Author: bouncedevelop

A salary sacrifice arrangement is an agreement to reduce an employee’s entitlement to cash pay, in return for a non-cash benefit. Vehicles are available via such schemes under current HMRC regulations, along with other products like childcare and bicycles.

In exchange for your staff members agreeing to sacrifice a proportion of their salary, the company is able to provide them with an electric vehicle as a company car. 

The colleague will be required to pay income tax on the benefit in kind of the vehicle – although the amounts are negligible.

The vehicle will be provided inclusive of the cost of maintenance and can also include insurance products to protect the risk.

Schemes can be tailored to suit any business, group of employees and include rules of how the scheme is set up and contracts are offered.

Why Salary Sacrifice.

Low Monthly payments

By taking advantage of the tax benefits, the monthly payments can reduce by as much as 55%

No credit checks

For employees there are no checks as everything is done through the employer. You simply pay your employer each month from your salary, before tax.

No Deposit

No upfront deposit or delivery charges, you simply start paying monthly amounts after taking delivery of your new EV.

Flexible Payment options

With options running from as low as 12 months and up to four years, you are able to take a car for as long as you like, in addition you are able to select the mileage to suit, from 5000 miles a year up to 30,000 miles per year. It’s all up to you.

Servicing and Maintenance

This is all included, servicing, tyres, brakes…. everything, no hidden costs.

Charging

The right solution for your situation and vehicle of choice can be found through Bounc-e’s selective partnerships. Any additional cost for a home charger, can also be added to your scheme so you make more savings.

Insurance

Bounc-e offers fully comprehensive insurance in your company’s scheme, but the great news is that this is also deductible against tax if included.

It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3

1

 Employers join our scheme at no cost and we look after all the paperwork.

2 

Employees learn about EVs, browse the huge range of EVs available and choose the right car.

3

Employers and employees save money, on tax and national insurance, and contribute to NetZero and cleaner air for all.

At Bounc-e EV, we are able to facilitate Early Termination insurance into your Salary Sacrifice Scheme if required. The details below provide an overview. 

Salary Sacrifice: Corporate Early Termination Insurance

Provided by Virtual Insurance Products Ltd

Type of Insurance 

Corporate Early Termination Insurance is available to employers providing an employer-backed salary sacrifice scheme for Pure Electric Vehicles and Hybrid Electric Vehicles. It is an insurance contract purchased by an employer which is designed to protect the business against early termination charges applied by a lender if a Contract Hire Agreement for a vehicle made available to an employee via salary sacrifice is terminated early due to certain insured risks. This document is intended to provide you with an overview of the cover. This type of insurance will typically provide cover for the duration of the Contract Hire Agreement for the vehicle provided to an employee under a salary sacrifice scheme. 

The cover: 

Early Termination Insurance provides the following cover: 

Accidental Death: If the Contract Hire Agreement is terminated because of the Accidental Death of a driver (employee) this policy can pay the Termination Charge applied by the leasing company. Cover will not apply if this occurs within the first three months of the vehicle being delivered. 

Loss of Licence: If the Contract Hire Agreement is terminated because of a driver’s (employee’s) driving licence being withdrawn for medical reasons by the issuing authority this policy can pay the Termination Charge applied by the leasing company. Cover will not apply if this occurs within the first three months of the vehicle being delivered. 

Resignation: If the Contract Hire Agreement is terminated because of a driver (employee) resigning, this policy can pay the early termination charge applied by the leasing company. Cover will not apply if this occurs within the first 3 months of the vehicle being delivered. 

Instalment Protection Benefit: In the event a driver (employee) takes Maternity, Paternity or Adoption Leave for more than 30 days and for each subsequent qualifying month up to a maximum period of 12 months this policy can pay the leasing company on the driver’s behalf the monthly rental (including maintenance and VAT) to which the Contract Hire Agreement refers up to a maximum of £10,000. Cover will not apply if this occurs within the first 9 months of the vehicle being delivered. 

A maximum claim limit of £25,000 per vehicle applies. Full terms and conditions will be provided by Virtual Insurance Products Ltd. 

How to obtain more information and a quotation? 

• Virtual Insurance Products Limited can contact you to discuss your requirements. For GDPR purposes just let your Leasing Broker know that you consent to your contact details being provided to us 
• Call Virtual Insurance Products Ltd on 01803 849031 ask for Andy Eaton and quote reference BounceETI2302. 

Virtual Insurance Products Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Our Financial Services Register No: 307038 and this can be checked on the FCA website: https://register.fca.org.uk/s/ 

If you require Fully Comprehensive Insurance to cover the vehicles taken under your bespoke Salary Sacrifice Scheme, then we are able to introduce you to a market leader in this area. Furthermore, we have partnered with them so the premiums will form part of the salary deduction, leading to even greater savings.

Below, in addition to some FAQs, are the eligibility criteria and the terms of cover.

FAQs

Can you fix the premium for up to 48 months, regardless of accidents? 

Yes.

Is the premium protected throughout the term of the lease, even if I have accidents or convictions?

Yes. The premium will remain the same, regardless of claims or convictions (unless you are banned from driving).

Can I pay the premium monthly?

Yes – our price includes paying monthly. This allows additional tax savings.

Does the policy include business use that will be acceptable to my employer?

Yes – it is included free of charge.

Can I add business use for my spouse/civil partner?

Yes – as long as their occupation is acceptable to us (98% are) then it can be added free of charge.

Can I add other drivers onto the policy?

Yes – you can have a maximum of three named drivers (including yourself). Additional drivers cost no extra, as long as they are the same age or older than you.

Does the policy recognise that I am not the owner or registered keeper?

Yes

Is the policy HMRC-approved, to enable the significant Sal Sac Tax savings?

Yes – all handled by your lease partner and LLG.

If I move address or change my mileage, then will the premium change?

No

Has the policy been designed to meet the demands and needs of a corporate sal sac scheme, including possible health and safety and duty of care risk?

Yes

Will they rate on the drivers age, postcode and car group to keep the pricing competitive and fair?

Yes

Will the main user earn a no-claims bonus?

Yes – they will get a letter written in a way that almost all retail insurers have and will accept.

Why is sal sac Insurance more expensive than normal car insurance?

Around 21% of drivers will make a claim on their salary sacrifice car insurance policy over the lifetime of their lease, compared to around 8% of people who make a claim on their car insurance policy a year.

Eligibility

– All drivers must be between 18 and 75 years of age (a maximum age of 78 at the end of contract) 

– All drivers must hold a full licence from the UK, EU, EEA or one of the following countries: Andorra, Australia, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Falkland Islands, Faroe Islands, Hong Kong, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, USA or Zimbabwe 

– All drivers must be a permanent UK resident
– No more than two category ‘A’ convictions disclosed and no more than one FAULT claim per driver disclosed in the last 3 years
– Claims or category ‘A’ convictions over three years old from the car delivery date are. acceptable. Convictions that are shown below in red, which are over five years of age from date of delivery, are also acceptable
– No drivers have a non-motoring conviction that is not spent under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act
– No drivers are employed by the emergency services unless explicitly agreed

– No drivers are celebrities or otherwise in the public eye including professional sportspersons, actors and musicians

Category ‘A’ Convictions shown on online licence checks beginning with the following codes: 

CU or LC or MW or PC or SP or TS 

Please note: If you have any of the following then you DO NOT meet the eligibility criteria for the scheme

• –  Any conviction which has resulted in a ban in the last five years (including any of the minor conviction codes above) 
• –  A conviction in the last 5 years with any of the following letters on your licence; AC – BA – CD – DD – DG – DR – IN – MS – TT – UT 

Policy Excesses 

– Accidental damage excess £250
– Fire, theft and malicious damage excess £250
– Replacement windscreen excess £75.00. No excess if the windscreen is repaired
– An additional excess of £300 applies to drivers aged 17 to 20 for accidental damage 

– An additional excess of £200 applies to drivers aged 21 to 24 for accidental damage

What’s covered

– Premium is a true fixed price for the lifetime of your agreement
– Social, domestic, pleasure and commuting cover, including use by the policyholder in connection with their employer’s business is covered as standard. Other forms of business use for the policyholder and/or spouse/civil partner may be considered on a case by case. 

basis but do not order a car without checking first. Any other drivers listed on the insurance (not partner/spouse) will only be covered for social, domestic and pleasure use. 

• For full details of policy cover please see your policy wording / product summary documents 
• Please note there is no cover under this policy in respect of section 14: Motor Legal Expenses 
• A courtesy car will be provided by one of our approved repairers, should one be available. 

Terms of Business Salary Sacrifice Insurance

Lloyd Latchford Group Limited, Cornwall House, Station Approach, Princes Risborough, HP27 9DN (Telephone (01844) 275555) is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Our permitted business is introducing, advising, arranging, dealing as agent and assisting in the administration and performance of general insurance contracts. We are also permitted to act as a Credit Broker in respect of premium finance arrangement. You can check these details on the Financial Services Register by visiting the FCA’s website http://www.fca.org.uk or by contacting the FCA on 0800 111 6768. Our Financial Services Register number is 496330. 

Service 

We act as an intermediary in administering the insurance element of your employer’s salary sacrifice vehicle scheme on behalf of the insurer. We cannot provide any advice on the suitability of the product for your insurance needs, but we will provide you with enough information for you to decide whether the product is suitable for you. We can offer cover only from the insurer providing cover for the scheme. We do not guarantee the solvency of any insurer with whom we place business. 

Providing information to your insurers 

Your insurance is based upon the information provided to the insurance company. This means that you must take reasonable care to answer all questions fully and accurately. Once cover has been arranged, you must immediately notify us of any changes to the information that has been provided to your insurers. Failure to provide accurate and up to date information may invalidate your insurance cover and mean that a claim may not be paid. 

By asking us to proceed with this policy you are taking responsibility for the information provided to us and confirming that the information about you, and one the case of motor insurance, any other drivers on your motor policy, is correct. You are also giving us consent to check the Claims Underwriting Exchange, also known as CUE, and the DVLA, to verify claims and conviction history for you and any drivers on your policy. If the information given by you does not match that held on these databases an additional premium may be payable. If an additional premium is not paid and you choose to cancel instead, a minimum time on risk charge of £65.00 will be charged to cover policy set up administration costs. This charge will apply even if the policy has not yet commenced. yet commenced. 

How to cancel 

You may have a statutory right to cancel your policy within a short period. Please refer to your policy summary, policy document or renewal notice for further details. 

Fees and charges 

We are remunerated through commission payments (a percentage of your premium) from insurers. We will charge £25 should you need to add ‘Business Use’ for the vehicle by your spouse. 

Complaints 

It is our intention to provide a high level of service at all times. However, if you have reason to make a complaint about our service you should contact the Managing Director at the above address. If we are unable to resolve your complaint satisfactorily, you may be entitled to refer the matter to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). Further information is available by calling the FOS on 0800 023 4567 or at http://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk 

How to claim 

Please call us on 01844 275555 if you need to make a claim, and we will advise you of the appropriate course of action. 

