For over 40 years, Novuna Vehicle Solutions has provided car leasing solutions. Today, while personal leasing services are no longer something they offer, their focus is on business leasing and running one of the best EV salary sacrifice schemes.
They have a good digital offering, including an online driver portal that simplifies vehicle ordering. This portal equips drivers with the latest stock offers, clear cost guidance, lead time estimations, and essential documents like car policies and fact sheets.
- Free Ohme home charger
- 4,000 free miles of charging
- Intelligent Octopus EV tariff
- Public charging via Octopus Electroverse
- All EV's on the market
- Built-in early termination protection
Additionally, they have a UK-wide delivery service and a huge network of approved dealers, along with trained delivery personnel, ensuring that every vehicle handover is thorough and the new owner has a proper orientation of the vehicle, especially handy for EVs when new owners might be new to this type of car.
Novuna Vehicle Solutions Pros & Cons
Pros
- Easy EV ordering online
- Good range of customer support options
- EV Charging solutions for workplace and at-home
- Free nationwide delivery
Cons
- No personal lease options are available
- Salary Sacrifice is unavailable for Smaller Businesses with <1500 staff
- Early termination fees apply
We selected these pros and cons based on the criteria that Electric Car Guide customers identified as the most important to them in our EV owner focus group. We also researched real-world customer reviews on Trustpilot (both positive and negative) and compared Novuna’s features with its nearest competitors.
Am I eligible for a Novuna Vehicle Solutions Salary Sacrifice?
First, for your business to be eligible it must employ 1,500 or more employees.
After entering an electric car salary sacrifice scheme, an employee’s reduced taxable pay must not fall below the National Living Wage. This means that after the salary adjustment, the revised hourly rate must remain greater than the current hourly living wage.
Novuna features at a glance
| Contract | Business Contract Hire (BCH) or Salary Sacrifice Lease |
| Minimum term | 24 months |
| Early terminiation details | If you leave the company or face financial challenges due to changes, you will still incur a termination fee for ending the vehicle contract early. In situations of financial hardship, you can either arrange a payment plan with your employer or opt for early termination and return the vehicle for a fee. Always consult your policy for specific termination costs. |
| Deposit required | No deposit required |
| Charging add-ons | Novuna Vehicle Solutions provides a comprehensive range of charging solutions for UK businesses. They manage everything from installing charge points at workplaces and depots nationwide to offering specialised charging for vans, HGVs, and Forklifts. Additionally, employees can benefit from personal home chargers, potentially included in their lease agreements. |
| Whats included? | EV Hub: Novunas platform to compare and choose the right electric or plug-in hybrid vehicle based on various criteria. Training: Mandatory four-module pre-delivery EV familiarisation training, covering topics from charging to accident procedures. Workplace Charging: Installation, management, and maintenance of charging points at offices, with a sophisticated Charge Point Management System. Home Charging: Option to include smart home charging points in the lease agreement. Salary Sacrifice Scheme: Offers a new EV, home charge point fitting, maintenance and road tax, breakdown cover and insurance for up to three drivers. |
| Trust Pilot Rating | 4.0 (November 2023) |
| Pros | Easy EV ordering Good Range of Customer Support Solid EV Charging Solutions Free Nationwide Delivery |
| Cons | No Personal Leasing Option Salary Sacrifice Unavailable for Smaller Businesses Early Termination Fees Apply |
| Eligibility | To qualify for Novuna's Salary Sacrifice scheme, your company must have at least 1,500 employees. Individual participants must ensure their adjusted taxable pay doesn't fall below the National Living Wage after the sacrifice. |
| Customer support | Helpline: Call 0344 463 2900, available Mon-Fri, 8:30am to 5pm. Chat online: Get instant answers on Novunas website. Enquiry Form: Fill out the online form for detailed queries or feedback. |
Novuna Vehicle Solutions full review
For over four decades, Novuna Vehicle Solutions has been offering comprehensive business leasing and electric car salary sacrifice options (personal EV leasing is no longer offered).
Novuna provides Business Contract Hire (BCH) contracts and Salary Sacrifice Lease agreements to UK-based companies.
Early termination protection
Novuna does not publish early termination guidance for standard business leases, this varies depending on your employee’s arrangement with Novuna.
For electric car salary sacrifice scheme participants, the following early termination information is provided:
Leaving the Company
Should you choose to part ways with the company, be aware that ending the vehicle contract prematurely will incur a termination fee. Check out your own policy for specifics on these early termination costs.
Lifestyle Changes Impacting Affordability
If unforeseen circumstances such as maternity or parental leave, extended sickness, or unpaid leave affect your ability to keep up with the monthly lease, Novunas Salary Sacrifice agreement still binds you to lease payments for the contract’s entirety.
However, there are options:
- Work with your employer to draft a feasible payment plan.
- Opt for an early termination, pay the corresponding fee, and return the vehicle.
What’s included with a Novuna lease?
Help Choosing the Right Electric Car
Novuna provides an ‘EV Hub’ to help employees transition to electric driving. This platform covers all electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles available, offering an easy-to-use search facility. Whether you prioritise range, charging speed, or boot space, you can compare options and find the perfect EV fit.
