Your Company Car Just Went Electric. Now What?

The tax savings are real. The admin is real too. Here is what UK business drivers need to know to stay compliant, get reimbursed correctly, and stop charging business miles through the wrong mix of apps.

So your company car is now electric. Welcome to lower running costs, quieter journeys, instant torque and a Benefit-in-Kind position that still makes electric company cars one of the strongest financial choices for UK business drivers.

But there is another side to the story.

Going electric as a company car driver introduces new rules, new habits and new admin. You need to understand advisory electricity rates. You need mileage records. You may need charging receipts. Your employer may still be updating its expense policy. And public charging often means moving between several networks, each with its own app, account and receipt process.

This guide explains what matters, what has changed, and how to make the admin easier.

First, the Good News: Electric Company Car Tax Is Still Strong

For many UK business drivers, the electric company car still makes excellent financial sense.

For the 2026/27 tax year, fully electric company cars have a Benefit-in-Kind rate of 4%. That is significantly lower than many petrol or diesel company cars, where the appropriate percentage can be much higher depending on CO2 emissions.

The rates are rising gradually in future tax years, so drivers and employers should always check the current HMRC position before making decisions. Even with those increases, electric company cars remain highly tax-efficient compared with many internal combustion engine alternatives.

Salary sacrifice can make the position even more attractive where an employer offers a suitable scheme. The employee gives up part of gross salary in exchange for the vehicle benefit, while the low electric vehicle BiK rate helps protect much of the saving.

The financial case is strong. The practical challenge is making sure the expenses and charging records are handled properly.

Understanding HMRC Advisory Electricity Rates

This is where many electric company car drivers need to pay attention.

HMRC advisory fuel rates now include separate advisory electric rates for fully electric company cars depending on where the charging takes place.

From 1 June 2026, the advisory electric rates are:

Home charging: 7p per mile
Public charging: 15p per mile

That split matters.

If a driver completes 1,000 business miles using public charging, the difference between 7p and 15p per mile is £80 for that month. Across a year, that can become a meaningful amount of money.

Drivers should check whether their employer’s expenses policy has been updated to reflect the current HMRC advisory electric rates. If the policy still treats all electric company car mileage as one flat rate, it may not reflect the real cost of public charging.

HMRC also states that a higher amount than the advisory rate can be used where the fuel cost per mile is higher and the cost can be evidenced. For EV drivers, that makes accurate records and charging receipts especially important.

The Receipt Problem for Business EV Drivers

Every business EV driver knows the problem.

You charge at a motorway hub after a client meeting. You pay in an app. The session finishes. Three weeks later, your expenses system asks for evidence, and you are searching through a charging network account you barely remember using.

Now multiply that by several public charging sessions per month, across different networks, with different receipt formats and different account histories.

This is where electric company car admin becomes frustrating.

HMRC expects records for business mileage and the actual cost of fuel or electricity where claims are being made. For company car drivers, that means mileage logs and evidence of charging costs should be kept clearly and consistently.

A clean charging receipt should ideally show:

The charging network
The charge point location
The session date and time
The session duration
The kWh delivered
The total cost
The payment reference or receipt number

That is why automation matters.

Every public charging session started through ONEEV generates a digital receipt, giving business drivers a clearer record of charging activity without searching through several network apps later.

Workplace Charging: What Your Employer Should Know

Workplace charging can be one of the simplest ways to support electric company car drivers.

The Workplace Charging Scheme provides eligible businesses, charities and public sector organisations with support towards the cost of installing workplace charge points. From 1 April 2026, the maximum grant increased to up to £500 per socket.

Employers can apply for support for up to 40 sockets across their sites, subject to scheme rules and eligibility.

The tax treatment can also be favourable. GOV.UK guidance confirms that charging facilities, including electricity, can be exempt from Income Tax and National Insurance where the facilities are provided at or near the workplace and made available generally to employees.

For business drivers, this means workplace charging can be a genuine benefit when implemented properly. For employers, it helps support fleet electrification, staff convenience and lower running costs.

Charging Across Multiple Networks Creates Admin Risk

UK business drivers rarely charge on one network only.

