Guides

Plain-English answers to the questions people ask before they finance a car: novated leases, car loans, electric cars and business vehicles. Each one ends with examples you can work out in the Navo engine.

Electric car novated leases, model by model

• Novated lease or car loan: which way to pay?

  How a novated lease and a car loan really differ: tax, running costs, the residual, changing jobs and owning the car. With worked examples you can open in the Navo engine.

• When a novated lease is not for you

  A novated lease can cost less, but not for everyone. The situations where a car loan or business loan usually suits better, and how to check yours.

• What is a consumer car loan?

  A consumer car loan explained: who it is for, how it is secured, the protections you get under Australian credit law, comparison rates, balloons and what lenders check.

• What is a business car loan (chattel mortgage)?

  A business car loan (chattel mortgage) explained: who can use one, the business-use test, GST credits and deductions, balloons, low-doc options and how it differs from a consumer loan.

• The electric car FBT exemption, explained

  Which electric cars are exempt from fringe benefits tax on a novated lease, and what the changes announced in the May 2026 Budget mean from 1 April 2027 and 1 April 2029.

• Buy an electric car now or wait? What the FBT changes mean for your lease

  The May 2026 Budget changes to the electric car FBT exemption, from 1 April 2027 and 1 April 2029: what they mean for a novated lease, and how to weigh buying now against waiting.

• What happens to a novated lease when you change jobs

  If you change jobs during a novated lease, the lease can move to your new employer or come back to you. What each means, what changes from 2029 for electric cars, and how to plan for it.

• Low-doc car loans for the self-employed

  What a low-doc car loan is, who it suits, what lenders usually look for (time trading, an ABN, GST registration) and what you declare instead of tax returns.

• "We compare 50+ lenders": does it help you?

  Many car finance sites say they compare dozens of lenders. What that usually means in practice, what it means for your details and credit file, and what actually decides your cost.