Select Car Leasing welcomed MP Clive Jones to its headquarters to discuss strategies to help accelerate the UK’s transition to electric vehicles (EVs).
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Mr Jones, Liberal Democrat MP for Wokingham, Berkshire, was joined by representatives from the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA) at Select’s HQ in Reading.
Members of the Select Car Leasing team who met with Mr Jones included Joint CEOs and co-founders of Select, Mark Tongue and James O’Malley, Head of Select Electric Shane Pither, as well as Dee Edwards, Senior Account Manager Regional AR Office Teams.
An array of topics were discussed, including the large discrepancies in the cost of home versus public charging and the need for additional government support to entice motorists to go green.
(L-R - James O'Malley, MP Clive Jones, Zohra Chagani, Mark Tongue)
Mr Jones also heard arguments as to why the Expensive Car Supplement (ECS) threshold should be raised from £40,000 in the case of EVs to avoid detracting from their appeal, with EV’s already typically more expensive than their internal combustion engine (ICE) equivalents.
Zohra Chagani, Senior Policy Advisor with the BVRLA, stressed the importance of interventions in the used EV market to boost demand and to bolster residual values.
Besides the industry’s push to meet the government’s ZEV (Zero Emission Vehicle) mandate, Mr Jones also listened to insights from Select and the BVRLA about the recent Court of Appeal ruling which concluded that a broker can not receive a commission from a lender providing motor finance without obtaining the customer’s ‘fully informed consent’ to the payment.
Mr Jones said: “I’m grateful to Select Car Leasing and the BVRLA for meeting with me and for sharing some of their concerns on government policy relating to the transition to electric vehicles. It was also important to understand some of the wider ramifications of the Court of Appeal’s decision in relation to commission disclosure. To hear such insights from those working at the coalface of the leasing industry was invaluable.”
Shane Pither is the newly-appointed Head of Select’s Electric division. He explained: “This was a fantastic opportunity for Select and the BVRLA to engage MP Clive Jones on some of the challenges customers might face when transitioning to EVs, particularly fleet drivers and individuals living in apartments or terraces where home charging can be complex, as well as businesses losing the EV installation grant after 31st March 2025.”
Mark Tongue, Joint CEO and co-founder of Select Car Leasing, added: “From our own perspective, lease customers are extremely receptive to the many benefits of EVs, with 38% of the vehicles we lease being either fully-electric or plug-in hybrid, which far exceeds the automotive industry’s market share. It was also important that Select and the BVRLA were able to engage Mr Jones on the subject of commission disclosure. It’s an area where Select has always operated with openness and transparency, but which requires legal clarity and certainty going forward.”
Zohra Chagani helped to spearhead the BVRLA’s recent ‘Happy EV After’ campaign, which aims to protect the value of used electric vehicles. She said: “Clive's visit at Select Car Leasing is a welcome and timely show of support for the leasing sector, which remains at the forefront of the transition to electric. Our members and our industry need support, however, if they are to continue playing this leading role. Collapsing used BEV values, for instance, are an immediate concern that threaten the stability of the sector as a whole. It is a huge boost to our members knowing parliamentarians are backing and understanding their key role in the transition to cleaner, greener road transport."
Mr Jones had called for increased investment in EV charging infrastructure as well as parity for VAT rates when it comes to electricity - with VAT on domestic electricity charged at 5% while those using public EV charge points pay 20%.
That, said Mr Jones, was an ‘unnecessary barrier to switching to an electric car for people who aren’t able to charge an EV at home’.
The Liberal Democrats have also called for a return of plug-in grants for cars - including new grants to convert combustion-engine cars to run on electricity.
Mr Jones said: “The Liberal Democrats are committed to tackling the climate crisis and air pollution across the country. We want electric vehicles to be an affordable and practical alternative for all in the near future. We would urge the Government to act now to facilitate the move to electric vehicles through an increase in charging points, reforming vehicle taxation and cutting VAT on EVs.”
Mr Jones, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson on Trade, was elected Liberal Democrat MP for Wokingham in July’s general election.
About Select Car Leasing
Founded in 2004, Select Car Leasing has established itself as one of the UK's leading independent car and van leasing specialists. Today the company has a total fleet of just over 80,000 vehicles on UK roads and close to 300 staff members nationally. Working closely with car manufacturers, major automotive groups and key finance partners,
Select Car Leasing offers some of the most competitive leasing rates in the market, helping to build customer loyalty. The company prides itself on customer satisfaction and has achieved a 5-star 'Excellent' rating on Trustpilot based on circa 40,000 customer reviews, also recently being awarded the UK’s most trusted car leasing company for the third year.
Select Car Leasing is also at the forefront of vehicle electrification, providing industry-leading rates for fully-electric and hybrid vehicles while offering plug-in solutions to business and fleet customers.
About the BVRLA
Representing one in ten cars, one in five vans and one in five trucks in the UK, the BVRLA is at the very heart of British mobility. On behalf of its more than one thousand members, the BVRLA works with policymakers, public sector agencies, regulators and other key stakeholders to ensure that road transport delivers environmental, social and economic benefits to everyone. BVRLA members are leading the charge to decarbonise road transport and are set to register 400,000 new battery electric cars and vans per year by 2025.
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