THE car tax changes on 1 April, introducing Expensive Car Supplement (ECS) and Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) fees to electric vehicles (EV) for the first time, marked big changes for every UK motorist. Yet for teachers, the news bolsters the effects of the government’s withdrawal of the Electric vehicle (EV) salary sacrifice scheme for academy trusts that took place last summer, making it seem trickier than ever to afford an EV.
Previous government funding of £3million means that more than 1,400 EV charging sockets have been installed at UK schools and colleges – but without cash incentives to make buying a car more accessible, it could undo the positive steps the scheme made towards enabling a more sustainable motoring future.
Daniel Briggs, CEO at specialist car discount provider for teachers, Motorfinity, explains how the education workforce, comprising millions of people, can still benefit from access to discounted EVs, keeping up the momentum towards EV ownership that’s been building for years:
“It’s disappointing to hear that the EV Salary Sacrifice Scheme for teachers has been paused. And as we enter the new tax year, with lots of new changes affecting EVs to prepare for, it puts the effects of withdrawing the financial support into clear focus.
“According to the Department for Education, the median pay for a UK teacher is £43,801, with a starting salary of just over £31,000. If you consider then that EVs range from around £30,000 to £40,000, then it’s easy to see why without the EV Salary Sacrifice Scheme, owning an EV could become trickier to justify for lots of people. Working on that salary figure of £44,000, someone buying a £30,000 car through a salary sacrifice scheme could have saved around £1-2,000 annually.
“These salary sacrifice schemes go a long way towards helping more people to own vehicles like this, but it’s not the only option. If anyone was considering making the move to an EV – whether that’s to save the planet, benefit from lower running costs, or to stay ahead of the curve, I’d encourage you to shop around to find any discounts you could be eligible for due to the industry you work in, or where you work.”
By working with most of the UK’s leading manufacturers, including Toyota, Lexus, Peugeot, and SEAT, Motorfinity customers can access exclusive discounts of up to £11,000 on selected electric and hybrid vehicles—such as up to £6,000 off a Ford Puma Gen-e Electric Hatchback and up to £11,000 off an Audi Q4 e-tron Sportback.
To learn more about the latest deals on new cars, including electric and hybrid vehicles for teachers, visit the Motorfinity website.
