1. ZERO CARBON EMISSIONS
The most important reason to drive a battery electric vehicle (BEV) is that there’s no tailpipe which means zero emissions. This is the biggest bonus in terms of sustainability and a cleaner greener future for the planet.
The average petrol car puts out 180g of CO2 every kilometre, while the diesel equivalent produces 173g of CO2 per kilometre. By driving electric you put out zero CO2 per kilometre and are doing a massive service to protecting the environment and future generations.
2. NEVER WORRY ABOUT FUEL SHORTAGES
With an electric car, you will never have to worry about fuel shortages or need to sit in long queues ever again. Electric cars are simple and cheap to charge, especially if you do it at home which is the cheapest method.
If you don’t have a home charger, then more and more public chargers are available. In the UK for example, there are nearly 45,000 places to connect at 16,377 locations.
Earlier this year Shell announced it had installed 5,000 of the 50,000 ubitricity on-street electric vehicle charge posts it has planned across the UK by 2025. Connected Kerb, an electric vehicle infrastructure specialist, also announced plans to install 190,000 public on-street electric car chargers in the UK, worth up to £1.9 billion, by 2030.
The company is also working with the New York City Department of Transportation and Newlab for a flagship charging pilot project with the goal of installing 10,000 curbside chargers by 2030.
3. RANGE IS BETTER THAN EVER
Range has always caused anxiety for non-electric drivers when it comes to adopting cleaner zero-emissions vehicles. Range is getting better and some cars, like the Tesla Model S for example, offers a range of up to 412 miles (663km).
Mercedes also launched its VISION EQXX at the start of the year and in real world tests offered a range of 620 miles (1,000km) in everyday traffic, on a single battery charge. In the US, the Lucid Air Dream Edition R delivered an outstanding 520 miles (837km) of range from a single charge.
That said, for most, even a more modest range of 100 miles (161km) is plenty for around-town use with just one or two charges a week. Most of the electric cars currently available offer at least this.
4. CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE IS GROWING RAPIDLY
A big worry for many is being able to recharge. More and more charging facilities are growing around the globe. In the UK these facilities are growing at a rapid rate. More and more facilities are constantly being opened. Plus, the UK Government ended the plug-in car grant scheme to concentrate funding on expanding the public chargepoint network.
For example, GRIDSERVE opened their first Electric Forecourt near Braintree, Essex and plans to open more of these large scale service stations over the next five years. GRIDSERVE also partnered with Tritium to open the UK’s largest fast-charging motorway charge site.
The opening of Energy Superhub Oxford (ESO) this summer topped this and resulted in Europe’s most powerful EV charging hub. The charging hub will initially offer fast and ultra-rapid charging for 42 vehicles at once at Oxford’s Redbridge Park and Ride.
The charging hub will be powered entirely by renewable energy. With 10MW of installed capacity on site, the hub can scale up with electric vehicle adoption to provide charging for 400 vehicles. This will help to support the estimated 36 million EVs expected on UK roads by 2040.
Infrastructure is also being offered in more convenient locations including supermarkets and drive-through establishments. For example, Costa announced 200 InstaVolt chargers at their drive-thru coffee shops last year.
pb pulse also recently announced a significant expansion in the UK aiming to have 16,000 chargers by 2030. The UK’s leading app and digital platform for EVs, Zap-Map, provides a comprehensive guide on where to charge.
5. CHEAPER RUNNING COSTS
Driving an electric car is far cheaper than driving a petrol or diesel vehicle. On average the cost of driving an electric car is between 65-75 percent lower than a petrol car, while it’s around 60 percent cheaper than a diesel vehicle. This is a massive saving.
To find out more and compare models, it’s worth looking at Zap-Map, which offers price comparisons between electric, petrol and diesel cars. EV smart charger provider Ohme recently outlined how a UK driver with an annual mileage of 6,800 miles in an average electric vehicle could charge just £127.50 just per year with a smart meter and off-peak tariff.
6. LOW COST OF MAINTENANCE
The cost of maintenance is much lower for an electric vehicle(EV) than for an internal combustion engine (ICE) car. This is because there are fewer moving parts in an electric car which makes maintenance costs extremely low.
An electric car doesn’t require regular oil changes or as many services. According to a study from UK insurance company Direct Line annual tax and maintenance costs, which includes MOTs and servicing, are 49 percent lower than ICE vehicles.
A recent study by Fleet Assist in the UK based on the 850,000 fleet cars and vans using its 5,200-strong franchised and independent garage network found electric vehicles 22 percent cheaper to service. Much of this can be put down to reduced labour times which are currently 33 percent shorter than internal combustion engine vehicles.
7. FUN AND EASY TO DRIVE
Electric cars are fun and user-friendly to drive as they smoothly accelerate up to speed. The high torque of electric cars means they accelerate quicker than combustion vehicles. Performance models, such as Tesla’s Model S Plaid, can accelerate from 0-60mph (0-97kph) in less than two seconds. This is ridiculously fast and should be enough to convert even the biggest petrolhead.
For the more sedate among us, this torque makes life easier while driving and the big bonus is there is no need to change gears. This makes electric cars simple to drive like an automatic. Plus, electric cars are quiet, which always leaves you in a more relaxed state, even after long trips.
8. ELECTRIC CARS ARE BECOMING MORE AFFORDABLE
Electric cars can be more expensive than their ICE counterparts to purchase but they are becoming more affordable than ever before as demand increases. For example, the New Fiat 500 all-electric car can be purchased for under £30,000
This car delivers a range of up to 248 miles (400km) and offers exceptional value. Some brands are working hard to make electric cars cost the same as their combustion equivalents. Audi’s all-new Audi Q4 e-tron, for example, is over £4,000 cheaper to buy than an equivalent conventionally-powered Q5.
9. HIGH RESALE VALUES
With the consistent rise in the sale of electric vehicles more are becoming available secondhand. The good news is that they hold their price well and resale values are high. Newer models that have a range of more than 200 miles (322km) have an estimated resale value of 64.3 percent of their initial value after three years of service.
Demand for secondhand electric vehicles in the UK grew by 119.2 percent in 2021 according to the latest figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Demand for used battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) last year hit record levels.
Another good thing is that electric cars are less prone to wear and tear compared to ICE vehicles because they have fewer moving parts. This makes them a good buy secondhand.
Fortunately, batteries last longer than ever before which installs confidence in buying a used vehicle. While there’s scaremongering about old batteries many are now being recycled for second-life use. For example, Audi is working with German-Indian startup Nunam for second use and recently they installed them into electric rickshaws in India.
10. NO NEED TO BUY AN EXPENSIVE CAR OUTRIGHT
Buying a new car outright is out of reach for many. Instead, leasing or subscribing to a monthly plan is a great way to drive an electric car without the outlay. Today, there are many subscription services, including elmo, GRIDSERVE, LeasePlan, Onto and Electric Zoo, which offer zero-emissions electric vehicles for as little as £300 per month. Many of the subscription services include tax, insurance and servicing which helps to keep costs down.
Leasing an electric car is also a great way to try out driving a zero-emissions vehicle and a way of trying different models to see which works best. Onto for example, which recently partnered with the Electric Vehicle Association (EVA), offers a subscription scheme without any long-term commitment for any period from 30 days upwards.
The Electric Vehicle Experience Centre, theUK’s first brand-neutral centre dedicated to electric vehicles, offer short-term rentals for a day or two allowing customers to try out different vehicles. They also provide free advice about electric and plug-in vehicles to educate those making the move to zero-emissions motoring.
