Meet our Drivers: Sarah Longdon at Public Heath Dorset

Sarah Longdon, Head of Service Planning at Public Heath Dorset, drives a Kia Niro on the Tusker scheme.

Sarah joined a webinar held by Tusker to answer some queries and find out more information before making her decision. Sarah then logged into the scheme to find out which cars were available, and what the monthly deductions would be from her salary.

Sarah tells us,

“I had just had solar panels fitted at home and was waiting to see if I could get a chargepoint fitted ahead of making the switch to an electric car. The timing was perfect for me to consider the Tusker scheme as it meant it was really convenient for me.”

Sarah found the car she wanted on the scheme – the electric Kia Niro, and then went for a test drive at her local dealership. She comments,

“I wasn’t sure about taking the plunge and going electric – I thought maybe I’d go for a hybrid first but after the test drive, I felt really confident about making the switch and decided to go for it.”

Sarah chose the Niro thanks to the good online reviews and the explanatory videos she was able to find on review sites which all agreed that it was a good mid-priced car. Kia being a reliable brand was also important to Sarah and this was confirmed for her during the test drive.

“I decided to go for it, mainly because of the savings available on the scheme making it affordable for me. There isn’t a deposit to pay like there is with other finance arrangements and having everything included just means there isn’t any stress.”

She continues,

“The ordering process was very straightforward, and the Tusker website kept me updated with all the necessary information – I knew exactly when the car was going to be in the country and when it was going to be delivered.”

Sarah would recommend the Kia Niro and the Tusker scheme to her friends and colleagues, she says

“I wouldn’t hesitate to tell anyone to go for it. Obviously they need to do their research and definitely get a test drive so they know what they’re getting, but the Tusker scheme makes it really easy to save money and have a new car. I needed to do my homework on charging and planning journeys, for example, but it’s become normal for us now.”

Charging is a big consideration for many considering going electric for the first time, but Sarah says it isn’t an issue.

“Charge points are cropping up all over the place. I find charging at home or at my husbands work to be the best for us as it works out cheapest, and we make sure we’re aware of the prices and charging rates when we have to charge out and about – it becomes a routine. It’s definitely made us more aware of our driving style and we’re more economical drivers as a result.”