Company bike leasing 2024 - How does it work?: E-bike leasing comparison 2024 – Which leasing provider is the best?

E-bike leasing comparison 2024: We show how e-bike leasing works and which leasing provider has the best offers.

E-Bike Leasing Comparison 2024 – This is how we tested

Our 2024 E-Bike Leasing Comparison is the largest and most comprehensive test with now twelve providers.
All providers received a questionnaire to answer questions about themselves. The answers given were compared with the practical experience we had with the respective leasing provider. Of course, this is where self-assessment and reality occasionally diverge.
We have already processed numerous leasing contracts ourselves, and since we have been carrying out leasing comparisons for several years, we have accompanied a number of leased e-bikes until the bike was finally paid off after 36 months. We were able to follow leasing processes with other providers at friendly dealers and ask about the dealers' experiences.

For our 2024 e-bike leasing comparison, we sent all providers a standard questionnaire. We asked about the leasing and service rates for a bike with a sales price of 4.000 and 6.000 euros respectively. We also asked about insurance and service features, as well as background information such as the leasing factor or whether the specialist dealer charges commission. We checked all information provided by the providers and compared it with the respective leasing calculator that (almost) all providers offer on their website.
The provider Rad im Dienst, which specializes in public service employees, plays a special role. However, Rad im Dienst is by no means exclusive to this role; all other providers in our comparison can also be used by public service employees.

How does leasing an e-bike work?

In principle, every employee can lease a bicycle or e-bike through their employer in what is known as a salary conversion. This leasing is subsidized by the state, as the leasing rate is deducted from the gross salary, thereby reducing the taxable income. At the end, the user of the bike pays a net amount that is significantly lower than the purchase price of the bike over the leasing period of 36 months. The leasing company remains the owner during the 36 months. The contractual partner is the employer and the user is the employee, who can use the bike as he or she pleases - whether on the way to work or in their free time.

Who offers company bike leasing?

There are currently twelve relevant providers on the market for the Company bike leasingOf these, around half share the largest part of the market. With around one million bikes leased in Germany in 2023 at an average sales price of 3.500 euros, we are talking about a market with a volume of almost four billion euros. It is therefore obvious that this market is highly competitive and that leasing providers are fighting for market share and market position.

For this reason, Velomotion has been testing the portfolio of leasing companies for several years. We have found that some of the providers' services have become increasingly similar, but others - mainly hidden in the small print - have significant differences.

As a rule, the employee is limited to the leasing provider with whom his employer has concluded a framework agreement. It is therefore all the more important that the employer makes a smart decision and selects the best possible partner for his employees - and therefore also for himself.

The leasing providers in the e-bike leasing comparison 2024 are:

Bike Leasing Service, business bike, Company bike, German service bike, Eleaza, Euro wheel, Paid transit, Kazenmaier Leasing, Lease a bike, Linexo, My company bike, Bike in service

What advantages do I have as an employer when leasing a company bike?

It’s simple – employers gain happier, healthier, more active employees. Studies prove this, such as the largest study ever conducted on the topic of e-bikes and health: In a joint Study by Eurorad/ZEG and the Medical School in Hannover, Professor Dr. Uwe Tegtbur and his team prove that people who ride e-bikes move more than traditional cyclists and drastically reduce their risk of common diseases such as cardiovascular disease or diabetes.

As an employer, I therefore already benefit from fewer days off due to illness. Company bike leasing is also an excellent method of employee retention - after all, as a boss, I have to seriously consider how I am attractive as an employer in order to attract and retain skilled workers. A stylish e-MTB that is subsidized by the company is an excellent measure for employee retention and recruitment and is also relevant for corporate health management (BGM).

What advantages do I have as an employee through company bike leasing?

First of all, I save money compared to buying directly - this applies to all providers tested. However, the amount of money saved varies considerably depending on the leasing company. For an e-bike with a purchase price of 4.000 euros (including taking over the bike at the end of the leasing period), you can save around 170 euros at Businessbike, and even more than 500 euros at Eurorad or Deutsche Dienstrad.
On top of that, the new bike is first-class insured when leased – an insurance that, if taken out separately over three years when purchased, would cost several hundred euros.
However, the insurance benefits vary depending on the provider. Theft and damage are insured, but also wear parts to varying degrees and at least an annual service are included. When evaluating the entire insurance package, Velomotion came to the conclusion - as it did last year - that Eurorad's offer is the most attractive in the package. All wear-related repairs and services are covered from day one without any restrictions. This is an advantage that also benefits the employer. This means that they can guarantee that they have ensured that their employees have a fully functional and roadworthy bike at all times. This is important for them so that they do not become liable in the event of damage.