Protecting your Personal Data (data) 

We are the Data Controller for the data you provide to us. We need to use your data in order to arrange your insurance and associated products and for marketing purposes (please let us know if you would prefer not to receive marketing information from us). You are obliged to provide information without which we will be unable to provide a service to you. We may pass your data to other organisations, such as insurers, auditors, external consultants, credit providers, banks, financial transaction processors, crime and fraud prevention agencies and databases and regulators. We process all data in the UK but where we need to disclose data to parties outside the European Economic Area (EEA) we will take reasonable steps to ensure the privacy of your data. In order to protect our legal position, we will retain your data for a minimum of 7 years. We have a Data Protection regime in place to oversee the effective and secure processing of your data. You can request copies of the data we hold, have it corrected, sent to a third party or deleted (subject to our need to hold data for legal reasons). If you wish to complain about how we have handled your data, you can contact us and we will investigate the matter. If you are not satisfied with our response or believe we are processing your data incorrectly you can complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF Tel: 0303 123 1113 

Fraud and other checks 

Both we, and Insurers, may complete fraud and other checks on publicly available databases. We will take your reading of these Terms of Business and your instructions to arrange cover to indicate that you understand and have given your consent for us to operate in this way. 

Credit references 

In providing a quotation or cover for you, a credit check may be completed on you. The fact that such a credit check has been completed will appear on your credit report whether or not your application proceeds. 

Protecting your money 

Prior to your premium being forwarded to the insurer, and for your protection, we either hold your money as an agent of the insurer (in which case your insurance is treated as being paid for), or we hold it in a client bank account on trust for you. We operate a ‘Non Statutory’ Trust Account for client money. This means that we may use funds held for you to pay premiums on behalf of customers who have not yet paid us or to provide returns of premium to customers when we have not received the return premium from the insurer. We may need to transfer your money to another intermediary in some cases in order to complete the arrangement of cover for you. However, your money will be protected at all times because of our requirements under the FCA rules. We also reserve the right to retain interest earned on this account. We will take your reading of these Terms of Business and your instructions to arrange cover to indicate that you understand and have given your consent for us to operate in this way. 

Premium payment 

We will agree the method of payment with you before we arrange cover. 

Compensation arrangements 

We are covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. You may be entitled to compensation from the scheme if we cannot meet our obligations. This depends on the type of business and the circumstances of the claim. Further information about compensation scheme arrangements is available from the FSCS on 0800 678 1100 or at http://www.fscs.org.uk/ 

Governing Law and Jurisdiction 

The laws of the United Kingdom will apply to this contract. If there is any disagreement about which law applies, English law will apply.

Who we are 

We’re a new company that is energised about electric vehicles (EVs) and all the advantages they bring. Whether you are an individual, a business or an organisation, we’re here to make the transition to EV as seamless as possible for you. 

Bounc-e is simplifying the switch to electric vehicles with an easy-to-use mobile app that offers a full selection of EVs, available with flexible contract arrangements. We provide salary sacrifice (SalSac), business and personal contract hire including short term leasing. 

Our directors are all based in Scotland and come from a combination of renewable energy and automotive backgrounds. 

Bounc-e has spent two years researching and then developing a fully functioning mobile app, along with a sophisticated admin portal, to support the whole customer journey from choosing a car and monitoring charge to mapping out charging stations. The app experience plans to have elements of gamification built into it to keep users engaged and employers can use the anonymised data to measure their progress on the road to net zero. 

Joining Bounc-e 

We aim to make the joining experience easy and will talk and walk you, your team, your staff through the whole process. With Bounc-e, we aim to give you full control of the scheme you would like to implement. This involves setting your own ‘scheme rules’. After initial qualification and eligibility, the scheme rules are discussed where the company is able to fine tune the scheme, so it suits them and their employees. Unlike other SalSac or Fleet providers, we believe that the client should have that choice and it’s not a case that one size fits all. This can include such things as insurance products, charge points, brand, or funding preferences and more. 

It is at this point we provide a suite of documents to ensure full understanding and compliance for the scheme, in line with HMRC requirements mitigating any tax risk. 

Once the rules are set, this is then built into your logins and what your staff and drivers are able to see and control on their individual login for the mobile app. 

 As an example – if, as a company, you would like to include early termination insurance to cover any risk of staff leaving or taking extended leave, then you are able to build that into the scheme, so all quotes provided will be inclusive.  

Two of the most popular discussion topics at this time are insurance and charging, see below. 

Insurance – There are two insurance products that fall within the scope of Salary Sacrifice. Car Insurance is the standard fully comprehensive insurance that we all need to drive a car in the UK. Whilst some businesses may have a fleet policy already in place and can simply add additional vehicles to that, we recognise that there may sometimes be a requirement for SalSac schemes. With that in mind, if you wish, we are able to build this into your scheme, as a rule, for all drivers who take an EV on your scheme. This includes multiple drivers and even young drivers can be added, although models may be limited.  

Early termination Insurance covers the risk element of the company committing to a ‘staff’ car. What happens if the staff member leaves, is made redundant, goes on maternity leave? Well, there’s a scheme for that and if required, which we find around 50% of companies do, it can be built into your scheme. With Bounc-e, we offer two different policy options from A rated insurance companies whose cover differs slightly, so depending on where your concerns lie, we are able to build in the most suitable cover. 

Chargers – As more and more people adopt EVs, most will prefer to charge at home. However, some early adopters may already have a charge point, or some may be unable to have a charge point at their property, so while other companies may ‘include’ this provision, we give you and the drivers the choice. In fact, we go further, we partner with several leading charge point providers so we offer you and your drivers the choice that can be based on many factors, such as, if you have solar panels at home or what colour or size box you would prefer.

We are also able to help with workplace charge points if that is a consideration, from a choice of providers. For fleets, we are also able to extend our service to include payment solutions for company car driver and business mileage. 

Once the rules have been set, we allocate the access to the users and assist in getting everything set up. We will also offer to promote the scheme to your staff either online or in person and create a plan with you to drive engagement. This can include regular communication, extended offers and even product demonstration days. 

Technology 

The Bounc-e CMS portal is our ‘back of house’ control portal for employers. Once signed up, access will be given to nominated personnel within the business. From that login, the administrators can add all staff members for either SalSac or Fleet vehicles to the portal which will in turn, will invite each driver to create their own account and supply a link to download the Bounc-e mobile app. Once in use, the portal will allow you to view and control the process, including staff notifications to the App, compliance requirements and ongoing monitoring of the ‘fleet’. 

