How used EVs are expanding the salary sacrifice market
Salary sacrifice has become one of the most effective ways for companies to help employees make the switch to electric vehicles (EVs). Attractive tax savings, lower running costs and compelling employer benefits have all helped drive adoption.
As the next phase of that evolution is well underway, BCF Wessex has expanded Gensen Salary Sacrifice to support used EVs, giving leasing companies and brokers the opportunity to broaden salary sacrifice’s accessibility.Rather than replacing new vehicle schemes, used EVs complement them, providing greater choice and offering more affordability to employees who may previously have considered salary sacrifice beyond their budget.
Screenshots from Gensen Salary Sacrifice
What is the market telling us?
The UK’s used EV market has matured rapidly over the last two years. As increasing numbers of ex-fleet EVs enter the market, choice has expanded and affordability has improved.The trend is reflected across the industry too. According to various sources, including Zapmap and the SMMT, a record 86,943 used battery EVs were sold during Q1 2026, a 32% increase on the same period in 2025.Meanwhile, Auto Trader's latest market analysis reports that enquiries for used EVs increased by 27% year-on-year, with demand for three-to-six-year-old cars rising by 50%, highlighting the growing and sustained consumer confidence in the used EV market. For salary sacrifice providers, this creates a compelling opportunity.
Creating opportunity through choice
By introducing used EVs into a salary sacrifice proposition, leasing companies have extended the lifecycle of EVs while supporting broader EV adoption. It enables them to strengthen their overall employee benefit offering and engage customers who may not yet be ready, or simply cannot afford, a brand-new vehicle. And for leasing brokers the opportunity is equally significant. Lower monthly sacrifice costs allow salary sacrifice brokers to reach employees who may previously have fallen outside affordability thresholds by increasing quotation opportunities and providing employees with a wider range of vehicle options. Rather than presenting salary sacrifice as a solution for higher earners, brokers can now offer a proposition that appeals to a much larger proportion of an organisation's workforce.
The initial rollout on Gensen Salary Sacrifice is supported through Lex Autolease’s used vehicle stock, and is now available to leasing brokers looking to strengthen their own salary sacrifice offering.
Creating more value for employers
Employers strive to offer employee benefits that genuinely support recruitment, retention and employee wellbeing without creating unnecessary complexity, or increasing costs.Adding used EVs broadens the appeal of salary sacrifice by giving employees more choice across different price points, while still allowing organisations to maintain focus on their sustainability objectives as well as encouraging the transition towards lower-emission transport.
Some used EV salary sacrifice comparisons
The affordability difference between new and used EV salary sacrifice can be significant, as highlighted by the following comparisons. (Note: You can click to enlarge the table).
ASSUMPTIONS Based on a 3-year contract and 10,000 miles per annum. The driver is a UK higher-rate taxpayer, and a fleet insurance premium of £100 per month is included in the contract.
Backed by specialist expertise
Introducing used EV salary sacrifice requires more than simply adding another vehicle category.
Scheme design and documentation, compliance, marketing and implementation all remain critical to delivering a successful programme.
That's where BCF Wessex continues to differentiate itself. Alongside Gensen Salary Sacrifice, we provide the specialist consultancy, technical support, training and documentation that enable leasing companies and brokers to introduce salary sacrifice with confidence, while ensuring schemes remain commercially viable and, crucially, compliant.
As the salary sacrifice market continues to evolve, used EVs represent a practical way of widening participation without compromising the benefits that have made the model so successful.
For leasing companies and brokers looking to grow their salary sacrifice proposition, it's another opportunity to offer greater choice, reach more employees and support the UK's continuing transition to electric vehicles.
Now is the time to make used EVs part of that conversation.
Thinking about launching a salary sacrifice programme for your customers, or taking your proposition to the next level? Contact us here to help bring this to life for your business.
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