What happens after the three-year leasing period?

More than three quarters of all leased bikes are taken over by the user at the end of the leasing period. The user naturally benefits from the fact that a leased e-bike has usually been perfectly serviced and is in excellent condition after three years. Those who lease from a provider with an uncapped coverage of wear and tear and repair costs have a big advantage here. This may not be the case with leasing providers who limit this coverage, and the employer may even run the risk of being liable for recourse. Industry leader Jobrad, for example, has a maximum wear and tear budget of 230 euros over a three-year term. Anyone who has ever taken a heavily used e-bike for service knows that this amount is quickly exhausted.

This is also important for employees if they don't want to experience any unpleasant surprises when billing for repairs. Unfortunately, some providers are not transparent here: they promise or suggest "fully comprehensive insurance" and in the end the user has to pay a deductible, which can be enormous for an expensive bike. Noticed negatively The testers are Offer from Deutsche Dienstrad, which advertises full cost coverage on its website. However, this only applies if a framework agreement has been agreed with the employer which explicitly includes cost coverage. For a standard order, cost coverage is limited to 70 euros per year for wear and tear (parts and labor costs) and 70 euros for service work - i.e. 420 euros over a period of three years. Velomotion has tested this in practice: When the contract was concluded, there was no reference to this restriction anywhere; the rude awakening came when the workshop issued the first service invoice. A fact that led to the devaluation of Deutsche Dienstrad's offer - especially since the provider emphatically advertises uncapped cost coverage. This is not least why transparency and traceability of the information play a major role in our evaluation.

Can I choose the e-bike leasing provider?

As an employee, you are stuck with the provider with whom the employer has either concluded a framework agreement or which the employer specifies. The employer is free to make his choice; not least of all, the annual comparison at Velomotion should make this decision easier.
Almost 50 percent of German companies - even large ones with more than a thousand employees - are said to not yet have a permanent leasing partner. One might ask why this is - perhaps due to a lack of information? As mentioned above, the advantages of company bike leasing for the workforce are obvious; no employer - no matter how large or small - should do without it.

Does e-bike leasing contribute to climate protection?

Just because you lease an e-bike or offer leasing to employees doesn't mean you're going to save the world. An employee isn't forced to ride an e-bike to work every day - this assumption can often lead to misunderstandings. You can use the leased bike whenever and wherever you want. But yes - every kilometer covered on the bike instead of in the car saves CO2. A study by RWTA Aachen found that in companies in the service sector, for example, employees' commutes are responsible for 80 to 90 percent of the CO2 footprint. A company that wants to improve its sustainability gets its employees on e-bikes and maybe even provides a subsidy.

And which company bike leasing provider is the best?

This is how we compared the providers of e-bike leasing

We sent all providers the same questionnaire for self-disclosure. We checked and compared the answers and also assessed them for transparency and honesty. There are providers who try to conceal the fact that insurance benefits are less comprehensive with their non-transparent answers - for example, if they only take effect from the fourth month of use.

As described above, the services provided by leasing providers have become much more similar in recent years. Today (at least officially) no provider excludes certain wear parts from the wear budget. However, some providers are notable for severely restricting the wear budget. With Jobrad in particular, it is noticeable that wear is limited to 230 euros over the entire three-year term. With Businessbike, it is at least 300 euros per year, similar with Bikeleasing Service, where the budget is staggered depending on the purchase price. Anyone who has ever had a frequently used e-bike serviced knows how quickly 230 euros can be used up - that's enough for brake discs and a chain. If you ride a lot, you won't be able to cope with that for three years.
Velomotion therefore recommends that when selecting a leasing partner, you choose a company that does not limit the wear and tear budget. This is the case with our test winner Eurorad, as well as with five other providers (Lease a Bike, Mein Dienstrad, Linexo, Rad im Dienst, Company Bike).

It may only be a matter of time before the first provider links the leasing rate to a mileage, as is common practice with motor vehicles.