The mobile app itself is unique to Bounc-e. Developed by our technology partner over the last couple of years, it gives your staff and drivers a unique experience, with a specifically designed and built app rather than a web portal/link, providing a much easier to use and more engaging experience. The mobile app, available on the Apple App Store and Google Play via a free download, is built for the user to flow through the process of transitioning to an EV and understanding everything that goes with it. Once set up, it will allow the user to browse our selection of EVs, using their details to calculate the salary sacrifice amount, including the rules set by the company. As well as listing leasing rates for all the EVs available in the UK, it also provides an EV library, where the user can go to find out about EV models, current and future, explore the EV jargon, understand how to charge and how it works. In addition to finding the ideal EV, users are then able to browse a selection of charging solutions from some of the UKs leading EV charger providers, once selected, this can be added to the contract and built into their salary sacrifice offer, allowing them to save even more.  

Once the order is placed, the order appears on their home screen, where they can keep track of each stage of the process, updated with status changes and delivery dates by our Bounc-e admin team with the user being alerted with an in-app notification, in addition to an email. 

Once delivered, the app will then continue to provide help and guidance through ownership, with check-ins to ensure they are enjoying their EV. We provide charge point mapping, so if away from the home, or planning a longer journey, they can find places to charge away from the home. Useful guides, information on new EVs, EV updates and environmental info on their car/driving will provide further interaction throughout their ownership, and, as you would expect, we will alert each user in good time when their car is due for renewal so they can plan their next EV.  

Vehicle Selection and Offers 

Bounc-e EV Limited is essentially a broker, fully regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and as such we have access to any funding partner we choose. This allows us to search for the very best market rates for every EV in the UK marketplace. We do have relationships with specific partners that allow us to utilise the leading leasing partners in the UK. In addition, we also have a direct relationship to many dealer groups and manufacturers, so we are able to tap into their own funding solution, and quite often, their own rates are very strong. In contrast, some other SalSac providers are leasing companies themselves so only quote their own figures, while some other ‘brokers’, rely on a small number of funding partners, many with just one funding partner. We believe, again, a greater choice should be offered.  

In addition to this, through our relationships with our funding and dealer partners, and of course the manufacturers themselves, we open up access to every EV(Cars & Vans) available in the UK and have access to any stock or special offers that may be available and if not available straight away, we can secure the best lead time for your EVs and sometimes even get enhanced levels of support or discount. 

Short term lease solutions for EVs are also available, and although SalSac must be taken for a minimum of 12 months, we can arrange EVs for as little as one month, these can be very useful for probationers or to alleviate the challenge around extended lead times. We can even offer a 12 month SalSac deal, where the car can be changed during the contract. 

All our offers are fixed for the duration of the contract, with no increase from the point of confirmed order (subject to lead time) so no ‘rate creep’, inflated early rentals or documentation fees as with other providers. 

We are transparent when it comes to fees too. We do not charge any initial processing or doc fees, our commission is built into the rates you see and paid to us directly by our funding partners.

Charging an electric vehicle (EV) is the new way to fill your car with juice, but not the same as traditional petrol or diesel. Although you are now able to charge in various locations and in various ways, the connectors can look complicated at first, but using them is actually straightforward. As time goes on, it will become even easier as the charging network expands, everything becomes more standardised.

This guide makes it simple to understand.

The process of charging your EV is becoming easier all the time, as the public charging network expands and EV plug types become more standardised.

EV chargers are classed as slow, fast, rapid or ultra-rapid, fast and slow, depending on the speed they allow the charge to fill your battery. Our guide explains and shows you the different electric car plug types, EV connector types and charging cables are, helping you identify which one you need. Each new EV will come with a charging cable, in some cases more than one, that are designed for the vehicle to help it charge most efficiently.

One of the connections below should match the plug on your vehicle. This will depend on the make and model and can be found on the manufacturer’s website.

If you notice, the two points on the left, both ‘type 1’ and, as with the two ‘type 2’ on the right, the top section of the CCS Combo, is the same, the difference being the two pins set horizontally below the 5/7 pin plug. The standard type 1 and 2 with five or seven pins, deliver the AC current at up to fast 43kw speeds. The additional two pins below deliver the DC current which allows the faster rapid and ultra-rapid speeds. The CCS Combo chargers can be identified by having cables running to the charging plug.

Type 1 is widely used in the US, while Type 2 is the mainstay in the EU.

Type 1

Is a slow charger and not found on new EVs in the EU marketplace. The chargers are classed as slow-fast chargers depending on where they are connected and the vehicle ability to charge. Speeds of up to 7kw can be achieved.

Type 1 CCS Combo

Is a rapid charger version of the above with the added DC pins, delivering a combined AC and DC charge.

Type 2

The Type 2 charger is the modern fast charger and most common charger as seen in the vast majority of new EVs in the market today. Modern EVs will allow this charger to deliver speeds of up to 43kw. The majority of EVs have a Type 2 socket, but not all of them can use AC rapid charging. This is also the connection type that you will get with a charge point that you would install at home and is the most popular connection at charge points away from the home.

Type 2 CCS Combo

Is the latest rapid/ultra-rapid charge connector, using both the seven pin AC charge and the two pin DC charge, allowing speeds of up to 350kw. These connections are the ones you will see predominantly where a fast charge is required, for example at the ‘new’ filling stations that are appearing around the road network allowing you to add charge quickly through the provided infrastructure including the required cable.

CHAdeMO

An early style of connection favoured by some of the Japanese and Korean manufacturers. Can charge at up to 50kw DC. It is widely understood that this type of connection will eventually be phased out and is not equipped in any new EVs in the EU, other than the Nissan Leaf.

EV/EVs

Electric Vehicle /s, – most important and referred to all the time in this guide, our website, our Mobile App and the wider Electric Vehicle community.

