The Government just can’t seem to stop tinkering with company car tax. The rules surrounding benefit-in-kind (BIK) tax for being given a company car were dramatically overhauled in January, sending the tax bills of many spiralling. However, in March, the Government decided what was needed was a good old-fashioned U-turn, and this in spite of being repeatedly told by the car trade in Ireland that what it needs is clear rules, laid out for some years ahead in order to be able to respond properly to demand.
The good news is that the new rules mean there is now an extra €10,000 bonus on top of the old €35,000 that was previously granted to company car users getting an electric car. It means that, for tax purposes, you can essentially wipe out €45,000 of your new EV’s purchase price, sending your BIK bill tumbling.
The even better news is that with the arrival of several key new models on the market in the past 18 months your choice of genuinely excellent EVs which cost less than €45,000 is now really good. Here’s our pick of the best ones. Obviously, you’ll need to check things carefully with your accountant, your tax adviser or your company car provider but, for most BIK payers, picking one of these electric cars should result in a zero bill at the end of the year, opening up the potential for enjoying a nice new car at basically no cost to you.
Just stay on your toes – the rules could all change again next week.
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Citroen e-C4 (Feel Pack). Purchase price: €39,789
Citroen has managed to mix its classic reputation for quirkiness with a dollop of common sense and careful pricing for the all-electric version of the C4 hatchback. Well, we say hatchback – actually the C4 gets slightly raised-up ride height which kinda-sorta pushes it into the crossover or even SUV world, and its sharp styling is a match for more traditional crossovers such as the Toyota C-HR.
The e-C4 version gets 50kWh of battery capacity, which gives it a theoretical range of up to 350km on a single charge; and, as with the petrol-engined, versions it’s a very comfortable and easy-going car to drive. It’ll recharge at speeds of up to 100kW from a high-speed public charger, so you’ll not spend too much time hanging around on longer journeys. Lots of space in the back and boot too.
MG 4 (Exclusive Trim, Long Range). Purchase price: €34,495
MG is a brand your grandad might have talked about – all tweed caps, leather gloves and banjaxed head gaskets leaving you stranded at the side of the road – but while the original MG died as part of the MG-Rover Group’s collapse in 2005, the badge was bought and has been resurrected by Chinese car-making giant Shanghai Automotive Industrial Corporation (SAIC). MG has plans to make an all-electric sports car in the mould of its classic models, but it has re-entered the European market in a big way with this MG 4 electric hatchback.
It’s sized to compete with the likes of Volkswagen’s ID. 3, but it’s more than €10,000 cheaper model for model. Our notional €40,000 budget gets you a top-spec Exclusive Trim with the big 64kWh battery and a potential 450km range (more like 380km in the real world, but that’s still not bad). The MG suffers slightly from a cabin that feels a little cheap, but it’s more invigorating to drive than you might expect, and it’s roomy enough to fit the family in.
GWM Ora Funky Cat (Pro 400+). Purchase price: €39,995
Yes, it has a daft name and, yes, it looks like a cross between an original VW Beetle and a Nissan Micra, but the Ora Funky Cat is a more serious car than you might initially expect. The Ora brand is part of yet another vast Chinese manufacturing monolith, Great Wall Motors, and while it looks cutesy on the outside, the Funky Cat is deadly serious underneath. It’s offered in two versions – there’s a basic Pro 300 model, which gets a 310km range on one charge, but our budget gets you the top-spec Pro 400+ version, which gets a bigger battery and a potential 420km range (although that drops to under 300km if you’re on the motorway).
The cabin is really lovely, dominated by two digital screens (one for your instruments, one for infotainment) and it feels well made and roomy inside, easily as spacious as more expensive models from VW and Renault (although the boot is hopelessly small). There are some niggles – the screens are slightly awkward to use at times, and there’s an annoying lack of a rear windscreen wiper, but this Pro 400+ spec does get you heated and cooled front seats, a panoramic sunroof, active cruise control and much more. Daft name, but a serious car and it’s well worth considering.
Renault Megane E-Tech (Equilibre 40kW 130 Boost). Purchase price: €37,495
Renault is the first major European car maker to take a popular, well-known family car badge and turn it over to all-electric power. The Megane, popular for more than two decades, is now battery-powered only, and comes in two versions. Our budget gets us either of the two battery and motor versions available – the basic model has a 160hp motor and a 40kW battery with a 300km range – but spend a little more you and you could get into the 450km, 220hp version. Either way, you’re getting a fantastic car that looks great, has a high-tech, high-quality interior and is very good to drive (not always the case with electric cars). The clever infotainment system has Google Maps, Assistant and Play Store built-in and if the range on this one is a little short, then the clever 22kW AC charging system means you can top up quickly from kerbside charging points.
Drawbacks are that it’s not as roomy in the back as some rivals and the view out of the tiny rear screen is almost non-existent. There’s also a bit of lever overload behind the steering wheel with a gear selector, windscreen wiper stalk and stalk for the stereo controls all behind the right hand side of the steering wheel. Still, not many EVs are this stylish.
Hyundai Ioniq 5 (58kWh Executive) Purchase price: €40,995
The Ioniq 5 has been a massive hit for Hyundai, often topping the electric model sales charts in the Irish market since it was put on sale. It’s a much bigger car than it initially looks – although Hyundai has styled it to pay some homage to the original Hyundai Pony hatchback, the car that first launched Hyundai as a car-making brand in the 1970s (and which was itself inspired to an extent by the original Morris Marina), the Ioniq 5 is actually pretty massive – closer to a Volvo XC60 in overall size and interior space.
Underneath is Hyundai’s G-EMP electric car platform, and even though our budget gets you only the small-battery model, you’re still getting a 58kWh battery pack, very rapid charging and a reliable 385km one-charge range. Inside, the Ioniq 5 is massive – there’s proper lounging space both in the front and back – and it has a gorgeous, pared-back style (just like the outside). It’s also very good to drive, far sharper on corners than you might expect. As an all-round electric proposition, a balance between space, pace, price and range it’s pretty hard to beat, to be honest.
