If you have arranged your own insurance and/or maintenance, please contact your provider directly about arranging transport whilst your car is in the garage.
How to let us know you need help getting about
If you require support keeping mobile while your car is off the road, please let our partners know when you’re booking your vehicle for repairs or reporting a breakdown. Make sure you let them know of any vehicle requirements, such as number of seats etc. If they have a courtesy car available, they should provide you with one. If they don’t, please contact our customer service team via email or on 020 3389 5959 and we'll do what we can to support.
Are courtesy cars always available?
Courtesy and hire cars are subject to availability, but we will do our best to help you stay mobile where possible. And we’ll work with our partners to get your car back to you as quickly as possible.
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 further details, please refer to your driver handbook and our terms and conditions.
What type of replacement car can I expect?
Our goal is to keep you in an EV, fitting your requirements, and the specific courtesy or hire car will depend on what’s available from our partners. Sometimes, however, there may be situations where you might be given a petrol, diesel, or hybrid replacement instead.
How quickly can I get a courtesy or a hire car?
We aim to organise a hire or courtesy car within 48 hours (excluding weekends) where possible. In cases where this takes longer, we can sometimes offer Uber credit and cover for taxis or public transport where needed.
Uber credits
If appropriate, 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 via email or on 020 3389 5959.
Before receiving your replacement car
When a booking is submitted by us for a hire car, you’ll receive an email from our partner, who will begin speaking to hire suppliers in your local area for availability. Once they find something, they’ll follow up with an email/call.
If a courtesy car is requested when booking your car into a garage, your appointment date will be dependent on the earliest availability the garage has to provide a courtesy car - as a rule, this is generally a two-week lead time.
Who is insured to drive the courtesy or hire car?
Any additional drivers listed on your Octopus EV insurance policy are also covered to drive your courtesy or hire car.
Looking after your courtesy 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 to the vehicle upon receipt.
You'll be responsible for all charging and/or fuel costs for your replacement car. Please look after your courtesy car as if it were your own. Each partner will have their own T&Cs around mileage charges and conditions of driving.
What if I have an accident in my 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.
What if the courtesy car develops a fault?
When provided with a hire car, you’ll receive breakdown information either via a sticker in the front window, a card, or leaflets. If your car develops a fault, give the number a call on there.
If your courtesy car is provided by the garage, give them a call to report any faults directly.
Returning your courtesy car
If you have a courtesy car from one of our partners, they should arrange collection with you when the repairs for your own car are finished.
If you have a courtesy car from OEV, once your EV has been repaired, please notify us on 0203 3222601 or by email at [email protected] to arrange collection of your replacement car.
Please note that daily hire charges may apply from the point at which 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.
We're always here to help. If your car is off-road and you're unsure what to do, please don't hesitate to contact our customer service team for support.
For more detailed information about our alternative transport provisions, please refer to our terms and conditions.