7 Things HR Teams Do to Make EV Salary Sacrifice a Success | loveelectric

You’ve launched the scheme. You sent the email. Three months later, 12 people have signed up out of 80 eligible employees. The problem isn’t the product; it’s the adoption strategy. This situation is extremely common and doesn’t necessarily mean employees don’t value the scheme.

Salary sacrifice uptake is driven by ongoing engagement and isn’t simply about choosing the right provider. At loveelectric by Perkbox, we support employers after launch and not just during implementation. We’ve supported organisations of all sizes and have seen first-hand which approaches consistently increase uptake. 

If you’re still preparing to launch your salary sacrifice scheme, read our guide to ensuring a smooth rollout before coming back to this article. Already launched? This article picks up where our rollout guide finishes.

What Good Uptake Actually Looks Like

Many HR teams make the mistake of assuming that everyone signs up to a salary sacrifice scheme immediately. In reality, the adoption of EV salary sacrifice typically builds gradually over time as leases expire, employees better understand the savings, and employees begin seeing colleagues successfully using the scheme.  

Success is subjective and looks different for every company. In general, we see average uptakes increasing across the first 3, 6, and 12 months of a salary sacrifice scheme.

• 3 months = 13%
• 6 months = 14%
• 12 months = 18%

(Correct as of July 2026. Percentage of a company’s workforce signed up to the loveelectric platform within the first 3/6/12 months of launching)

Different organisations will naturally see different participation levels. Uptake will vary depending on workplace demographics, average salary, parking availability, and existing car policies. Success should be measured against realistic benchmarks, rather than an expectation that every employee will instantly sign up.

7 Things HR Teams Do Differently

Implementing a salary sacrifice scheme is only the first step of the process. While there’s low admin involved with these schemes, it’s important to communicate their benefits regularly with employees. This strategy doesn’t have to be expensive or time-consuming but should be purpose-driven. 

Here are 7 things that we’ve seen successful HR teams do to optimise participation:

1. Appoint an internal EV champion — a peer, not HR

HR teams don’t love to hear it, but employees are often more influenced by colleagues who have already used the scheme than by formal HR communications. If you decide to appoint an internal EV champion, it should be an employee, rather than someone from the HR department.

You’ll want to choose someone who is genuinely enthusiastic about EVs and understands their benefits. This employee should be naturally charismatic and able to answer day-to-day questions from their colleagues, while sharing their real experience with the salary sacrifice scheme.

EV champions are more effective than hitting ‘send’ on another company-wide email, as employees value the opinions and experiences of their colleagues. They can have a positive influence and showcase the practical benefits of an EV salary sacrifice scheme.

2. Get a personal CEO or Director message in week 1 

Leadership endorsements matter, especially for salary sacrifice schemes. A personal message from the CEO or Director is more impactful than a company-wide email or corporate announcement. A short video or Teams message shows that the scheme has leadership support and it’s an opportunity to spotlight the genuine benefits.

Employees notice when leadership actively backs a benefit or salary sacrifice scheme. They feel more confident and are more likely to consider signing up. Often the simplest internal marketing has the biggest impact.

3. Host a live Q&A or lunch-and-learn in the first 2 weeks

If your employees aren’t engaging with your scheme, it’s not because they dislike it. Most employees will have questions about how the scheme works, and they may be interested in signing up but aren’t ready to change the way they finance their car. 

Some won’t understand the savings and others may be worried about the impact on their take-home pay or potential knock-on impact to other benefits, like pensions and statutory maternity pay. You can address these potential pain points early in the scheme’s lifespan by hosting a live Q&A or a lunch-and-learn within the first 2 weeks of the scheme going live.

Webinars, team sessions, and drop-in sessions offer real-time answers that help to remove this hesitation among employees. They can also be incorporated into your long-term uptake strategy as your employees’ circumstances will change with time. Quarterly meetings help to generate further uptake beyond the first 12 months.

At loveelectric, we have a team of EV Experts who host weekly Lunch & Learns for clients.

4. Use Love Electric's branded onboarding comms toolkit

Many HR teams try to create their own communications, and these often lead to confusion. At loveelectric, our onboarding comms toolkit provides ready-made resources to promote your salary sacrifice scheme internally.

