Keeping you moving when your EV is off the road

We understand it's a hassle when you can't use your car. To make things easier, we've created this guide to help you:

• Understand what to expect when your car is off-road.
• Clarify your responsibilities as a driver and how to look after your replacement car.
• Know what to expect once your EV has been repaired.

If you have arranged your own insurance and/or maintenance, please contact your provider directly about arranging mobility.

For booking appointments, please check our specific guides on:

• Raising an insurance claim
• Breakdown and roadside assistance
• Servicing, maintenance and repairs

Courtesy cars are typically offered when your lease car is undrivable or off-road due to an insurance, breakdown, or warranty claim. These are provided by the accident management company, dealerships, repairing garages, or bodyshops upon request.

Courtesy cars commonly come at no cost, though sometimes the provider may ask for a deposit to cover potential future costs for underfuelling, etc.

Hire cars are almost always organised by Octopus EV through a third-party provider. These are covered within your lease cost if you've chosen to include insurance and maintenance with your EV. Hire cars are offered when a courtesy car isn't available, or you're experiencing issues with your car that don't fall under insurance, breakdown, or warranty.

If you've requested a courtesy car from one of our partners and haven't received one, please call us on 020 3389 5959 or email us at customerservice@octopusev.com.

It depends. Sometimes, it can take a little longer to organise your alternative transport due to availability or scheduling.

We aim to organise these within 48 hours (excluding weekends) where possible. In cases where this takes longer, we offer Uber credit and cover for taxis or public transport where needed.

A drivable car starts and moves under its own power, shows no critical safety concerns, and has no warning messages advising against continued operation.

Your car IS still drivable if:

• It has issues with convenience systems (e.g., automatic emergency braking, parking assist, infotainment, climate control, minor software bugs, non-critical warning lights).
• It has a windscreen crack (not obscuring your view), ABS malfunction, suspension issues, or performance issues where it remains functional above 35mph. We recommend booking an appointment for these at your earliest convenience.

Your car is UNDRIVABLE if:

It cannot be operated safely due to warrantable manufacturing defects or an ongoing insurance claim. Critical safety concerns include:

• Reduced braking systems
• Loss of steering control
• Driver's airbag issues
• Max speed below 60mph
• Smell of an electrical fire or smoke
• Severe vibration at high speeds (40-70mph)
• Warning messages advising to stop driving immediately.

We'll offer you Uber credit to cover short-term mobility needs when your car is at a drop-off appointment or if you'll be without your car for less than 72 hours.

You can request credit by speaking to our customer service team at customerservice@octopusev.com or on 020 3389 5959.

We understand you love driving an EV, and we aim to provide you with a replacement car, ideally an electric one. While our goal is to keep you in an EV, the specific courtesy or hire car we can offer will depend on what's available from our third-party partners. Sometimes, due to limited supply, a petrol, diesel or hybrid replacement might be provided. Please note that while we're not contractually obligated to provide replacement vehicles, we'll always do our best to keep you on the road. For more comprehensive details, please refer to your driver handbook and our terms and conditions

Any additional drivers listed on your Octopus EV insurance policy are also covered to drive your courtesy or hire car.

When you take delivery of a hire car, please check the vehicle carefully for any existing damage with the delivery driver during both delivery and collection. We recommend taking photos of any damage on the vehicle upon receipt.

There's a fair usage mileage limit of 2,000 miles every 28 days, and you'll be charged for any excess miles. You'll be responsible for all fuel costs for your replacement car.

If you're involved in an accident while driving your courtesy or hire car, please notify us immediately on 0203 3222601 so we can help you.

Once your EV has been repaired, please notify us on 0203 3222601 or by email at mobility@octopusev.com to arrange collection of your replacement car. Please note that daily hire charges may apply from the point the replacement vehicle is no longer needed.

You must ensure you're available for the scheduled collection time. We usually provide an 8-hour window, and failed collection attempts may result in additional charges.

You'll be liable for any damage or theft that may occur if you choose to leave the car keys in a designated 'safe place' for collection.

For more detailed information about our alternative transport provisions, please refer to our terms and conditions.