One week might involve charging near the office. The next might involve a motorway stop, a hotel charger, a retail park charger, or a charge point close to a client site.

That means different networks, different payment systems, different apps and different receipt journeys.

For personal drivers, this is irritating.

For business drivers, it creates an audit trail problem.

If your charging evidence is split across several apps, email inboxes and payment records, monthly expense claims become harder than they need to be. It also increases the chance of missing a receipt, claiming at the wrong rate, or failing to evidence the difference between home and public charging.

The smarter approach is to consolidate as much public charging as possible through one app with consistent payment records, session history and digital receipts.

That is where ONEEV helps.

ONEEV gives drivers access to thousands of UK and Ireland charge points through one platform, with transparent pricing, secure in-app payment and automated digital receipts for every session.

Download the ONEEV app and simplify public EV charging for business mileage.

A Practical Compliance Checklist for Electric Company Car Drivers

1. Keep a proper mileage log

Record the date, journey reason, start point, end point and business miles travelled. If you use both home and public charging, keep enough detail to support the rate being claimed.

2. Check the current HMRC advisory electric rates

From 1 June 2026, the rates are 7p per mile for home charging and 15p per mile for public charging. These rates can change, so drivers and employers should check the current HMRC table regularly.

3. Save charging receipts every time

Use a charging app that automatically generates receipts. If a receipt is not produced automatically, save screenshots and transaction confirmations immediately.

4. Separate home and public charging records

If you charge at home and in public, separate the evidence. Home charging records may come from a smart charger app or energy records. Public charging should be supported by session receipts.

5. Understand your P11D position

Your company car benefit is normally reported through the employer process. Make sure the vehicle details, P11D value and fuel type are correct.

6. Ask about workplace charging

If your employer has electric company cars but no workplace charging, there may be a good business case to install it, especially while grant support remains available.

Why ONEEV Matters for Business Drivers

Business EV drivers need more than a map.

They need a simple way to find chargers, understand pricing, pay securely, store session history and access receipts when expenses are due.

ONEEV was built to reduce the friction that comes from fragmented public charging.

With ONEEV, drivers can:

Find public EV chargers across thousands of UK and Ireland charge points
View charger availability and pricing before charging
Use secure in-app payment
Receive automated digital receipts
Keep a clearer session history for expense records
Use the app without a subscription

For company car drivers, that turns public charging from a scattered admin task into a more manageable process.

The Bottom Line

The electric company car remains one of the most attractive options for UK business drivers.

The tax position is strong. Running costs can be lower. Workplace charging can be tax-efficient when structured properly. Public charging reimbursement is now better aligned to real-world costs through separate home and public advisory electric rates.

But the benefits are only fully realised when the admin works.

That means correct mileage records, current expense policies, clear charging receipts and one reliable way to manage public charging.

ONEEV was built to help with that last part.

One app. Secure in-app payment. Automated receipts. Full session history. No subscription.

Because your company car went electric to save you money. The app you use to charge it should save you time.

Download ONEEV today and make public EV charging simpler for business driving.

Useful ONEEV Links

External Sources

FAQs

What is the HMRC advisory electric rate for company cars in 2026?

From 1 June 2026, HMRC’s advisory electric rates for fully electric company cars are 7p per mile for home charging and 15p per mile for public charging.

Can I claim public EV charging costs for business mileage?

Yes, where the charging relates to business travel in a company car and the claim is supported by suitable records. Drivers should keep mileage logs and charging receipts.

Is workplace EV charging taxable for employees?

Workplace charging can be exempt from Income Tax and National Insurance where charging facilities are provided at or near the workplace and made available generally to employees.

Does ONEEV provide receipts for EV charging?

Yes. Charging sessions completed through ONEEV generate digital receipts, helping business drivers maintain clearer records for expenses and reimbursement.

Does ONEEV require a subscription?

No. ONEEV is subscription-free and designed to help drivers find, start, stop and pay for public EV charging through one app.

Your Company Car Just Went Electric. Now What? A No-Nonsense Guide for UK Business Drivers