Current fleet
Tales from the battery-powered vehicles in the EV Fleet World car park
Mazda6e EV 258PS Takumi Plus
List Price
BIK
3.8mpkWh
Efficiency
miles (Range)
miles (On fleet)
Conquering the university drop-off is one of the ultimate tests of any family car’s practicality – and one that our Mazda6e passed with aplomb this month.
This polished electric pseudo-saloon may play the part of the executive car well, but it hides a generous 466-litre boot and a clever 72-litre frunk perfect for hiding away extra gear.
This capacity was put to the test during our 250-mile round trip, which required accommodating four passengers and a mountain of luggage.
Fortunately, the Mazda6e swallowed it all with ease, pulling off a neat magic trick thanks to its sleek saloon styling hiding a hatchback tailgate. Better still, the access is wide, the load lip is comfortably low and removing the parcel shelf is easy. Although the boot bay is relatively shallow in terms of depth, due to the high electric vehicle floor, it extends miles back, making it a maestro at fitting in large, flat items such as suitcases and flat-packed student gear. And you have that frunk space too.
The 6e blends all that capability with an interior that meant our journey was relaxed despite the excess of cargo and an impending drop-off with a deadline. With its plush Nappa leather, soft-touch materials and superb noise insulation, the cabin felt more like a premium executive lounge than a packed-to-the-roof removal van. More in the next report, but the Mazda is a masterpiece in balancing everyday practicality with premium comfort.
Despite being heavily laden, driven briskly to make our arrival slot and with the air con on full pelt during above-average temperatures, the Mazda showed commendable efficiency on the motorway. Charging was a breeze too. Amid university parking pandemonium, we decided to avoid the on-site 7kW chargers and managed to find a BP Pulse some 50 yards off our route back with an empty charger. While the charger didn’t hit the car’s 200kW peak, a rapid 11-minute stop dispensed 21.25kWh – comfortably ensuring our return leg. Accounting for the surplus when we got home, we managed to get 280 miles out of a full battery while averaging a solid 3.8mpkWh amid the demanding conditions.
Natalie Middleton
Kia EV5 GT Line S
List Price
BIK
3.5mpkWh
Efficiency
miles (Range)
miles (On fleet)
Kia recently announced an expansion to its range of medium cars, with GT versions of the EV3, EV4 and EV5.
These add an additional motor to the rear of the car, sending drive through both axles, and giving them the capability of handling the extra power. This is welcome news for driving enthusiasts, but they might also be charging enthusiasts, as the extra performance comes at the expense of range. All of the GT variants have the same battery capacity as their front-wheel-drive alter egos.
In any case, I doubt many fleets would green-light GT variants of these cars if the only benefit is extra acceleration. I typically drive every EV in ‘eco’ mode, as the performance tends to be more than adequate, and I have yet to find justification to change my mind.
During previous ‘ownership’ stints with the EV3 and EV4, I found energy efficiency to be exceptional, with a near-guaranteed 300 miles on a full charge. It hasn’t been the case with the larger EV5, although relatively speaking, its aerodynamics are far superior to what we expected of an SUV just a few years ago. The weather is still mild, but the Kia is typically showing a maximum range of around 280 miles, although it always turns out to be lower on a long, high-speed run.
Something I’ve been experimenting with recently is turning off energy recuperation on long routes. Another journalist I was speaking to mentioned an engineer at a car manufacturer told them that freewheeling is more energy efficient than recuperation, and perhaps the theory has a point.
In urban environments with frequent stops, there’s a better chance of putting recaptured energy to good use, but on a motorway, with steady speeds, recuperation and one-pedal driving could lead to fatigue in the right heel!
Simon Harris
BYD Sealion 7 Excellence
List Price
BIK
3.1mpkWh
Efficiency
miles (Range)
miles (On fleet)
How much can you really trust your electric car’s range?
All good relationships are built on trust, so they say. Unfortunately, I’ve been scorned many a time by EVs promising me the world, only to leave me frantically searching for a charger in the middle of nowhere.
It’s all well and good showing off with 300-odd miles on the dash at 100% charge, but what good is that when they start disappearing the moment you set off? Lies.
Well, after several months with the Sealion 7, I’m beginning to feel like it’s got my back – and I think I’m ready to commit.
This month brought another overnight trip to London with two kids in tow. On our first 189-mile stint, we started with 310 miles showing and arrived five miles better off than the maths suggested. After charging, another 91 miles left us three miles in the black.
Not hugely exciting numbers in isolation, but that’s exactly the point. Whatever the battery percentage, the Sealion 7 just seems to do what it says it will. Honesty.
So, on the way home, I decided to put a little more faith in it. Leaving Cockfosters with 71% battery and 195 miles ahead, I resisted the temptation to stop and charge.
As the battery slipped into single figures, I remained remarkably relaxed. We eventually rolled onto the driveway with just 5% remaining and 35 miles still showing – four miles better than predicted.
