E-bike leasing: optimal financing?
How do you get to the e-bike as quickly as possible without having to save for a long time? Leasing seems to be the way to go to get your dream bike quickly and cheaply.
Bicycle dealers can choose from different providers when it comes to leasing. They often do this without involving you, the actual lessee, in the decision-making process. Velomotion has the offers of the five most common providers compared and identified a clear industry leader in Eurorad.
What is (e-)bike leasing?
Basically, leasing is nothing more than renting a bicycle or e-bike for a certain period of time – usually three years. With leasing - in English: renting - you are not the owner, but pay a monthly rate so that you can use the vehicle. After the lease expires, you can return the bike or buy it at a residual value. The monthly costs, the so-called leasing installments, are usually lower than loan installments. However, you must remember that the bike does not belong to you at the end of the term.
Comprehensive insurance cover for the new bike
Unlike what we know from car leasing, leasing contracts are concluded for bicycles usually very attractive insurance benefits a. The premium protection from Eurorad includes true all-round carefree protection, which even includes accommodation costs or emergency cash - and that throughout Europe. This also includes vandalism; a stolen battery or a display or willful damage to the bike are covered - mostly without participation. Only with the provider Lease-a-Bike (belongs to the bicycle manufacturer Derby Cycle with the brands Focus, Kalkhoff, Raleigh and Univega) does the deductible amount to 10% of the costs (maximum 100 euros).
Mobility guarantee from the leasing providers (click on the provider for details)
This is of interest to all lessees comprehensive protection against wear damage. It doesn't matter whether it's a chain, brake discs or tires - it is important to the leasing providers that their leased vehicle is roadworthy. At Eurorad there is no maximum amount for this, while the other four providers we compared cover maximum amounts of 140 euros (job bike) to 357 euros (bike leasing service) per year. This is also where she plays Test according to the accident prevention regulations (UVV) in. A company bike should, in addition to the explicitly desired private use, also be used on the way to work; In order to be able to enjoy insurance protection as an employee, an e-bike must be checked for road safety and serviced according to the UVV regulations at the end of the first and second year of use. This UVV maintenance is only included in the leasing rate for Eurorad and Lease-a-Bike. This makes offers including UVV examination particularly attractive for employers, as they are fully secured for business use (and that includes the journey to work).
Wear and tear reimbursement leasing provider
refund | capping | SB | |
---|---|---|---|
Euro wheel | from the 1. Day | No | No |
Bike leasing service | from the 1. Day | €238 gross (pa) for a purchase price of up to €5.000 €297 gross (pa) for a purchase price of €5.001 to €10.000 €357 gross (pa) for a purchase price of €10.001 to €15.000 | No |
Business bike leasing | from the 1. Day | 225€ total credit for wear and tear repairs | No |
Lease a bike | from the 1. Day | 200€ gross (pa) | 10% of the costs up to a maximum of €100 net |
Paid transit | from the 7th month | 420€ (gross) (wear and tear and inspections) over the three-year contract period | No |
How does e-bike leasing work?
If you lease a bicycle or e-bike, you pay a fixed monthly rate for the duration of the leasing contract. A leasing contract usually runs for three years. This contract is concluded with the leasing provider via your employer. About a so-called cash wage conversion part of your salary will be converted into a benefit in kind. The employer makes the bike available to the employee and the leasing rate is deducted from the gross salary. Since the loss in net salary is less than in gross, the employee pays significantly less per month than if the bike were financed, for example. The employer, in turn, benefits from lower non-wage labor costs - and of course from healthier employees. Absent days are demonstrably decreasing – those who come to work by bicycle or e-bike live healthier!
What happens at the end of the term?
After the three-year leasing period, all providers bid a possible takeover by the user. A residual value of 10 to 18% of the original acquisition value is applied for this. Normally, a very sensible offer. Incidentally, the tax authorities set a significantly higher residual value of 40% after three years. The buyer would have to pay tax on the difference between this value and the residual value actually paid as a pecuniary benefit. However, the leasing provider assumes this tax burden as a flat rate and handles this tax liability directly with the tax authorities, so that for the buyer neither costs nor bureaucracy arise.
Incidentally, if a leasing contract is to be terminated due to unforeseen reasons (e.g. due to longer parental leave or a sabbatical), Eurorad offers a return option without further financial disadvantages.
A comparison of the five major leasing providers
Anyone who buys a new e-bike is now almost always asked in specialist shops whether they should lease it. We compared the offers of the five most important leasing providers in specialist shops. Both in terms of cost and performance.
The leasing providers are: Bike leasing service, business bike leasing, Eurorad, Jobrad and Lease-a-Bike. Basically is no leasing provider tied to a specific bike brand and also not to a type of bicycle. E-bikes are usually leased, but those who prefer to ride a classic trekking bike to work can do so as well. There is only a “cap” in the purchase price upwards. However, this is only 12.000 or 15.000 euros. There is a minimum price for a leasing bike at Eurorad of 357 euros and goes up to 749 euros at Jobrad.
In our comparison, we calculated the offers of the providers - in each case for an e-bike for 2.500 euros and one for 3.500 euros new.




Best overall package at Eurorad
In comparison, the leasing offer from Eurorad proves to be the cheapest offer, which can also score twice with the most extensive insurance benefits. The differences in the leasing rates are only in the range of one to two euros per month; but all other providers limit their services through deductibles or liability caps. A budget of 200 euros for wear and tear repairs per year is quickly reached with a high-quality e-bike - worries that you don't need to worry about at Eurorad.
Only Lease-a-Bike can score in a financial aspect: Because only 10% residual value is estimated for the residual value when taking over the vehicle, the total costs over the entire term including taking over the bike are reduced compared to other providers. However, this advantage is paid for by deductibles and maximum amounts for insurance benefits.
Finally, it turns out that Eurorad's offer as a total package is the most attractive for the lessee. Bicycle dealers often have the opportunity to conclude the leasing contract with different providers. In everyday life, the provider who supposedly means the least amount of paperwork, whose forms are at hand or where a sales representative was only recently in the house, is often used. So ask specifically about the best offer for you. In order to be optimally prepared and to be able to compare, you will find an overview of the offers we have researched here in the table.
Individual calculation example using the leasing calculator of all providers
Lease calculator Eurorad
Leasing calculator Lease-a-Bike
Leasing calculator Jobrad
Leasing calculator business bike leasing
Leasing calculator bike leasing service