800v

800V is currently the most powerful level of charging available to the public, seen on several new EVs. This can potentially add over 100 miles of charge in as little as 10 minutes. 

AC/DC

This references both Alternating and Direct Currents. See our definitions of AC and DC for specific definitions of these types of electricity flows.

AC

An Alternating Current is a type of electricity flow that can charge electric vehicles at slower speeds. You’ll find AC on home charging wall boxes.

AFV

Alternative Fuel Vehicle. These are vehicles that run on fuels that aren’t the traditionally used petrol or diesel.

Autopilot

This is when a car has self-driving technology. This technology is now a common feature among EVs, probably best known in Tesla models, although more brands have this function already, or are bringing the same technology to the market.

AVAS

Acoustic Vehicle Alerting Systems. Generation of an artificial noise in electric cars so that pedestrians and cyclists can hear them coming. The AVAS will make a sound when the car is reversing or is travelling slower than 18.6mph (30km/h).

Battery Capacity

This is the amount of power that an electric vehicle’s battery can hold. Measured in kWh, you will often see a measurement in the specification of most EVs. Find out more here.

BCH

Business Contract Hire is a type of leasing contract available for businesses rather than individuals. It offers certain tax advantages that appeal to the business.

BEV

Battery Electric Vehicles are another way of saying fully electric vehicles. These are cars that are powered solely by a battery. They have no other power source as found in hybrid or Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles.

BIK

Benefit-in-kind is a tax on employees who receive benefits or perks on top of their salary. One such perk is a company car or car purchased by the company for an employee’s use. This applies for vehicles purchased via a Salary Sacrifice scheme. However, the rates are very low for EVs, which makes the schemes an attractive way to buy an EV.

Car Club

Car Clubs are a variation on a car rental scheme. With car clubs, the customer can hire a car by the hour, allowing them to only pay for the time required. These schemes are becoming most popular in built up urban areas and supplement the public transport network.

CAZ

Clean Air Zones are already in force around the UK, in some form, including London’s ULEZ (Ultra Low Emission Zones. Many more cities have plans to introduce such schemes to ban or limited the number of vehicles entering the city centres streets. Find out more here.

CCS

CCS stands for Combined Charging System and is the standard for charging EVs in the EU. Its layout consists of two DC pins that sit below the standard Type 2 connector plug. Find our more here.

Cells

A battery pack is made up of cells that can store electrical energy. The more cells a battery has, the more electrical power it can store.

Charge Flap

The Charge Flap is a small cover located on all EVs that covers the charging socket. Brands are becoming very inventive with the location of these, and many are now hidden so well that you need to be shown them to know where they are located. 

Charging Capacity or Rate

The Charging Capacity is the rate at which a battery on an EV can consume power and charge. This can range from 1kw for a domestic three-pin plug socket, through to the common 7kw and 22kw for home charge points. Some high-power public charge points that can now achieve 350kw.

Charging Point

A Charging Point refers to the place where you can charge your EV. This can be at home or while you are on the road. Your Bounce-EV App will show you where these Charge Points are located so you are able to add some bounce while you are out and about. Find out more here.

CHAdeMO

This is the name of a large, round four-pin charging plug that is only used at rapid charging stations. CHAdeMO plugs are capable of Vehicle to Grid (V2G) charging but are less powerful than CCS. Many Asian manufacturers like Nissan and Toyota use these chargers. Find out more here.

Charging Cable

The Charging Cable is the cable which is used to connect your car to the charging point. Most cars will come with a standard cable, but others are available to increase your charging options, including a longer cable.

Connector Type

These are the ‘plugs’ that sit at the end of the charging cable. This is the end of the cable that connects to your car. See our guide on connection types for more information. Find out more here.

Cost per kWh

kWh stands for kilowatt-hour. This is the electrical equivalent of the price you’d pay for a litre of petrol or diesel. Understanding this cost, which varies from charge point to charge point, as with petrol from station to station, will allow you to work out the cost of a full charge for your EV. For example, if you have a car with 100kWh battery, and the cost of your charge is 30p per kWh, then the cost to fully charge the battery is £30. See our other guides for more information around this. Find out more.

DC

Stands for Direct Current. DC EV charging does not need your EV to convert the current, as with AC charging. Due to that stage being taken out of the charging process, the DC current can be transmitted to the car’s battery at much faster speeds.

Degradation

This is often talked about with EVs. Degradation is expected within any battery lifecycle and can vary. On average, studies have shown that EV batteries are expected to last at least 8-10 years. Reducing degradation can be helped by taking good care of the battery and following good battery charging habits.

Destination Charging

Destination Charging is the term used for charging points that are located at your destination. This can be your hotel, a shopping centre or sporting venue where you may be going to spend some time. Public charge points at these locations are usually fast charging.

Eco Mode

Eco Mode is a driving mode that helps the car work in an efficient way to help extend the electric range of the power available from the battery. This can include things such as reducing the heating fan power or regenerating energy from the brakes.

ESG

ESG means Environmental, Social, and Governance. These terms refer to the three central factors typically used in evaluating the sustainability and ethical impact of a company or an investment.

FCEV

Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEVs) are powered by hydrogen. They are more efficient than conventional ICE vehicles and produce no tailpipe emissions – they only emit water vapour and warm air. FCEVs and the hydrogen infrastructure to fuel them are in the early stages of implementation.

Formula E

Formula E is a car racing series where the cars, similar in design to an F1 race car, are powered purely by batteries. All the fun without the earplugs. The series was introduced in 2014 and has helped develop the batteries we see in EVs today.

GHG

This is the abbreviation for greenhouse gas. C20 is a greenhouse gas that electric cars do not emit whilst driving.

Gigafactory

This is the term used for EV battery production factories. First used by Tesla but adopted by the industry. These are becoming a vital part of infrastructure to support the growth of EVs in the future. And can be seen around the world supporting the manufacturers of EVs.

