Independent healthcare provider, Novus Health, has implemented an electric car salary sacrifice scheme for staff in conjunction with Glasgow-based fleet management and leasing expert, Fleet Alliance, to provide them with a wider array of employee benefits.

Novus Health was set up in 2007 by a number of GP’s practices in the Wakefield and Five Towns region. And although it is not owned by the NHS, the shareholders are all local NHS employees, both GPs and hospital specialists, while the organisation is run by a board of local GPs and GP practice managers.

Novus Health Staff Have Wide Range of EVs to Choose From

The salary sacrifice scheme is currently available to around 35 eligible staff with a wide choice of electric cars to choose from at very cost-effective rates.

Finance director, Paul Gomersall, said that following extensive research in the salary sacrifice arena, Novus Health was looking to provide a wider array of benefits to staff and shareholders.

“There has been a very positive reaction to the scheme to date. Electric cars are very cost advantageous because of the low taxation associated with them and our staff have appreciated that,” he said.

In terms of communicating the benefits of the scheme to its employees, Novus Health uses various channels including a business intranet and regular emails.

“Fleet Alliance has been very pro-active in communicating the scheme to our staff with a number of launch initiatives to promote its availability plus ongoing communication with employees,” added Paul Gomersall.

Driving Employee Engagement 

Employee communications have included a marketing pack with details such as vehicle availability and rates, with email and Dropbox content to tackle employee questions such as available charging options and vehicle range.

Clinical physiotherapist and first contact physiotherapy lead, Adam Kenny, has an all-electric Mercedes EQA 250+ 140kw AMG Line Executive five-door automatic through the Fleet Alliance scheme, and has been very impressed with the vehicle and the support offered.

“This is my first electric car and first Mercedes. I am loving the cheap running costs and, as the car is fully maintained, there is nothing to worry about. Fleet Alliance has been great to deal with and helped with the installation of the vehicle charger. I have been very impressed to date.”

Fleet Alliance CEO, Andy Bruce, commented. “Electric cars delivered through a salary sacrifice scheme combine advantageous tax breaks with a sustainable solution for businesses.

“We are witnessing growing numbers of our customers, like Novus Healthcare, going electric by adding either electric vehicles or plug-in hybrids to their fleets as they move to meet their own Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) timetables,” he said.

Fleet Alliance calculates that leasing an EV through one of its salary sacrifice schemes can save up to 60% of the running costs compared with personal contract hire (PCH), while at the same time not impacting on personal credit lines.

“Electric car salary sacrifice offers huge tax benefits. And, as we tender each salary sacrifice lease across the most competitive funders, we can leverage the access to an electric car for our customers and their employees,” he added.