Next, Alex looked at an operating lease. The leasing company offered a five-year term. The payments were higher than the interest on a loan, but they were as an operating expense.
"If we buy," Alex explained, "we are betting $3 million that EV batteries won't double in efficiency by 2030. If we lease, we pay a small premium for the right to walk away and upgrade when the tech improves." lease vs buy analysis corporate finance
The math was tight. Owning had a slight edge on paper because of the high salvage value Alex assumed. But when Alex factored in the and the fact that a lease preserved cash for the warehouse project, the "hidden" value of the lease started to shine. The Conclusion Next, Alex looked at an operating lease