HEV

A Hybrid Electric Vehicle is a petrol or diesel car that also has a small electric motor and battery. HEVs don’t have a plug, instead, they get their power from the engine or through regenerative braking.

Home Charging Point

Home Charging Points make owning an electric car much easier. Usually, they’ll come in the form of a wall box that’s installed at your home and enable quicker charging than the standard three-pin plug charging seen on early EVs.

Hybrid

Hybrid cars come in many shapes and sizes. They combine either a petrol or diesel engine with an electric battery and motor to create a vehicle that emits less carbon dioxide. Plug-in hybrids contain a bigger battery and can be recharged.  

ICE

An Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) is a traditional engine that typically runs on either petrol or diesel. In 2030 there will be a ban on the sale of new ICE vehicles in the UK when only EVs or PHEV will be permitted to be sold as new.

Inverter

Inverters switch AC currents from the mains into DC currents for your car’s battery. Inverters are also fitted to rapid charging points so that they can invert the current before charging your car to make the process quicker. 

kW

A Kilowatt is a measurement of electric power. Find out more here.

kWh

A kilowatt-hour is a unit of measurement for calculating how much electricity you’ve used and how large a battery is. Find out more here.

Lead Acid

This is an older type of battery that has since been phased out and replaced by the more efficient Lithium-Ion battery. As time goes on, even more efficient methods of production and composition are being introduced.

Li-ion

Lithium-ion is the type of battery that is used in electric cars, phones and laptops.

MHEV

A Mild Hybrid Electric Vehicle can be either petrol or diesel and will usually come with a 48-volt system that includes an extra battery. This helps assist the engine as well as power onboard tech. MHEV batteries don’t have enough power to run the car on electrical energy alone.

NEDC

The New European Driving Cycle was the old system for measuring fuel economy and pollutants. This was replaced by the much more accurate WLTP testing.

NOx

Nitrogen Oxides are a polluting gas ICE vehicles emit. 

OZEV

The Office for Zero-Emission Vehicles is a team working across the government to support the transition to zero-emission vehicles. This used to be called the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV). Find out more.

OZEV Grant

This is a grant that the Office for Zero-Emission Vehicles offers on some electric vehicles to promote the uptake of these cars across the UK.

PHEV

A Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle is a petrol or diesel car that also has an electric battery that can be plugged in and charged up. Unlike a MHEV, a PHEV can run on electric power alone before switching to petrol/diesel when the battery runs flat.

PiCG

The Plug-in Car Grant scheme is run by the Office for Zero-Emission Vehicles and is designed to make new electric cars more affordable. The grant has fallen steadily since its introduction. For the latest updates, visit the government’s page here. 

Preconditioning/Pre-Heating

Preconditioning is a feature where you can schedule your electric car to heat its interior before you get in. If you change your car up overnight, the heating can be scheduled for the morning where it will be heated using the mains electricity and will not reduce your range before setting off.

Quadricycle

This is the official classification for microEVs such as the Renault Twizy and Citroen Ami. These vehicles are exempt from certain safety rules as a result.

Range

The Range is the distance, usually displayed in miles, that an EV can travel on a full battery charge, according to the manufacturer and classified as WLTP. We now also see ‘real world’ ranges which are based on actual driving tests and historic data allowing for road and weather conditions among other factors.

Range Anxiety

This is the fear of running out of charge before reaching your destination or another charge point.

Rapid Charging

This type of charging will usually charge your vehicle up in under an hour. They charge at speeds of 43kW and up. Find out more here.

RDE

The Real Driving Emissions test accompanies WLTP testing and puts cars through a variety of driving conditions.

REx

Range extenders – or an extended-range electric vehicle – is a car that’s like a traditional PHEV but operates only on electric power. A small lightweight petrol motor is on board that recharges the battery as you drive, meaning the electric motor will always be powering the wheels. Another term used for these vehicles is an E-REV or a REEV.

RFID Card

RFID cards are a way of paying for electricity at charge points. As contactless payments become the standard, RFID cards will slowly be phased out. 

RFL

The Road Fund Licence is a fee that’s paid to the government in exchange for using UK roads.

Second Use Battery

This term is related to a battery’s use, after being removed from an EV. Batteries can be recycled for numerous uses, such as home storage batteries.

Self-charging Hybrid

Another term for a Hybrid Electric Vehicle, an ICE car that has a small battery to assist with some driving features. This battery cannot be recharged through plugging-in, instead it relies on the combustion engine and regenerative braking to add charge.

Smart Charging

Smart charging allows you to program the charging of your EV. It allows you to add charge at the right time to your EV, to accommodate home charging tariffs or additional car charging. This feature is now common for home charging solutions and can be controlled from your mobile phone.

SoC

State of Charge is the measurement of the current battery’s charge, for example 25%.

Solid State Battery

A new technology for EVs that is still some years away. It promises even quicker charge times and capacities, able to add charge super quick, 100 miles of charge in 2-3 minutes. We might see the introduction of ‘Semi’ solid state batteries earlier as a practical first step.

Supercharger

The Supercharger network in relation to EVs, is the network operated by Tesla, once reserved for Tesla drivers only. Tesla have recently opened many of the charging locations so they can be used to charge any EVs.

Three Pin

This is the standard UK plug that can be used for charging electric vehicles. However, charging with a three-pin plug charger is not recommended as a permanent solution due to the slow charge times and safety.

Trickle Charging

A Trickle Charge is the slowest way to charge an EV and carries little benefit. The standard three-pin plug will provide trickle charging; however, this is not advised because these chargers lack certain safety features.

Turtle Mode

Also referred to as Reduced Power Mode or Driving Power Reduced Mode, Turtle Mode kicks in when your car is about to run out of power. It uses all the energy it has left to enable you to pull over and add charge.

Type 1

A circular charging plug that has five pins and a clip. Pretty rare in the UK, more commonly seen in the US Market. Find out more here.

