THE improvements in hybrids and the increasing number of models available mean more and more businesses are being tempted to buy.
Not only does it look a good bet from the benefit in kind company car tax point of view but also from the point of view of the economy, with hybrid fuel economy being particularly frugal.
Or is it? Are the running costs /fuel consumption claimed by the manufacturers accurate in real world motoring?
Business car managers need clarity on what they are buying into – and now they can get it.
New labels for plug-in hybrids and pure electric cars have been introduced by the Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) to shed light on the matter.
The new labels indicate running costs for cars which run on electricity, either partially (plug-in hybrid) or totally (pure-EV), over 12,000 miles at assumed fuel and electricity costs.
Official fuel consumption figures for plug-in hybrids assume that a significant proportion is in electric drive, which may or may not be an accurate reflection of real life driving, depending on the usage of the vehicle.
The LowCVP and representatives of the car industry have designed the labels, introducing colour-coded elements – similar to those already on conventional vehicles (but perhaps more familiar from appliances like washing machines) – plus other information which appears under the pre-agreed voluntary commitment by industry.
The mandatory information shown on the new labels is taken from the vehicle certification process, in the same way as for conventional vehicles. But additional information on electricity consumption and electric range is shown on the voluntary section for both electric and plug-hybrid vehicles.
As we all know the cost of electricity keeps increasing so the annual electricity cost also appears on the labels of electric cars.
On the labels of plug-in hybrids both annual fuel and electricity costs are featured to highlight the benefit of driving in full electric mode.
The intention of the labels is to help consumers make more informed choices when buying a new car.
Certainly it allows buyers to do comparisons and work out the best deal.
The new label on a Vauxhall Ampera, for example, shows the total fuel cost over 12,000 miles is £667, made up of £322 of petrol (at £1.39 per litre) and £344 of electricity (at 13.7p/kWh). The VED is £0.
By comparison a Vauxhall Insignia 2.0-litre diesel 130ps Ecoflex stop/start would use £1126.5 worth of diesel based on Vauxhall’s official combined fuel consumption of 67.3mpg. The VED is zero for the first year and then £30pa.
We’ve has been making the case for business car drivers to be given greater clarity in hybrid consumption claim (read more here) and the new label goes a long way to delivering.
