Taking your Florist business electric with your next new car or van like the BMW iX1 Car Lease

The BMW iX1 Electric Car Lease - Taking your Florist business electric

The push into electric transport, cars and vans, is very much underway. While we await the SMMT  statistics for September 2024, we were intrigued to see a mix of stories surrounding this controversial subject.

One of the recent headlines is the confirmation that electric cars will need to pay vehicle tax, in the same way as petrol and diesel options with the exception of the NHS, police and fire service who do qualify for the exemption. Road fund licence / VED, is an element which is part of the running cost of your vehicles and is linked to the emissions and vehicle value.

The more polluting and expensive your car is, the more your costs will be. In particular, for a vehicle with a list price in excess of £40,000, an “expensive car supplement” will apply. Electric vehicles which are registered before April 2025 are exempt but any registered on, or after, 1 April 2025 will be liable to the extra payment. 

If you take another recent news headline at face value - “I regret buying our family an electric car” - one may be wondering why they would even consider taking their floristry business into lithium battery technology. The article denoted the experience of a journalist’s electric lifestyle with the Jaguar I-Pace, which was one of the UK’s first all-electric products. Synthesising the article into the key arguments, the issues with an EV is:

•  Public charging is a problem everywhere /anywhere;
• Charging at home, without a driveway, is a difficult and laborious process;
•  Range is an issue, for example going from London to Scotland (hypothetically in the case of the writer);
•  Vehicle theft; and
•  Reliability.

If the article had a semblance of truth, or accuracy, we would probably consider liquidating our business and transferring back into petrol and diesel vehicles only. Indeed, we might even consider appealing to the Labour Government to ensure that the ZEV Mandate is overturned, so to prevent the 2035 transition to a zero-emission UK fleet.

But that isn’t the case and we are still confident that small businesses can enjoy an array of electric vehicles like the BMW iX1. Moving into a BEV does necessitate some additional thought and preparation, which we do not hide away from during the sales process.

Range of an electric car should be viewed in conjunction with your annual mileage. Businesses such as the local florist, are likely to cover a steady number of miles in stop/start driving behaviours. We also appreciate that there are those involved with weddings, conferences and events who may require a vehicle capable of longer commutes, including higher speed motorway journeys.

It is no secret that an EV does not perform on a consistent range, regardless of external temperature or driving style. Indeed, the colder climates and high-speeds will more heavily tax the range capability of your vehicle. This is why our EVC™ and our website details the divergences between the various conditions and influencing factors. It is always a balanced argument, with the stop/start delivery nature of florist-esque companies likely to benefit from the enhanced performance.

Charging, if properly prepared for, is not always an onerous aspect of an EV. When you have access to workplace or domestic charge points, you can quite easily charge your EV overnight or even during the working day with a 0 - 100% charging session likely to be a 6 - 10 hour endeavour.

Every EV will charge in accordance with a) its battery capacity; and b) its charging power / capability, so do not jump to conclusions on generic media statements. Most domestic or commercial charge points will be the standard 7.4kW unit but in some cases the 11kW or 22kW will be available.

This is why understanding your vehicle before it is delivered, in conjunction with the advice of a reputable electrician / charge point installation company is paramount. It is not fair, or accurate, to say that charging is problematic, with many small businesses and households able to overcome the basics of charging fairly easily.

Plus the public domain is very much an evolving landscape in a positive way. It is true to critique the UK from our humble beginnings some 10 years ago, with an absence of formidable infrastructure. However, the team over at Zap Map are reporting monthly on the improvement within our network .

From August 2024, we recorded some 68,000+ devices in 35,000+ locations, with nearly 1,500 added in August 2024. Between motorway services, leisure centres, supermarkets and key destinations, attitudes to investment and improvements are changing rapidly.

For car manufacturers, like BMW, this provides the confidence to continue to create robust and functional vehicles. The iX1 is a key small SUV which offers practicality and comfort to our personal and business leasing customers. Choose between the:

•  Sport - from £46,205 this includes LED headlights, automatic tailgate, BMW Live cockpit plus, navigation, air conditioning, parking assistant with park distance control and reversing camera, cruise control and the lights package;

•  xLine - from £48,205 this adds the 18” aero alloys, aluminium exterior trim, luxury instrument panel, heated fronts seats and Veganza perforated black upholstery; and 
• M Sport - from £50,955 this adds the curved display, 18” Bicolour alloys, sport seats, M Sport leather steering wheel, M Adaptive Suspension and anthracite headlining.  

And how does the electric iX1 perform?

•  iX1 20 - this has a usable battery of 64.7kWh which offers 150 kW (201hp), top speeds of 106 mph and 0-62 times of 8.3 seconds. Real-world ranges suggest a combined 205 miles in colder weather with warmer temperatures to allow for 280 miles (on a full charge). The 11kW AC allows for 0-100% charging times of 7 hours with the 128kW DC enabling 10-80% in 30 minutes. The iX1 currently has no Bidirectional charging. It has a 150 mpg equivalent, 490L cargo volume and offers towing capacities of 750kg (braked and unbraked). There is no heat pump on this EV; and 

•  iX1 30 - this has a usable battery of 64.7kWh which offers 150 kW (201hp), top speeds of 112 mph and 0-62 times of 5.6 seconds. Real-world ranges suggest a combined 195 miles in colder weather with warmer temperatures to allow for 270 miles (on a full charge). The 22kW AC allows for 0-100% charging times of 3 hours and 30 mins with the 128kW DC enabling 10-80% in 30 minutes. The iX1 currently has no Bidirectional charging. It has a 147 mpg equivalent, 490L cargo volume and offers towing capacities of 750kg (unbraked) and 1200kg (braked). There is no heat pump on this EV.

In terms of the car shown, the BMW iX1 ELECTRIC ESTATE 230kW xDrive30 M Sport 65kWh 5dr Auto, this is based on the following configuration:

•  Space silver Metallic Paint
• M Alcantara/Veganza combination upholstery - Black/Blue With contrast stitching
•  18" M double spoke bicolour midnight grey diamond polished alloy wheels
•  Aluminium mesh effect interior trim with pearl chrome highlights

Need more help and advice on your new BMW iX1? Just get in touch with our team on 01942 910 001 or by emailing us at [email protected]