Type 2

Type 2 is one of the most common charging connections for EVs and has become standard on all new EVs. It has seven pins and a flat edge. See our charging connection guide for more information. Find out more here.

ULEV

An Ultra-Low Emission Vehicle is a car that emits less than 75g of CO2 per km (g/km) from its tailpipe.

ULEZ

The Ultra-Low Emission Zone is an area in London where high polluting vehicles get charged a daily rate if they drive within its borders. See our separate guide – <‘link to come’>.

V2G

Vehicle to Grid is a feature that allows you to send excess power stored in your car battery, back to your home. The correct type of charger and additional equipment is normally required. V2G allows power to be fed back even further to the Electric Grid.

V2H

Vehicle to Home is like Vehicle to Grid except you can only move power back into your home. 

V2L

Vehicle to Load means that you can use your electric car to power external devices. This can power any electrical devices whilst you are on the road, for example a kettle, if you fancy a cheeky cuppa.

VED

Vehicle Excise Duty, also known as road tax. This is the annual charge levied by the government for using your EV on a public road. However, as the cost is based on the emissions, and EVs have no tailpipe emissions, there is currently no cost, although, with increased EV adoption it is expected that a charge will be levied in future years.

Voltage

This measures the power of electricity. Higher voltage cars tend to be more powerful and quicker to charge up. 

WLTP

The Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP), was mandated and introduced in 2018 to provide a tested measurement for CO2 emissions and Fuel economy for all passenger cars and vans in the EU. For our EVs, this included measuring the electric range that the car could be driven. The testing is conducted in a laboratory across different temperatures to reflect real-world driving conditions with the aim of being more accurate than the manufacturers claims. 

ZEV

A Zero Emission Vehicle is a term used for any car that does not emit any C02. Currently, this covers electric and hydrogen cars.

With an EV, you can forget the green and black pumps at the traditional filling stations. The Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) car as we know it, is being phased out and every driver will need to get ready for the clean energy that is electric and the kilowatt hour (kWh)

So, what does this mean?

Your Electric Vehicle (EV) is powered by a rechargeable battery. This is a similar concept to how your mobile phone works. The battery will supply power for your car to function in all aspects, including to drive power to the wheels and to operate all your new cars tech (EVs are full of it), as well as all the usual driving and safety features.

To use the old phrase – fill your car up, you now need to charge it⚡️. The process, although daunting at first, is really pretty simple. Your new EV is supplied with a charging cable, you simply plug this into the charging point on your car, where you would have previously added fuel, and then plug the other end into a power source to add the charge. This can be done at home or away from the home, more information on that later.

Also, it is important to understand that there are many different charge point providers, and as was the case when the transition to EVs started, you had to be a member and use their payment method to use their charging network. This is now getting much more mainstream and simpler with many chargers accepting simple contactless payment for the energy you take. More information on this on our Mobile App.

It is important to understand how and when you need to charge your car to allow you to drive the car as required so that you are able to make the transition away from the dirty filling station. This is something Bounce can help you plan for.

So, what are the numbers…?

Instead of a 2.0 litre engine, a litre of fuel and mile per gallon, with your EV, you will get used to a different set of numbers and buzz words.

Kilowatt Hour (kWh) defines the size of the battery and its charge capacity. This can range from 30kWh to just over 100kWh, although these will likely increase over the coming years. The higher the number, the more power the battery can store and hence, the further it is able to travel on a full charge. It will also require more time to charge to capacity.

In the UK, the average EV will consume around 34 kWh to travel 100 miles. In this example a car with a 70kWh battery will have a range of around 200 miles.

OK, so what about the chargers – 7kw, 22kw or 50kw?

Kilowatt (kW) is the speed that a charger (and car) is able to pass electric to your car’s battery. The higher the number, the faster your car’s battery will charge. Speeds range from 3kW from a domestic three pin plug to rapid chargers delivering at speeds of up to 350kw. Speed can also be limited by the car’s ability to transfer the power, and some older EVs will not charge over 50kw. Most modern cars now are able to charge at Ultra-fast speeds.

As an example, you have a car with a battery capacity of 70kWH and you plan to charge at home at a speed of 22kw. 

Based on the average consumption of 34kWh per 100 miles, this car will have a range of around 206 miles.

Simply divide the car’s battery capacity by the speed of charge to calculate how long to obtain a full charge? 

70(kWh)/22(kw) = 3.2 hours to fully charge and give you 206 miles of range.

Or, if you charged en route at a rapid charger, say 100kw, then the charge time would be 42 minutes, 70/100 = 0.7 hrs. = 42 minutes, assuming you have no range left whatsoever.

*Even the biggest capacity battery of 108kWh could fully charge in as little as 20 minutes with the fastest ultra-rapid chargers, enough for almost 400 miles.

*Based on the average consumption of 34kWh per 100 miles

Where to charge?

This can be broken down into four options.

Charge at home 

Charging your car at home is the most common option and can be done using a three-pin plug charger, although a slow rate of charge at just 3kw, or by having a wall box charger installed, dedicated to charging your EV at faster speeds of up to 22kw. This is limited due to the power supply to domestic properties. This can often be the cheapest option to keep charged.

Workplace charging 

In some cases, you may also have an option to charge your car at work, with more businesses preparing for the future with EVs, we can see charging points appearing in most business car parks. There are many types of charge points available that can offer anywhere from 7kw (fast) to 50kw rapid charging, allowing your EV battery to charge in a shorter time. More on that later too.

Destination charging

Destination charging refers to charging away from your home at places that you may travel to, for example, shopping centres, supermarkets, leisure facilities and tourist attractions. These chargers will typically be fast or even rapid chargers with speeds of 7kw-50kw.

