Electric vehicles

What is a full electric vehicle? Electric vehicles are powered by one or more electric motors. The power they require is stored in a battery that can be charged at charging stations (at home, at work or at public access points).How far can I drive on a fully charged battery? A charged battery's range depends on the battery size and the energy efficiency of the vehicle. You can drive 200 to 250 km on a fully charged 40 kWh battery - or maybe even further, depending on how environmentally friendly your driving style is. Vehicles with a 64 kWh battery have a range of 350 to 400 km. The faster you drive, the higher your electricity consumption, so make sure you keep to the speed limits. Other factors that can influence an electric vehicle's range include: - High or low outside temperatures (with air conditioning/heating running continuously) - Strong headwinds - A fully loaded vehicle - Driving uphill for long periods How long will it take to charge my vehicle? It depends on lots of different factors, in particular the vehicle type, the sort of charging station, how much charge is left in the battery and how fast your vehicle charges. If you are charging your vehicle battery with a normal socket, it will take around 5 to 10 hours. If you use a rapid charging station (usually found at motorway services) your battery will be 80% charged in approximately 30 minutes, although it's worth noting that rapid charging stations are more expensive. Average charging times for electric vehicles are available to downloadDoes an electric vehicle need different maintenance to a petrol or diesel car? Electric vehicles need less maintenance than vehicles with combustion engines and they have fewer moving parts, so they also have less wear. Electric vehicles don't need oil changes; they don't have an exhaust pipe or gears, and they have regenerative brakes that also wear less than conventional vehicle brakes.How safe are electric brakes? Electric vehicles are subject to the same safety requirements as conventional vehicles. Although there is a chance that individual parts may receive an active charge in the event of a collision, or that a short circuit could cause a cable fire, appropriate safety precautions and vehicle construction have limited this risk to an absolute minimum.Are electric vehicles easy to drive? Electric vehicles are even easier to drive than conventional ones. Just like with any automatic gear shift, you simply move the gear selector lever to D or R. Electric vehicles have regenerative brakes that slow the vehicle down as soon as you take your foot off the accelerator.Do electric vehicles have as many features as petrol ones? They are identical in terms of comfort, safety and vehicle system technology. Electric vehicles also have some added features,including integrated navigation systems showing charging points or smartphone apps to control battery charging.Which vehicle makes are currently available? The range of electric vehicles will continue to grow over the next two years. We currently offer the following vehicles:

Charging

What are the different types of charging sockets? At the moment, there are several types of charging sockets in Europe, and standards vary depending on the manufacturer. 1. Asian models like the Nissan Leaf or Mitsubishi i-Miev can be charged using the high-performance CHAdeMO method 2. American or European models like the Opel Ampera-e, BMW i3, Mercedes and Volkswagen are compatible with the CCS standard, which currently offers charging speeds of 150 kW 3. Tesla has developed its own charging standard for its S and X models. How do I get my own charging station at home? Can I charge the battery abroad as well? Yes, it's not a problem. You can find details of all the charging points at home and abroad on our LeasePlan app. The supply network currently has over 70,000 public charging points.I can't charge my battery at home. Are there any other options? If you don't have a charging station at home, you can use public ones. At the moment, there are 70,000 charging points across Europe and new ones are being added all the time. You can see an overview of all the charging points in Europe at www.plugsurfing.com or in the LeasePlan app.

Financial

How much does a home charging station cost? The installation costs depend on a range of factors,including the distance from the junction box and whether an underground cable needs to be laid. We offer standard installation packages at a fixed price that can either be paid upfront or in instalments through your leasing contract. This also covers maintenance and IT costs.Are there any financial benefits available for electric car owners? How do I apply for them?