What is included in the covered wear and tear on the e-bike?

As far as wear and tear on e-bikes is concerned, the following applies: Wear and tear does not include anything that was not leased (such as bags or other movable attachments). The battery is now also considered wear and tear by all providers. Also included are all parts of the drive, gears, brakes, tires and chassis (suspension fork, shock absorber) assemblies, as well as all bearings.

Fortunately, no provider has a limit for minor damage anymore. Until recently, leasing providers wanted to avoid cyclists having to visit a workshop for every little thing - for example, to replace worn-out handles. But leasing companies have probably realized that it is usually far too inconvenient for users to book a workshop appointment for such minor things. On the other hand, nothing should be done to prevent the bike from working properly. Even if a seemingly minor defect in a brake means that it is no longer functional, the insurance company must cover the full cost of the repair. If the leasing customer had to pay for the damage themselves, they would probably wait until more was incurred and thus accept a lack of road safety.

What do inspection and UVV testing mean for e-bikes?

Similar to what we know from cars, an e-bike should also be checked at regular intervals. With e-bikes, there is a consensus that it needs to be serviced once a year. The so-called UVV inspection - i.e. the inspection according to the guidelines of the accident prevention regulations - should be carried out every twelve months. This protects the employer from claims for recourse in the event of damage, because since he provides the e-bike to his employee, he must ensure that it is roadworthy. The UVV inspection covers this. For this reason, we recommend that employers choose a provider that offers two UVV inspections (after 12 and 24 months).

For these service appointments, the leasing provider grants Service flat rates for the workshop carrying out the work. These flat rates are between 35 and 90 euros. But be careful! For some providers, these amounts are already included in the workshop budget and thus reduce the remaining budget for necessary repairs - we strongly recommend that you compare carefully.

At this point, according to our test experience, Eurobike Leasing Extremely transparent and fair: no budget limit for wear and tear repairs, the best insurance benefits (from day one) and a 90 euro service budget with two UVV inspections.
Some providers stipulate three inspections. With a leasing period of 36 months and a service interval of twelve months, we believe this is not necessary at all. The first service takes place after twelve months, the second after 24; the third after 36 months is basically unnecessary or is often not carried out at all, as the leasing ends after 36 months. However, this is a good thing for users who want to take over the e-bike after the contract ends or possibly resell it.
We have now been able to carry out and test several leasing transactions with various providers over the full three-year period, including Eurorad. Here, everything that was promised was kept in every respect, which is why Velomotion 2024 Eurorad as test winner would like to highlight.

A question for the test winner Eurorad

Mr. Tepe, Eurorad has been named test winner by Velomotion once again - so our result probably doesn't surprise you. But what makes Eurorad's offer so attractive and what do you focus on when designing the offer?

The most important data

E-Bike Leasing Comparison 2024: Total Monthly Costs

Calculation examples for purchase price 4.000 euros. Actual amounts applied to the gross salary. The effective net burden on an employee is significantly lower and depends on individual factors such as tax bracket, federal state, child allowance, church affiliation, etc. Company Bike does not have a public leasing calculator and has therefore not been included in this overview.

Calculation examples for purchase price 6.000 euros. Actual amounts applied to the gross salary. The effective net burden on an employee is significantly lower and depends on individual factors such as tax bracket, federal state, child allowance, church affiliation, etc. Company Bike does not have a public leasing calculator and has therefore not been included in this overview.

E-Bike Leasing Comparison 2024: Overview of wear and tear reimbursement

Mobility guarantee

All leasing providers offer a so-called mobility guarantee. As the name suggests, this is intended to guarantee that you remain mobile even in the event of a defect or theft or to pay for any consequential costs such as an overnight stay. These services vary considerably depending on the leasing partner. In the following we give an overview of the services of the respective providers. We cannot test whether, how quickly and how unbureaucratically the respective services are actually provided in the event of damage - but they are very well suited as a guide for assessing the services of a provider.

E-Bike Leasing Comparison 2024 Overview

Calculation examples for purchase price 4.000 euros. Actual amounts applied to the gross salary. The effective net burden on an employee is significantly lower and depends on individual factors such as tax bracket, federal state, child allowance, church affiliation, etc.

If you are interested in our comprehensive evaluation table for the E-Bike Leasing Comparison 2024 with all data, please contact us at [email protected].