Nissan Ariya: Case Study

The Nissan Ariya was launched in Summer 2022. Utilising Nissan’s EV knowledge from the development of the Leaf over the past 11 years, it was exciting for Tusker to see the first of Nissan’s EV coupe-crossovers hit the UK’s streets.

We caught up with a few of the drivers who were lucky enough to get one of the first deliveries in the UK to get their thoughts on the new Ariya and how it works for them using the Tusker salary sacrifice scheme through their employer.

Our Drivers Thought’s

Geoff Sergeant 

We spoke with Geoff Sergeant, Business Process Consultant at SAP, who, took one of the first deliveries of the Ariya through Tusker. Geoff had previously had a salary sacrifice car with another employer and so was keen for SAP to implement a scheme. He wanted to be able to take advantage of the tax and NI savings, which are unique to this benefit, along with the bundle proposition as he felt insurance could be cost prohibitive. Once implemented, Geoff was keen to order a new EV as these provided the biggest financial savings for him.

Nissan’s heritage with EVs was a key decision making factor for Geoff when he began to look at EVs as the Leaf has been available for more than a decade, he felt Nissan had a good track record in this relatively new technology.

The Ariya also appealed to Geoff as it had a good range of extras available without having to pay extra. On comparing the car to its competitors, Geoff found that there were “pages” of extras to choose from on other models, which were simplified by Nissan as they were available as standard. The technology is very “impressive” for Geoff, and his wife, who was initially sceptical about the move to electric, but now is completely converted – so much so, Geoff sometimes struggles to drive the car as his wife has it!

Martin Butler

We also spoke to with Martin Butler, a Senior Building Surveyor at Buckinghamshire County Council who had done extensive research into electric cars, having listened to podcasts, gone to an EV-based event and visited some dealerships. Martin decided that he needed a range of at least 300 miles before he would make the switch from his petrol car thanks to regular journeys of 150 miles from his home to the New Forest.

The Nissan Ariya fit Martin’s requirements thanks to its long range and comfortable ride. Once Martin placed his order, the Ariya arrived on time and has proven to be a great car for Martin. He comments

“It’s great that I don’t have to stop at service stations and spend a fortune on petrol, I can just plug the car in at home. I find that I’m less tired on long journeys because the car is really responsive and I only have to focus on one-pedal driving thanks to the regenerative braking.”

Thanks to the savings that are available on the salary sacrifice scheme available through Martin’s employer, he was able to “trade up” from his old car into a better model while still saving money on fuel, insurance, servicing and other associated costs, which are covered in his monthly salary deduction.

“If I had chosen to do a personal finance product, such as PCP, I wouldn’t have been able to afford the car” Martin comments.

Kit Wisdom, Operations Director at Tusker, comments,

“We’ve seen high demand for the Ariya on salary sacrifice as drivers look to take advantage of low Benefit in Kind rates and get into an EV for the first time. The Nissan heritage, as well as the comfort and SUV crossover nature of the Ariya, have meant it’s been a great addition to our EV range.”

Find out more about the Tusker Car Benefit Scheme in partnership with CPC Drive: