Driver case study: Dennis Martin – making the switch to electric with Tusker

When Dennis Martin at Watches of Switzerland first heard about the Tusker car scheme, he was immediately interested as the benefit offered something completely new.

“Watches of Switzerland hadn’t offered something like this before, and I’ve never had an option like this previously so I was keen to find out more about the scheme.”

The details are key

Tusker supports drivers to make an informed choice about taking a car on the scheme, sending emails with how to login and how the scheme works. They also held a roadshow at the head office. giving Dennis and other employees the chance to learn more about salary sacrifice and see some of the cars they could choose. It made all the difference for Dennis:

“The Tusker scheme had been advertised on our intranet benefits platform, Connect, but a few of the team at Tusker actually came into the office. We looked at a few BYDs and BMWs on the day and it gave us the chance to see them in person, speak to the team and ask any questions we had around the scheme.”

Weighing up the options between electric or hybrid.

After exploring the range of cars available on the driver portal, Dennis considered a few options before deciding which direction to go. “I looked at a couple of cars including the Hyundai Tucson,” he says. “I wasn’t sure initially whether I was going to go all electric or go hybrid.”

After a deep dive into his options, Dennis took the leap to move to electric. The additional tax and NI savings were a big factor for him, as well as the realisation that the future really is electric.

“I thought I might as well bite the bullet. It’s where we’re going in the future anyway.”

Dennis chose a Lexus UX300e, a fully electric model known for its quality and premium feel. Getting a brand-new car wasn’t the only benefit Dennis got, the 2025 model had a comprehensive upgrade with a significantly extended range and new multimedia system, bringing style and everyday practicality to life.

“My boss has the hybrid Lexus which he’s had for a number of years now and it’s been good to him,” Dennis says. “Lexus also came with good recommendations. Plus, they’re quite solid, luxury-built cars.”

Life with an electric car

Dennis now uses his electric car for both everyday drives and commuting, travelling into the office four days a week. Like many first-time electric drivers, learning about charging and range was part of the transition. Overall, he says the experience has been very positive.

Although he doesn’t currently have a dedicated home charge point but can charge at work. When he’s not at work, Dennis has found a practical solution. “I’ve had a three-pin socket put outside my home so I can keep it topped up when I’m not in the office.”

Workplace charging has made an enormous difference for him and his colleagues, especially as more are joining the switch to electric.

“Tusker has been a lot more popular with more of our work colleagues, so there’s quite a few electric cars now starting to build up,” he says. “We’ve even got a Teams channel where people can let others know when they’ve finished charging so someone else can use the space.”

Lower running costs

One of the biggest benefits Dennis has noticed since switching to electric is the reduction in weekly running costs. “It’s definitely a lot more cost effective.”

“I was putting anywhere between £30 and £35 a week in fuel in my old car,” he says. “With my Lexus UX300e I’m probably spending a maximum of £15 a week on electricity.”

Smooth ordering experience.

Dennis ordered his car through the Tusker website, which he found to be an easy, smooth process. “The website was really easy to use,” Dennis says. “I was able to look through the different cars and explore what was available to me.”

The delivery timeframe also matched his expectations. “It actually arrived slightly earlier than the quoted time, which was a nice surprise.”

Support where it matters

Since receiving his Lexus, Dennis has also experienced the support that comes with the Tusker car scheme.

After a minor incident required repairs, he was impressed by how quickly everything was handled.

“The claim was really fast and efficient,” he explains. “Everything was handled for me – the repair centre got in touch to get my car booked in and again, the timescales were quicker than expected.”

A replacement car was also provided while the repairs were carried out, making sure that Dennis could stay on the road and continue as normal whilst Tusker handled everything else behind the scenes.

Would Dennis recommend Tusker?

From the team visiting the office, to the affordability of driving and charging electric to the extensive support along the way, the experience has been straightforward and positive from start to finish.

“I would definitely recommend it,” he says. “The whole experience has been really good.”

Dennis’s story shows how easy it can be to make the move to electric through a salary sacrifice car scheme.

Want an experience like Dennis? 

Alan Henderson, another EV driver from the Watches of Switzerland Group, shares his experience with the scheme as well.

You can also read the employer case study, here.