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Reduce the Whole life costs of your fleet with the Kia Eco Range
The cost of car ownership is not only influenced by the list price: fuel, road tax, servicing, depreciation, company car tax all contribute to that final bill. One sure-fire way of cutting down those bills is to look towards an electric or hybrid car
.
While the purchase price of an electric or hybrid car
may be higher, the potential savings in tax reductions and maintenance costs could outweigh the initial cost so that you will spend less over the course of ownership compared with a petrol or diesel equivalent.
To make sure that Kia always offers attractive whole-life costs, we use an independent software called KWIKcarcost, to continually compare against other manufacturers and ensure our cars are competitive.
Strong Residual Values and Lower Taxation
While the price of the car is certainly important, it shouldn't be your sole focus. An electric or hybrid car
may have a more expensive list price than a fuel-powered model, but it will likely be significantly cheaper to run, and therefore, less expensive over the period of ownership. It’s also worth noting that a fully electric car pays no road tax.
Both electric and hybrid cars are good at holding their value, so you should be pleasantly surprised when you decide to sell the car. It also means monthly payments may be lower than you would think. Kia takes several steps to ensure residual values are high, so that it can offer favourable monthly rates and reduce whole-life costs
There are many parts to company car and fleet tax, and that can make it seem complicated.
The Vehicle Excise Duty (otherwise known as road tax) is is judged on a vehicle's CO2 emissions, and also electric range for plug-in hybrids. Electric vehicles – such as the Soul EV and e-Niro – are completely exempt from VED, while all hybrids will see a significantly reduced charge as well.
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Electric cars offer considerable savings in BIK tax – in fact, you pay nothing for the first year. For someone in the 40% tax bracket, this could mean you save as much as £10,000 over three years compared with a similar, less powerful diesel vehicle. All hybrid powertrains also benefit from lower BIK tax rates, whether a mild-hybrid, hybrid, or plug-in hybrid.
Capital allowances also need to be considered. You can deduct some of the cost of the vehicle for your business from the profits before tax. The amount you can deduct is based on CO2 emissions. A fully electric car – such as e-Niro or Soul EV – is entitled to be fully deducted. In fact, all hybrid models included in the Kia Eco range will enjoy favourable tax rates because of their low CO2 emissions.
Reduced Maintenance and Running Costs
Whether you're a company car driver or a fleet manager, fuel can be a considerable cost over the course of ownership. On a mile-per-mile basis, an electric car is cheaper to run. Charging a Kia e-Niro costs around 4p per mile (Electricity tariffs will vary.) whilst a similar, less powerful diesel equivalent can be nearer 11p per mile. Plug-in hybrids enjoy the same benefits when run on battery power, too, while hybrid and mild-hybrid powertrains have better fuel efficiency.
Insurance costs are also to be considered. There are many factors that affect insurance, including: value, repair costs, parts prices, performance, safety and more.
To help keep insurance costs low, Kia offers an incredible suite of safety features on all of its Eco cars. Depending on the model, you can expect features such as Blind-Spot Collision Warning, Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning and Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist, which all help to reduce the likelihood of an accident, and allow Kia cars to align with a more favourable insurance group.
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In terms of maintenance costs, Electric cars have far fewer moving parts than a traditional petrol or diesel engine, and therefore require less work when being serviced. Hybrid powertrains reduce engine strain, while regenerative braking decreases brake wear, which can prolong the life of parts. Kia has also taken steps to make sure that it is particularly competitive in this area. Business users can expect to receive the same excellent level of service regardless of which region they operate. Kia also sets maximum response times and lead times, to ensure you get a fast, exemplary service.
Then there's the Kia Care servicing packages, which can offer you fantastic value for servicing and MOTs.
Free entry into the Congestion Zones
Kia’s electric and plug-in hybrid cars do not have to pay the London Congestion Charge. For those who travel into the congestion zone daily, that represents a saving of almost £9,000 over three years. Other cities are also moving towards low emissions zones, so Kia’s Eco cars are a perfect way to prepare for the future.
Speak to the Kia Business Centre, and our dedicated team of experts can assign you a one-to-one account manager who will take the time to find you the best deal possible on your new Eco car.
Compare your options with Kia