Electric Car Training
Partnering with Applied Driving, Novuna has curated a mandatory four-module pre-delivery EV familiarisation training. This program covers topics such as how to charge, servicing, brake regeneration, and guidance for accidents or EV breakdowns.
Workplace Charging
When you lease your Company Car fleet with Novuna, they will install, manage, and maintain all the necessary charging points at your offices. Their Charge Point Management System helps businesses understand usage patterns and optimise charging.
Home Charging
Novuna offers home charging options for employees. This can be included in the company car agreement or through the electric car salary sacrifice scheme. The home charge points will all include the latest smart charging technology, allowing drivers to manage usage, set charging schedules, and more via smartphones.
Salary Sacrifice Scheme Options
For those considering the Electric Car Salary Sacrifice Scheme, there are added perks. Salary Sacrifice agreements include a brand-new electric car, home charge point fitting, comprehensive maintenance, electric car breakdown cover and car insurance for up to three drivers.
What EV charging add-ons does Novuna offer?
As well as providing electric vehicles, Novuna offer solutions for businesses looking to offer charging options.
Workplace and Depot Charging
Novuna handles all aspects of charge points at your offices and depots nationwide.
As well as standard electric company car charging, they can provide charging options for vans, HGVs, and Forklifts, offering DC charging solutions especially for depots and warehouses. All these services are efficiently overseen through their Charge Point Management System.
Home Charging
Employees have the opportunity to get personal home chargers installed, with the costs potentially included in their lease agreement. Novuna oversee the home charger installation process and they even conduct site surveys to help plan the installation.
Novuna customer support options
Customer Helpline: Novuna has a dedicated helpline to assist with any queries, 0344 463 2900 from Monday to Friday, between 8:30am to 5pm.
Online Chat: For instant answers and support, Novuna online chat support is available on their website. We tested it, It’s an automated bot initially that isn’t able to answer specific typed queries. Customers are eventually channelled through to a human who tried to help but could not answer specific vehicle lease enquiries without capturing my data and passing me over to a sales team.
Online Enquiry Form: Novunas online enquiry form is available if you prefer to email.
What Novuna Vehicle Solutions does well
Easy ordering
The online driver portal makes quoting and ordering new company vehicles straightforward and user-friendly.
Good Range of Customer Support
Novuna provides plenty of customer support options, including a dedicated helpline, an online chat function, and an online enquiry form.
Solid EV Charging Solutions
Novuna has a great range of electric vehicle charging options for both home and workplace charging.
Nationwide Delivery
They offer a UK-wide delivery service through their approved dealership network.
Where Novuna Vehicle Solutions falls short
No Personal Leasing Option
Novuna no longer provides personal leasing services directly through its platform.
Salary Sacrifice Restrictions
The Salary Sacrifice scheme is not available for smaller businesses with fewer than 1,500 employees.
Termination Fees Apply
Early termination, whether due to leaving the company or lifestyle changes, will result in additional fees.
The final word on Novuna Vehicle Solutions
Novuna Vehicle Solutions has plenty of experience in the business leasing landscape and offers a good solution to a business that might need a bespoke fleet and a tailored approach. Novuna provides an easy online ordering process and a diverse range of EV charging solutions that can be included in the cost of a lease.
Potential clients should be mindful of the high bar for salary sacrifice eligibility criteria and the early termination fees.
- Free Ohme home charger
- 4,000 free miles of charging
- Intelligent Octopus EV tariff
- Public charging via Octopus Electroverse
- All EV's on the market
- Built-in early termination protection
Help if you’re struggling with debt from car subscriptions or leases
Late payments on car subscriptions or leases can lead to financial difficulties. If you find yourself struggling with debt from car subscriptions or leases, it is essential to seek professional guidance. Several debt advice services can help:
- StepChange: StepChange offers debt management plans tailored to your situation
- Citizens Advice: Offering free and confidential advice on managing debts.
- National Debtline: National Debtline is a helpline specifically designed to assist with personal debt, including car subscription or lease obligations.
- MoneyHelper (formerly The Money Advice Service): Providing tools and support to help you understand your options and make informed decisions.
Remember, the terms of car subscriptions and leases can vary significantly, so it’s really important to read and understand your specific agreements and obligations.
Novuna Vehicle Solutions review methodology
At Electric Car Guide, our review of Novuna Vehicle Solutions was conducted with impartiality and an in-depth understanding of what electric car users value. Here’s how we worked through our evaluation:
- Customer Feedback from Electric Car Guide: We surveyed users from our EV focus group. These insights offered us a firsthand view of real-world experiences and business leasing expectations, allowing us to frame our review around actual user needs and preferences.
- Reviews: We took into account both positive and negative reviews from Trustpilot. This provided a balanced perspective, acknowledging the praises and criticisms Novuna Vehicle Solutions has received from a diverse range of customers.
- Comparison with Competitors: We compared Novuna Vehicle Solutions’ features, offerings, and customer experience against their nearest competitors in the electric car subscription market. This enabled us to gauge Novuna Vehicle Solutions standing in the industry, highlighting its strengths and areas for improvement.
John is the Editor and Spokesperson for Electric Car Guide.
With over 20 years of writing experience, he has written for titles such as City AM, FE News and NerdWallet.com, covering various automotive and personal finance topics.
John’s market commentary has been covered by the likes of The Express, The Independent, Yahoo Finance and The Evening Standard.