EV Charging stations

As more is invested in our infrastructure, we will see more dedicated facilities just for EVs. There are examples of these already open in the UK in addition to the banks of chargers we now see at the traditional filling station reserved for EV parking and charging. Because these locations are usually en route and replace you filling the tank of your ICE car, chargers here tend to be rapid or even ultra-rapid to enable you to add charge very quickly to minimise your stop. With speeds of up to 350kW at these facilities it’s possible to add 100 miles of range in just 10 minutes, just enough time for a comfort break and to grab some snacks for the next leg of your journey.

The charging infrastructure is improving every day with charge points being added by the thousands every month. The easiest way to find all the charging options in your location, on your planned route, or at your destination, is to use the network function in your Bounc-e EV Mobile App.

Cost of charging your EV?

As with traditional fuel, the cost constantly fluctuates.

The cost varies greatly between providers, location and speed of charge.

With the recent spike in energy costs across the board, home charging remains the lowest rate, around 34p/kWh on average, although this does depend on your supplier and if they have a smart EV tariff available, where rates can be reduced for charging at certain times of the day.

Let’s use the average for our workings.

Charging the same 70kWh EV, would cost £23.80 on the standard tariff. Giving you a range of circa 206 miles, this works out at around 12p per mile. Compare that to an ICE car, even at 40 mpg, works out to 20p per mile of Diesel.

OK, so let’s charge on the move…

Now again, this varies greatly, with some charging points available free of charge, yes, free electricity. But let’s look at a rapid charging point and take an average figure of 50p/kWh, this works through to 17p per mile.

**All figures used are based on fluctuating prices and are approximate, correct in March 2023.

Charging Infrastructure

As set out in this guide, charging your EV has many options for consideration. Given that the most popular, easiest and cheapest way to charge is at home or the office, if possible, there are considerations that must also be taken into account as while these chargers are more convenient, they often take longer to Charge due to the available infrastructure. Charging speed isn’t only reliant on the charging station, it also depends on the electric capacity of the infrastructure it’s attached to, as well as the cars ability to transfer the power.

As an example, most private EV charging stations can deliver from 11 to 22 kW (assuming the presence of a main fuse with a rating of 3 x 32A, or amps, for the latter). That said, it is still very common to see 1.7kW / 1 x 8A and 3.7kW / 1x 16A chargers installed.

It’s important to note that the electrical supply will always be measured in amps (amperage) and not in voltage. The higher the amps, the more electrical load a building can handle.

Charging speeds are essentially grouped in to four categories:

• Slow charging (AC, 3-7 kW)
• Medium charging (AC, 11-22 kW)
• Fast/Rapid charging (AC, 43 kW and CCS, 50 kW)
• Ultra Fast/Rapid charging (CCS, >100 kW)

What’s more, many residential buildings currently have main fuses smaller than 32A, so it’s essential to keep this in mind when estimating at-home charging speeds and charging times. 

At Bounc-e, we will ensure that your potential install is fully surveyed to ensure that you are clear on the correct option of wall box charger and expected service level.

What about AC v DC? 

Most privately installed EV charging points will use AC chargers (AC stands for ‘Alternative Current’). When you use an AC charger to charge your EV, the EV itself does the job of converting the power to DC to charge its battery, contributing to the slower charging speeds, but also why it tends to be more economical and cheaper.

All EVs have an on board charger that converts AC to DC as it passes to the car’s battery for storage. This built-in charger can also be a factor in the charging speed you are able to achieve, however, all modern EVs can cope with the strongest AC current flows. 

AC Chargers key facts

• AC charging is often a slower charging method compared to DC.
• AC chargers are ideal for charging a vehicle overnight due to the speed and efficiency that the charge is delivered.
• AC chargers are much smaller than DC charging stations, which makes them suitable for office, or home use.
• AC chargers are more affordable than DC chargers.

So what about DC chargers?

DC EV charging (which stands for ‘Direct Current’) does not need your EV to convert the current, as with AC. Due to that stage being taken out of the charging process, the DC current can be transmitted to the car’s battery at much faster speeds.

DC charging is much faster, delivering the charge to your battery at the fastest speeds, adding 100 miles plus in just a few minutes. The offset of this outstanding performance is that DC chargers require more space and are more expensive than AC chargers which subsequently is passed on in the cost of using them to charge your EV.

DC Chargers Key Facts

• Ideal for adding charge quickly to your EV when on the move.
• DC chargers are costly to install and relatively bulky, so they’re most often seen in mall parking lots, residential apartment complexes, offices, and other commercial areas.
• There are three types of DC chargers that we see around our network.
  • the CCS connector (Type 1 & 2) 
  • the CHAdeMo connector 
  • and the Tesla Supercharger connector.
• Larger equipment, more space for installation and the cost of the chargers, means more expensive charging.

Charging an electric car battery

Obviously, once your car’s battery is out of energy, it needs to be recharged.

Many EV manufacturers often quote the time it takes to achieve an 80% charge, not 100%. The main reason for this is that the last 20% takes longer to charge relative to the first 80%. However, if you want to look after your EV’s battery, you can extend its life by not charging it fully. The recommendation is to keep the battery charged between 20 and 80%

Batteries operate optimally at between 20-25°C. If the outside temperature gets too cold or too hot, the EV’s battery management system (BMS) will reduce the power input to protect the battery. This reduction means that the car talks longer to charge and given that in the cooler months, you could use more of the car’s features, e.g. lights, wipers etc, that also uses the battery power so can have a slight impact on the range. A recent study tested the impact of driving cars in the cold British winter and found that some batteries lost as much as 30% of their range, although the average was much less, it is still something that needs to be considered. 

Electric car battery life

As EVs are still a relatively new concept, it’s difficult to be sure how long a battery will last. There are many factors to consider that could have an impact on a battery’s life, but early evidence suggests that the eight-year battery warranties issued by manufacturers are about right.

After eight years, the batteries will still work, but they’ll find it more difficult to hold a full charge. The good news is that there’s going to be a healthy market for second-use batteries.