NHS volunteer uses his cost-efficient Toyota bZ4X to do charity work

“The Toyota bZ4X’s low running costs mean when I’m volunteering I‘m able to only claim the difference in the mileage between the recommended mileage allowance and the actual cost of running my car – so essentially what I don’t claim goes back into the charities.”

Dan Swain, 33 from Leicestershire

Dan Swain, a 33-year-old blue-light emergency trained ambulance driver and front-line medical responder from Hinkley, Leicestershire volunteers as a driver for two charities – which both support the NHS. And – thanks to his low running costs of his bZ4X – he claims much less from his mileage allowance.

Running costs of the Toyota bZ4X

“I’ve found it really is incredibly low cost to run. Since getting it in February I’ve already done 3761 miles. But it’s only used £118.96 of electricity – which I work out to be a cost of 3.3 pence per mile. I’ve used a public charger once – on a trip to Wales – that cost £10.46 for 13.24kw and was a part top at about 83%” explains Dan.

Dan drives for the Royal Voluntary Service and Hinkley and Bosworth Community Transport where he chaperones patients to hospital and doctors’ appointments, collect medication and help with shopping. “The bZ4X’s low running costs mean when I’m volunteering I‘m able to only claim the difference in the mileage between the recommended mileage allowance and the actual cost of running my car – so essentially what I don’t claim goes back into the charities,” he adds.  

Test driving the Toyota bZ4X

Four-years-ago, Dan was assaulted by a patient at work. The injuries he sustained to his back, forced him to leave the job he loved. As he eased back into the workforce, to continue his vocational job, he had to look for a car which was comfortable and easy to get in and out of, after struggling with smaller cars.

After hearing about the all new bZ4X, Dan wandered into Listers in Nuneaton to take a look at their demo car and went for a test drive. “The salesman – who also has health issues – was so thorough to find out what I needed – It was a no-pressure authentic sale – that was a massive thing for me – he understood my needs and I felt totally reassured.”

Dan was told that he could have the car within a week if he didn’t mind forgoing having a specific model colour. “I went for the two-wheel drive Motion model in Precious Metal.” Dan says.

He was able to get the car through Motobility. “I then sacrifice my monthly PIP payment in exchange for the car which I have, all-in, fully maintained and insured for business use” he explains.

Want to find out more about the Toyota bZ4X model? Your questions answered.

MyToyota App

Dan also makes great use of the MyToyota app which boasts features such as find my car, scheduled charging and remote-control features such as climate control.

“I love using the Toyota app too – I can connect to the car remotely and set the climate control or heated seats to come on before I get to the car – I like to cool the car before I get in. And this happens while it’s still plugged in to my wall box home charger, so when I get in it’s still 100% charged” he says.

Learn how to use the MyToyota app.

Safety and driving experience of the Toyota bZ4X

As the bZ4X provides comfort and a sense of space, it’s the ideal car for Dan to conduct his work from. “I like to use the central console as a desk for my laptop when I’m dealing with jobs and writing-up patient notes and referrals. It’s amazing to drive – for a big car it’s so responsive and nippy to accelerate”.

Putting safety first, the bZ4X has a number of advanced safety features designed to keep people safer such as pre-collision system, road sign assistance, lane trace assist and more. “The tech is incredible too. It has crossroad protection at staggered junctions and even spots pedestrians in car parks – it’s all just so reassuring. It uses a combination of arrows on the screen and flashing lights on the door mirrors.” Dan says.

^{Disclaimer: This article was conducted via a third-party contractor and is solely based on an independent account of a current Toyota bZ4X customer (owner since February 2024). All experiences expressed are personal and not to be taken as a broad customer experience. Any running cost price comparison in this article is subject to personal use and can vary depending on factors such as selected grade and transmission, accessories fitted (post registration), driving style, weather conditions, speed, vehicle and battery age/condition and vehicle load. This article shouldn’t be taken as a typical customer experience. Interview conducted 28th June 2024.}