Not only are they cheaper to run than traditional cars, they are also very reliable and require very little maintenance. Pure Electric vehicles pay zero road tax. Nothing. Nada. It’s based on emissions, and they don’t have an exhaust, so it had to be zero, right?
EVs are quiet and refined on the road, with smooth and instant power delivery. To put it into context, a Nissan LEAF has similar torque t o a 3.5 litre V6. But its fuel costs the equivalent of a petrol car which achieves 300mpg.
EVs have considerably less vibration, as the motors only have one moving part, compared to the hundreds of moving components in ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) vehicles, so this in turn causes less driver fatigue, and means you get to your destination feeling fresh.
We’ve all heard about the air quality issues in our towns and cities – with road vehicle emissions being identified as a major cause of these problems.
Fully electric vehicles have no exhaust emissions, and are charged by an ever-cleaner national grid, meaning that the “wheel-to-well” emissions are getting lower all the time. If you’ve got solar panels at home, the electricity can be used to charge your car for free, with zero emissions.
Plug-in Hybrid cars can drive up to 30 miles on electricity, ideal for an urban commute, so that the engine needs only to be run when you’re on a longer journey – perhaps on a motorway, away from populated areas.
Hybrid cars use the electric motors to reduce the load on the engine, assisting with getting the car moving from a standstill, and generally making the engine more efficient. It also operates a more advanced version of stop-start – cutting pollution by switching off the engine whilst at the car is stopped, or even whilst it is still slowing down. It can then harness the energy recouped via regenerative braking to help it get going again. This reduces local emissions, and helps to save you money on fuel too.
The UK’s public charging networks have grown massively over recent years, from 30 Rapid chargers in 2011, to over 3,200 rapid chargers in 2020.
Overall, there are now over 11,600 charger locations in the UK, and this number is increasing by around 400 chargers per month.
What could be easier than a fuel-station on your driveway? No more queuing to fill up in the rain – by charging at home whilst parked, the process of refuelling takes seconds (just plug in and walk away!).
By charging overnight, your car will always be ready for the next day with a full battery. 95% of EV owners charge at home 98% of the time. It’s only for those extra-long journeys from time-to-time that you’d need to stop to charge en-route.
When you buy a plug-in vehicle, the government will give up to £300 towards the installation of a dedicated home charger, so that you can charge more safely and easily.