Plug-in hybrids are an excellent choice to get started on the path towards our electric future. Offering many of the advantages of battery-electric vehicles but without some of the disadvantages, they have much going for them. That’s no different in Central Europe.

At the moment, the uptake of electric cars is low in Central Europe. In Hungary, 0.29% of the national fleet is electric, compared to a whopping 15.83% in Norway. The numbers are growing, though, and will continue to grow over the next few years.

From a financial point of view, electric cars can certainly make sense. They benefit from tax incentives, even though those are often modest in Central Europe. But, as more affordable models are being added to the market, they are brought within reach of more fleets.

BEVs and PHEVs are also an important tool to meeting CO2 emission targets, particularly useful for companies bound by international car policies.

Growing charging networks

Electric cars have lower running costs and charging them with electricity is typically cheaper than filling up with diesel or petrol (unless you only use fast chargers). Central Europe is making great strides towards rolling out a broad charging network. Poland, for instance, doubled its charging infrastructure in only one year’s time – admittedly, from a low base.

Until charging infrastructure gets more widespread, the case for plug-in hybrids is very strong. In the large cities it is usually fine but making trips in other, more rural areas, you find charging facilities are still sparse. In most Central European countries, tax benefits for PHEVs are in place but they do let you run on petrol (some models also on diesel) if you run out of electric juice. When an infrastructure has not matured yet, the flexibility that a combination of an electric engine and internal combustion engine offer, opens the door to E-mobility for everyone!

However, PHEVs should be charged as often as you can to avoid turning them into a more expensive petrol car. It also helps to try and charge at normal chargers as much as possible, because electricity delivered by fast chargers is far more expensive.

Expertise and profiling

Adding PHEVs to the fleet requires specialist knowledge and expertise. Different markets have different tax incentives and charging infrastructure maturity varies widely, too. Importantly, you need to analyze a driver’s needs and habit to ensure the car matches the driver’s travel behavior and needs based on usage, costs and range, Business Lease looks at the direct and indirect costs and gives customers substantiated advice.

At Business Lease, dedicated teams understand the ins and outs of E-mobility. They know what incentives are available in each market, what vehicles make most sense for what drivers and they can also connect you with partners to install chargers for reduced tariffs.

Find out more on our website or get in touch with one of our International team members for more information: www.businesslease.com/international

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