MG Motor UK ZS ELECTRIC HATCHBACK 105kW Exclusive EV 45kWh 5dr Auto

Are our Government doing enough to support businesses transfer to electric cars? Are manufacturers ready?

Thank you to the Chorley Group for allowing us to photograph their fleet demonstrator – the brand-new electric MG ZS. We were both in attendance at a recent Go Electric! Event at Manchester City Stadium where suppliers and businesses had the opportunity to discuss upcoming changes across the region as part of the “Clean Air Zones” and emissions targets.

These events provide some information on cars, vans, bikes and charging solutions so that businesses can start to plan their fleet changes over the next few years. There are a number of dates/targets being publicised in the press for example by 2040 all new cars/vans must be zero emissions and by 2030 up to 70% of cars must be ultra-low emissions.

What customers need to be aware of is there are genuine pure electric options available to lease or buy, because customers are still unfamiliar with the choices and there is some notion that there isn’t any product available to fulfil the market requirements.

What electric cars can I lease now?

While the volume of vehicles increasing, customers can currently enjoy a number of cars including:

• VW e-golf
• VW e-UP
• Hyundai Ioniq Electric
• Tesla Model 3
• Tesla Model S
• Tesla Model X
• Mini Electric
• Nissan Leaf
• Nissan e-nv200 combi
• Vauxhall Corsa E
• Peugeot 208e
• MG ZS Electric
• Mercedes EQC
• Audi E-Tron
• Renault Zoe
• Hyundai Kona
• BMW i3
• Jaguar I Pace
• Kia E-Niro
• DS3 E-Tense
• Smart FourFour
• Porsche Taycan

What electric cars are due during 2020?

During 2020 we will see the addition of some further options including:

• Tesla Model Y
• Tesla Roadster
• Polestar 2
• VW ID
• Ford Mustang
• Ford Mustang Mach-e
• BMW I4
• Audi E-Tron Sportback

However, we do need to offer some patience to manufacturers as many of their factories and historic investment has been into petrol and diesel combustion engines. This means that the change across to electric will take some time and will involve some significant cost. As such, some of the electric drivers of 2018 and 2019 are very much early adopters and are highlighting to the rest of the public some of the options available to them. By 2022, we should see more than enough small, medium and large electric cars for personal and business drivers alike.

So is the Government going to help you to get an electric car? Are they helping manufacturers to sell these vehicles?

On one side, you will be aware of Clean Air Zones and emissions based charges for entering certain cities. These will all be in full swing during 2020/21, and some businesses are feeling that this is nothing more than a further tax on their operation. However, to help combat this there are some basic incentives in place to help you procure a vehicle:

• A plug-in grant of £3500 for cars which emit less than 50g/km of CO2 and can travel 70 miles without any emissions.
• A driver of an electric car will not pay any Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) or Road Tax as it is known.
• Personal and business drivers will receive a grant of up to £500 for the installation of an electric charge point.
• Cars will be exempt from the emissions and clean air zone charging.
• Company car tax – any business users will enjoy 0% BiK from April 2020.

For some businesses it is about looking at the whole life costs by comparing the petrol/diesel car for lease rentals/maintenance/fuel/insurance/company car tax versus the electric car options. While some businesses are resistant to commit, as they see the higher lease rentals for the electric car options, you do need to consider the bigger picture.

If you are regularly commuting in and out of a city which will be applying charges, you soon conclude that you have to make changes to fleet behaviours. While some drivers are concerned about range, many of the new vehicles coming through are offering real world ranges of 200 to 250 miles; in the case of the Tesla this is already 300 miles+. If you have access to a charge point at home or work, it is fairly obvious this will cover some of the higher mileage drivers.

2020 will see new vehicles, both cost-effective and luxury, hit the UK market. With RVs standing strong, you will see changes in customer behaviours towards electric vehicles. Our key advice for choosing the next electric vehicle – test drive one! If you are based in and round Manchester or Liverpool, we have a small electric fleet you are welcome to try for yourself.

Standard equipment for the MG ZS

In terms of the car shown, the MG Motor UK ZS ELECTRIC HATCHBACK 105kW Exclusive EV 45kWh 5dr Auto (Pure Electric), this is based on the following configuration:

• Pimlico blue
• Metallic Paint
• Synthetic leather - Grey with contrast stitching
• 17" Diamond cut alloy wheels

As standard the car includes rain sensing wipers, solar reflect windscreen, hill launch assist, regenerative braking assist, android auto/apple car play, Bluetooth, 3 driving modes, adaptive cruise control, Blind Spot Detection, lane keep assist, lane departure warning system, rear parking camera, rear parking sensors, 8” touch screen, traffic jam assist, body coloured externals, electric/folding/heated door mirrors, navigation, DAB radio, auto headlights, follow me home headlights, LED daytime running lights, air conditioning, leather steering wheel;, synthetic leather upholstery, emergency braking, 60/40 split folding seats, 6-way adjustable driver seat, heated front seats, 17” alloys, keyless entry and push button, superlocking and an alarm system/immobiliser. For simplicity, there are no manufacturer options to add to the electric MG.

Technical data on the electric MG SUV

On the technical side, company car and business users can note the P11d at £30,985.00 and CO2 at 0g/km. The 44.5kWh lithium-ion battery will deliver up to 163 miles on a full charge. The car will deliver 143ps and 0-62 times of 8.5 seconds. Service intervals are every 12 months or 15,000 on an electric ZS. In terms of charging times, the car offers Type 2 and CCS capabilities – for a 7kW home charger this will charge in circa 5-6 hours whereas a DC rapid charger of 50kW will achieve this in under 1 hour.

So would the electric SUV MG ZS be your select leasing option? Or would you be waiting for the Tesla Model Y?

Browse our latest MG offers