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Josh Newbury, Member of Parliament for Cannock Chase, visited Jurni’s Cannock office to hear directly from a local vehicle leasing business about the pressures facing drivers and the wider sector as it supports the transition to electric vehicles.
During the visit, Mr Newbury met with representatives from Jurni and the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA), the trade body representing more than 1,000 companies across vehicle rental, leasing and fleet management.
Josh heard about Jurni’s work supporting drivers and businesses across the country. Across its business, Jurni employs around 100 people and helps put around 8,500 vehicles on the road each year, giving customers access to the cars and vans they rely on.
The challenge of switching to electric
The discussion focused on the challenge of encouraging more drivers and fleets to choose electric vehicles. Jurni and the BVRLA warned that demand remains fragile and that Government policy must give businesses and consumers clear financial reasons to make the switch.
BVRLA data shows that just 20% of personal contract hire cars are fully electric, while company car and salary sacrifice drivers account for the lion’s share of battery electric car sales. Leasing companies report that BEVs typically make up more than 90% of new company car order books, driven by supportive Benefit-in-Kind taxation, highlighting the powerful impact that tax policy can have on demand.
90%+
of new company car order books are typically made up of battery electric vehicles
Jurni and the BVRLA therefore stressed the importance of maintaining long-term certainty over company car tax. The Benefit in Kind rate for zero-emission company cars is due to reach 9% in 2029/30, and the sector is calling for this rate to be maintained beyond 2030 so employers, drivers and leasing companies can continue to invest with confidence.
Government fleet choices
The meeting also considered how Government can lead by example through its own vehicle procurement and hire arrangements. Mr Newbury has previously raised this issue in Parliament, asking Government departments what proportion of the vehicles they rent are electric.
Responses to his questions highlighted the challenge. The Department for Business and Trade reported that only four of 672 vehicle rentals in 2024/25 were electric, while the Department for Work and Pensions said that just one of the 1,023 vehicles it hired in March 2025 was fully electric. Jurni and the BVRLA argued that increasing electric vehicle use across Government fleets and contracts could help support demand while demonstrating confidence in the technology.
4
of 672 vehicle rentals were electric
1
of 1,023 vehicles hired were fully electric
Concerns over eVED
Against this backdrop, particular concern was raised about the proposed electric Vehicle Excise Duty (eVED), which would introduce a pay-per-mile charge for electric vehicles from 2028. Jurni and the BVRLA has warned that introducing a new and highly visible cost for electric driving could weaken demand at precisely the point when greater uptake is needed.
In Cannock Chase, for instance, BVRLA and New Automotive analysis estimates that Pay Per Mile could cost electric and plug-in hybrid drivers around £2.85 million a year by 2028. An EV driver in the constituency could pay around £210 a year, while a plug-in hybrid driver could face an additional £105.
What could eVED mean for Cannock Chase?
£2.85m
a year by 2028
£210
a year for an EV driver
£105
additional cost for a plug-in hybrid driver
The impact is particularly significant as the number of cleaner vehicles on Cannock Chase’s roads grows. By 2028, the constituency is projected to have more than 11,000 EVs and almost 4,800 plug-in hybrids. BVRLA has warned that adding a new annual cost risks penalising local drivers who have already made the switch, while making it harder to persuade others to do so.
Josh Newbury, MP for Cannock Chase, said:
“It was great to visit Jurni’s Cannock office to hear directly from a local business about various issues in the vehicle leasing sector. We talked about the barriers that face individual drivers, employers and fleet operators when it comes to switching to electric vehicles. That transition has got to be practical and affordable, or we simply won’t bring down transport emissions.
I strongly believe that the Government needs to lead by example with its own fleet leasing, but work I have done in Parliament suggests this often isn’t the case as things stand. I also heard loud and clear that tax certainty will be critical too and these are points I will take back to Parliament in the weeks and months ahead.”
Nickie Brooks, Chief Compliance Officer at Jurni, said:
“We were delighted to welcome Josh Newbury to Jurni in Cannock and to discuss the issues affecting our customers and the wider leasing sector.”
“From eVED and company car tax to government fleet choices and the pressures facing minibus operators, policy decisions have a direct effect on affordability and confidence. We are grateful to Josh for taking the time to understand these issues and for agreeing to raise them with Government.”
Catherine Bowen, BVRLA, said:
“Visits like this are an important way of showing how national tax and transport decisions affect local businesses and drivers. Confidence in the electric vehicle market is already fragile, and introducing another visible cost for drivers from 2028 risks weakening demand.
“A flat mileage charge could also hit drivers in rural and commuter areas particularly hard because they often have little choice but to travel further. The Government should reconsider the policy and make sure the tax system supports rather than undermines the transition to electric vehicles.”
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