insure and fuel the vehicle through an EV charge point.

So anyone can apply for a used EV lease?

To be clear this is still a credit-based product. For individuals you will complete a credit application with the broker (like e-car) and provide details about yourself, your 5-year address history, 3-year employment history, bank details and answer some key queries around existing car loans / leases and any expected circumstance changes. 

Credit is centred around your history (willingness to pay) and income / expenditure (ability to pay). With FCA regulation underpinning our industry, getting a solution which meets your needs and requirements is fundamental to us and the lenders.

For businesses, the core underwrite is on the business using details from Companies House and other resources. In most cases, the minimum trading period is 2 years (not 2 years accounts) and the credit history of the directors is gently considered too. The value of the lease, which is often determined by the vehicle value, is key to this analysis.  In both PCH and BCH cases, use our used electric car lease guide to help you understand if this right for you.

With lots of great new and used EVs now available like the Smart #1 shown here, our experts are more than ready to assist.

Want to know more about new or used electric vehicles?

Head to our dedicated  used electric car lease special offers  section or speak to our experts directly on 01942 910 001 or by emailing us at [email protected]