Maybe I’m getting too trusting, but so far the BYD hasn’t betrayed me. For an EV, I’d call that a pretty healthy relationship.
Richard Bush
Audi A6 Avant S line e-hybrid quattro S tronic
List Price
BIK
109.1
mpg
CO2
57.6
miles (On fleet)
While electric vehicles and salary sacrifice schemes continue to boost fleet new car registrations in the UK, there is still a healthy percentage of employees who take the cash for car option instead.
To these employees, historically making up around 25% of business drivers, the traditional fleet focus on Benefit-in-Kind (BIK) bandings and VED rates carry less weight than badge appeal, vehicle suitability and running costs.
So what would an executive taking a cash allowance do if they needed a family car at the weekend but a vehicle that could eat big miles in the business week?
Certainly an Audi A6 would be high on the list, but which one… petrol, diesel, plug-in hybrid, full electric?
Let’s start with our test car, an e-hybrid S line which on an Audi personal lease would cost £699 a month over three years/30,000 miles with a £4,194 deposit.
The pure TFSI petrol version will cost £640 a month with a £3,840 deposit while a TDI diesel (yes, they do still make them) will set the driver back £661 a month with £3,967 down. Finally, the all-electric A6 e-tron Avant will be £863 a month with £5,183 as a deposit.
But rental alone is not the only cost, and with diesel at £2 a litre any, savings on the lease front will be diluted by the cost of refuelling at the black pump – 30,000 miles at an average 50mpg and costing £2/litre will set you back £5,455. The TFSI petrol returning an average of 35mpg and costing £1.73/litre will cost £6,740 in fuel.
And it is here that the two newer-tech A6s make their case – our plug-in hybrid returning 57.6mpg will cost around £4,000 while the A6 e-tron Avant’s cost will be anything from £500 to £2,000 depending on the home electricity tariff (and excluding public charging).
Obviously a driver unconstrained by a laser focus on BIK bills will apply other factors into their vehicle choice, but the e-hybrid’s mix of frugal fuel economy and affordability make a strong case for it as the pick of the line-up.
Julian Kirk
Cupra Raval V2 Launch Edition 52kWh
FIRST REPORT
List Price
BIK
5.6mpkWh
Efficiency
miles (Range)
miles (On fleet)
After a short interim stint in the hugely impressive 2026MY Cupra Born, FW’s Fleet finally has its hands on Cupra’s latest compact BEV – the much-anticipated Raval.
I will also wager that, like me, our readers won’t have seen another Raval on UK roads, as they’re that hot off the press. But if they have, I would also bet that it’s in the Launch Edition spec that arrived a Fleet World HQ a short time ago. This means the most subtle of colour-changing bodywork paint finishes – official title ‘Plasma Iridescent’ – that is ostensibly grey metallic, but under certain lights, shifts from a purple hue to a green shade. Think petrol in a puddle and you get the idea. And it looks fantastic.
In fact, it was quite opportune swapping the new Raval with the outgoing Born, and being able to see the two cars side-by-side, both now sporting the swooping Cupra rear end, integrated brake light and badge treatment. The Raval is smaller and more compact, of course, and arguably a bit less distinctive at the front end than the muscular-looking Born, but there is no doubt Cupra’s most recent addition is a looker.
As the tail-end of summer was upon us, the Born was comfortably averaging over 300 miles per charge from its (useable) 59kWh battery, and early signs are that the Raval’s 52kWh unit is equally as efficient. Obviously, this is to be expected given that the newer, smaller car shaves around 270kg (the equivalent to four passengers) off the Born’s substantial kerb weight, but it is still reassuring nonetheless.
In fact, I am often asked whether a larger battery EV (such as the 79kWh option available in the latest Born) makes more sense, and my answer is always the same: It depends what sort of journeys drivers will be carrying out, most of the time. My preference would always be to try and optimise the efficiency of each mile travelled, but not to the extent that it impacts the driver’s normal daily routine.
Most EV drivers now – and even newbie converts seem to adapt remarkably quickly – are quite savvy when it comes to how and where to charge. The infrastructure is now more workable, and those who have the benefit of home charging can be a lot more flexible.
For the average company car driver, the 52kWh Raval probably represents the pick of the range as, even in winter, it will offer around 240 miles per charge. However, this statement isn’t intended to discount the 37kWh Raval, which represents the entry level of the new model and – depending on spec – a significant cost-saving over the larger battery variant. Early indications are that a 37kWh Raval would work fantastically well for someone with a more urban-based commute and daily routine such as mine.
In V2 trim, our Launch Edition offers 210hp, which is a substantial jump up from the 135hp on offer in a V2 37kWh battery model. The range pricing appears logical and creates accessible entry points for company car drivers, many of whom will appreciate neat new features such as the Tesla-style flush/extruding door handles. First impressions are that it’s brilliant to drive too, but more on that next time.
Luke Wikner