Our email templates, FAQs, savings examples, and launch assets give you real stats and insights to share with employees. As part of Perkbox, the UK’s largest employee benefits platform, we can also help inform how these communications can sit alongside other benefit schemes.

5. Time reminder emails to the payroll cycle

The secret to successful marketing is to be intentional with your timing. One of the best times to remind your employees about your salary sacrifice scheme is shortly before payday. 

It’s the most impactful time to spotlight the tax efficiencies of salary sacrifice. You can also target another email blast during annual pay reviews, bonus periods, or salary review cycles.

Before payday is when your employees will be considering their finances and salary. You can target your messaging during this window when employees are most likely to explore the practical savings of salary sacrifice. 

6. Follow up at 30 days and 90 days with targeted outreach to non-joiners

Not everyone who doesn’t join immediately is uninterested. Some employees will forget, others aren’t ready, and some just need more information. Getting a new car is a major decision, even without the potential confusion of what salary sacrifice actually means. You might have an interested employee who simply has to wait until their personal lease has ended.

30 and 90 days after your initial launch are useful checkpoints to have targeted outreach for employees who showed interest but didn’t join. These employees may have attended a webinar, downloaded a brochure, or opened the salary sacrifice calculator.

Instead of sending another all-staff email, curate your next set of emails and messaging to this specific audience. Address their pain points and offer a face-to-face meeting or schedule a webinar curated to these employees. They know the basics but need more detail. 

7. Celebrate early adopters — share their story internally (anonymised or named)

If you only take away one thing from this guide, it’s that employees trust their colleagues more than almost anyone else in your company. Colleague stories are the most impactful tool that you have for encouraging uptake.

You can celebrate early adopters of your salary sacrifice scheme by sharing their story internally, either anonymously or by naming them. Seeing colleagues successfully use a benefit reduces uncertainty and makes participation feel more achievable. These stories are also an opportunity to spotlight your EV champion and start incorporating them into your internal marketing. 

Highlight why they joined the scheme and their monthly savings. Beyond the numbers, it’s also worth featuring their favourite part of driving an electric vehicle and their real experience with it, including practical things like charging their vehicle at home.

Looking for inspiration? Explore our salary sacrifice savings examples to show how you can structure these testimonials and communicate real-world savings. 

The Two Mistakes That Kill Uptake

Mistake 1: Treating launch day as the finish line

Launching isn’t the same as promoting. Most schemes disappear after the initial hype has died down and something new starts to appear in your company inbox. A launch email or post on the company’s intranet isn’t enough to generate long-term interest.

Employees need multiple touchpoints over time. The launch email is only the first step to boosting EV salary sacrifice uptake. Use it as a building block and reach out to employees regularly, deliberately timing your communications with payday or bonus season. Resend the calculator during pay review month or ask managers to mention it during 1-on-1s. 

Mistake 2: Not involving Line Managers in the promotion

Managers influence behaviour, and they’re an invaluable asset for HR teams and reward managers. A line manager can remind their teams about the scheme, encourage questions, and signpost resources to encourage uptake.

Without line manager involvement, employees can easily assume that the scheme isn’t relevant to them. Managers are often the missing link between HR departments and employees, offering another touch point and reminding employees of the scheme during regular reviews and 1-on-1 meetings.

How loveelectric Ensures Success

At loveelectric, we support employers beyond launch, and as part of Perkbox – the UK’s largest employee benefits company – we have the expertise to support higher participation. We provide more than just a vehicle scheme with onboarding check-in calls, an adoption toolkit, and account management support.

Our savings calculator and fuel cost calculator are practical tools your employees can use, while our onboarding materials help to streamline your internal marketing. The loveelectric blog is a resource that’s regularly updated with the latest salary sacrifice news and insights to inform your company discussions and marketing.

Ongoing Engagement is the Key to Salary Sacrifice Uptake

Salary sacrifice uptake is earned over time. Even if all your employees are interested in the scheme, they won’t sign up on the first day or even the first month. Launching your salary sacrifice scheme is only the beginning. 

High uptake comes when HR teams maintain visibility, use employee advocates, and target their communications at the right time. Sharing real stories and regularly engaging with employees will provide better uptake long-term. 

If you’ve already launched your scheme, you can speak to our loveelectric team about an adoption review and access additional communication resources through our blog.