LeasePlan and COVID-19
What we're doing to help you
Keeping people safe, and your organisation mobile.
In response to the continuing coronavirus pandemic, we are working to ensure that we can provide services to keep you safely on the road - and support limiting the spread of the virus.
As soon as there are new measures or updates regarding our services, you will find them here.
- Help everyone stay safe: If you have Covid-19 symptoms or have been told to isolate, please cancel any appointments you have booked with us and don’t arrange any new ones.
The rules around the UK
Here's a quick reminder of rules around the UK
England
England is in national lockdown and people are expected to stay at home except in certain situations.
Scotland
Mainland Scotland is in lockdown with a legal requirement forbidding anyone from leaving their home except for essential purposes. Island areas currently in level 3 will remain there but will be kept under review.
Wales
Level 4 lockdown restrictions have been in place since 20 December. These require people to stay at home and avoid all but essential travel.
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is already in partial lockdown (since 26th December), with an official announcement on new measures expected on Tuesday 6th January.
Financial Support
Government guidance on financial support available to businesses is available here.
If you need financial support from us, please get in touch using the contact details below.
- If you are a corporate or public sector customer, please speak to your LeasePlan account manager to discuss your options.
- If you arranged your vehicle lease directly with us or through a broker, please complete this form
Repair, maintenance and tyre
Thanks to the large number of committed independent garages in our network, we have been able to continue to support our drivers with maintenance and repairs.
Some vehicles will need work in the coming weeks, so if you have a maintained contract you must use our Service Booking line – 0344 371 8033 – to book work. This helps to control the service slots, so we can prioritise key workers and those most in need, while making sure your job is handled promptly.
Booking in directly with the garage will hamper our efforts to allocate the slots fairly, so we may reallocate bookings if they are not made through our Service Booking line. For your safety and the safety of others, please keep your vehicle in a roadworthy condition – you can read the Government’s guidance about how to check your vehicle is safe to drive here.
Some garages are restricting some services such as collection and delivery – and we are urging customers to clean their vehicles before handover. 'While you wait' servicing, MOT and tyre booking has been suspended. Also, to follow the government’s guidance for the industry – vehicles will not be vacuumed or cleaned beyond the COVID-19 sanitisation of the main surfaces.
Customer services during lockdown
You can still call or email us (our contact details are below). We're doing as much as we can to support our customers, especially front-line teams and their vehicles, so we would also like to ask for your patience and understanding if it takes longer to respond to your query.
Frequently Asked Questions
General questions
What is a full electrical vehicle?
A full electric vehicle, also called an EV, only uses a battery and a motor to drive the engine. It is powered by a battery that you charge via a charging point (whether this is at home, the workplace or a public access point).
How many miles can I drive on a fully charged battery?
This depends on the battery size and efficiency of the vehicle. Generally speaking, you can drive 125 to 150 miles on a fully charged 40 kWh battery. However, if you drive sensibly, you can go even further. Vehicles with a 64-kWh battery have a range of 200 to 250 miles.
Speed is the biggest drain on the battery, so it’s worth keeping to speed limits. Other factors that can influence your driving range include:
- High or low temperatures (as you may be using the air conditioning/heating more)
- Driving into a strong headwind
- A fully loaded vehicle
- Driving uphill for a long period of time
How long will it take to charge my vehicle?
There are several different types of charging options available in the UK. Rapid DC points use tethered cables, which are attached to charging unit. It is important that you know what types of charge-point your vehicle can use.
If you are charging a car with a domestic three-pin power socket or 3kw charger, it will take around 12 hours. With a 7kW fast charger (such as home/public chargers) it takes around three to four hours. If you use the rapid AC/DC charges found at motorway services, your battery will be 80% charged in approximately 30 minutes (though you need to remember that fast chargers are more expensive than standard charging stations).
Types of charge-points include:
Does an electric vehicle need different maintenance to a petrol or diesel vehicle?
It needs less maintenance, as the engine has fewer moving parts and no exhaust or gears. You also won’t need to change the oil and the brakes should wear less thanks to regenerative braking.
How safe are electric vehicles?
The automotive industry is heavily regulated, ensuring all products are safe. Beyond statutory standards of electric car safety there are Euro NCAP ratings, providing an “out of 5 star” rating. Like conventional vehicles, in the event of a collision, there is a small chance that a vehicle part may receive an active charge, or that short-circuiting could cause an electrical fire, but safety precautions and construction in addition to the statutory standards, as outlined above have limited this risk to an absolute minimum.
Are electric vehicles easy to drive?
Yes. They are a similar to driving with automatic transmission and in some cases, even simpler. You just choose drive or reverse, as with an automatic, but you don’t have to brake as often. This is thanks to the regenerative braking system that slows down the car when you take your foot off the accelerator.
Are electric vehicles as well equipped as conventional vehicles?
The equipment is the same for comfort, safety and technology. Electric vehicles may also have added features to help you manage your journey, such as a connected navigation system showing charge points or a smartphone application to control your charge from your phone.
Which car models are currently available?
We already offer quite a few electric vehicles and there are many more on the way. Our current range features:
