► The best EVs to lease in 2021
► From small EVs to larger electric cars
► The best deals under £400
Thanks to government grants, modern technology and economies of scale, an EV is an increasingly sensible choice for many motorists – but they’re still a little on the pricey side. But if you’re mostly sold on EVs, but not on handing over a significant amount of cash – an electric car lease might be the best option.
Featuring sensible contract lengths and manageable monthly costs, EV leases give you the chance to experience what it’s like to live with an electric car – without a five or six figure gamble on price. To make things even easier, we’ve compiled a list of top EV leasing deals in the price bracket of £200 to £400 per month from our partner, leasing.com. But first, a few pointers on modern car leasing.
What is car leasing?
What is informally referred to as leasing is formally referred to as a Personal Contract Hire. Car leasing is just like any other lease agreement you may enter - often an upfront Initial rental followed by monthly payments throughout the duration of the lease, which is usually between two and four years. Unlike a Personal Contract Purchase where you can opt to own the car at the end of the contract, for a lease you simply hand the car back to the company you leased it from.
Best car leasing deals £200-£400
Skoda Citigo-e IV
Price per month: £206.90
Initial rental: £620.70
Contract length: 48 months
Annual mileage: 8000
The Volkswagen group has done a small handful of iterations of the Up. Skoda’s Citigo is one of these and the electric version is a real whizz for urban driving. The model on this lease deal has five doors, a peppy 61kW motor and a 37kWh battery to give you about 150 miles worth of range.
The best deal we’ve found for a Skoda Citigo-e is £129.31 on a 48-month contract with an initial rental of £387.93 and a annual mileage limit of 5000.
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Fiat 500e
Price per month: £214.16p/m
Initial rental: £2126.44
Contract length: 48 months
Annual mileage: 5000
Today’s Fiat 500e is one of the most fashionable cars one can get behind the wheel of.
It’s shoebox size makes it a superb city car too, which means it’s as fun to drive as it is to look at.
The model on this lease deal has 70kW of power and a 24kWh battery. Therefore, the 500e’s 100-mile range is perfect for city use.
The best deal we’ve found for a Fiat 500e is £214.16 on a 48-month contract with and Initial rental of £1927.44 and an annual mileage limit of 5,000.
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Read our Fiat 500e review
BMW i3 S
Price per month: £318.45p/m
Initial rental: £2965.05
Contract length: 36 months
Annual mileage: 10,000
The dynamic abilities of the ‘S’ version of BMW’s i3 are undisputable. The i3 S has lower suspension and more power (135kW) than the standard i3, which translates into better handling and more speed.
It’s 42kWh battery gives a range of roughly 170 miles, and the five doors make it highly practical.
The best lease deal we’ve found for a BMW i3 S is £296.50 on a 48-month contract with an Initial rental of £2668.50 and a 5,000 mile-per-year mileage limit.
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Read our BMW i3 S review
Peugeot e-208
Price per month: £298.29p/m
Initial rental: £298.29
Contract length: 48 months
Annual mileage: 5,000
Peugeot’s e-208 is one of the best attempts at a versatile, useable EV we’ve seen so far: pretty, zippy, practical, and graced with decent range. The 50kWh battery gives you well over 200 miles of range and can handle a 100kW DC rapid charging.
The best lease deal we’ve found for a Peugeot e-208 is £298.29 on a 47-month contract with an Initial rental of £397.29 and gives a 5,000 mile-per-year allowance.
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Read our Peugeot e-208 review
MG5 EV
Price per month: £304.15p/m
Initial rental: £1824.90
Contract length: 48 months
Annual mileage: 25,000
The MG5 is a simple, large, and affordable family EV. One of the few. It does what it says on the tin. Like the Peugeot e-208, the MG5 benefits from a range north of 200 miles.
The best lease deal we’ve found on a MG5 is £235.31 on a 48-month contract with an Initial rental of £705.93. And in line with family travel, has a 5,000 mile-per-year mileage allowance.
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DS 3 Crossback E-Tense
Price per month: £366.38p/m
Initial rental: £3396.42
Contract length: 36 months
Annual mileage: 15,000
The first of two crossover-type vehicles here. The DS 3 E-Tense benefits from creative French styling – inside and out. It can handle 100kW DC rapid charging and the 50kWh battery will give 200 miles of range.
The best lease deal we’ve found for a DS 3 Crossback E-Tense is £366.38 on a 36-month contract with an Initial rental of £3396.42 and an annual mileage limit of 15,000.
View all lease offers
Read our DS 3 Crossback E-Tense review
Volkswagen ID.3
Price per month: £398.91p/m
Initial rental: £3590.19
Contract length: 36 months
Annual mileage: 20,000
Volkswagen’s new ID.3 is Golf-sized, albeit a little wider, taller, and shorter. However, the exterior is rather space-age and the interior is quite Scandinavian minimalist. The 62kWh battery offers around 260 miles of range that you can quickly top up with a 100kW DC rapid charger if you wish.
The best lease deal we’ve found for a Volkswagen ID.3 is £293.76 on a 48-month contract with an Initial rental of £2643.84 and a annual mileage limit of 5,000.
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Read our Volkswagen ID.3 review
Citroen e-C4
Price per month: £359.51p/m
Initial rental: £3334.59
Contract length: 36 months
Annual mileage: 20,000
A stylish but family-sized hatchback. This new e-C4 rides higher than the old C4, pulling it into line with the current crossover trend. The 50kWh battery gives 227 miles of range and the 100kW motor has plenty of punch. Put simply, it’s a very likeable car.
The best lease deal we’ve found for a Citroen e-C4 is £292.74 on a 48-month contract with an Initial rental of £1756.44 and a annual mileage limit of 5,000.
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Read our Citroen e-C4 review
Are there any additional costs besides the lease payments?
Yes. You will still need to pay for insurance. In regards to maintenance costs, you will need to pay for these too one way or another – either in usual fashion, or by an additional amount added to the monthly payments.
Despite American author PJ O’Rourke’s claims that the world’s fastest cars are hire cars, don’t think you aren’t liable for excessive damage a lease car incurs while in your possession. At the end of a lease, an assessor will look over the car and judge its wear and tear accordance with the guidelines set by the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association.
Mileage is important too. Leases can be had with different annual mileage limits (for example, 5,000, 10,000, or 25,000 miles per year). The higher the mileage limit you choose, the higher the monthly charges tend to be because more mileage on a car hastens the depreciation, and depreciation is effectively what a lease covers. If you exceed the annual mileage allowance, the lease company will charge you for it when you hand the car back. Unlike wear and tear, excess mileage charges are calculated at the discretion of the leasing company and are applied in pence per mile.
Car leasing deals vary greatly and there will inevitably be one that suits you.