Agreed - what they are proposing is to state how they will asses "fair market value" and have decided that comparisons with similar bikes sold on e-bay or internet sites will be used as a guide.
From my own reseearch on this I have seen that 12 month old e-bikes go for a good bit more than 5% of their original cost
(if I am wrong and anyone wants to sell me a 12 month old Wisper 905se for £75 please get in touch!)
This is where I feel there is a risk that 12 months lease costs plus the fair market value would exceede the full origonal price therefore making the scheme pointless for an e-bike
As stated, negotiation into fair price cannot be undertaken at the point the agreement is set, so you would have no option but to let it run for 12 months and hope for a reasonable settlement fee. If its not forthcoming, then I could just leave the bike in the ownership of my employer and walk away, but that leaves me several hundred quid down and no bike!
Once again I think its a good plan from the government with the right intentions, but not properly thought through and relies on get rounds and bending the rules to make it work. It would be far simpler if they just said e-bikes used for commuting do not need to pay VAT and attract a £300 subsidy after 6 months regular use (or some such)!
All the best
Bob_about
