Should Your Next Car Be Electric?
It seems electric cars are all the rage, but many drivers are still reluctant to buy into the hype. There are many benefits of owning an electric car, from lower running costs to emission free driving, EVs are super practical and eco-friendly. If you’re in the market for a new car, buying an EV should be considered. To help determine whether an EV is right for you, our guide below looks at what you should consider before jumping into a purchase.
What to think about before buying an EV:
Electric cars are great, but they won’t be suited to every driver going. Things like the availability of charging points, your budget and your daily mileage can affect the buying process.
1. Purchase price.
It is true that electric cars come with a higher purchase price than other cars. This is because they use more modern technology and expensive lithium batteries. If you’re struggling to justify the higher purchase price of an EV, you could consider spreading the cost with finance or finding a second-hand electric car instead. You can use a car finance calculator to see how much you could borrow before you apply and get an idea of which EVs could be in your price range. Whilst the initial purchase price can be higher, many EV owners argue that the lower cost of owning and running an EV can outweigh the cost in the long run.
2. Charging at home.
The easiest and cheapest way to recharge an electric vehicle is by having a dedicated charging point installed at your home. The cost to have a charger installed can range from around £500-£1000 in the UK. This way, you can recharge your car overnight at a lower rate when the electricity grid is at its cheapest. Most properties can have a dedicated charging point installed and it’s very popular to have them installed in a garage or on a driveway. You may not be eligible for an at home charging point if you don’t have any off-street parking available to you.
3. Availability of public charging points.
Range anxiety is a common worry for EV drivers and describes the anticipation that your EV range will run out before you reach your destination. There are over 60,000 public charging points available in the UK, but drivers still feel there are not enough. Owning an EV would mean having more forethought when planning your journeys to see if you would need to recharge your vehicle during your journey. Recharging an EV isn’t as fast as simply refueling your car with petrol or diesel, and it can take up to 30 minutes to recharge the average EV.
4. How far and how often you drive.
Electric cars have come a long way when it comes to range and battery life, but some drivers still feel they are better suited to shorter journeys and city driving. However, when you look at the driving habits of the typical UK driver, they average around 20 miles per day. Something an EV could be more than capable of handling. The average electric car can offer around 212 miles on a single charge. On this basis, you could drive for around 10 days (about 1 and a half weeks) doing 20 miles per day without needing to recharge your car! If you do travel many miles each day, you could choose an EV with a larger battery and longer range.
Should I get a hybrid?
Hybrid cars are a great in between if you’re not ready to go fully electric just yet. A hybrid car is a one that combines a small electric motor with a petrol or diesel engine. There are a few different types of hybrid car to choose from but the most popular tends to be a plug-in hybrid. A plug-in hybrid offers a small electric range for emission free driving and if it runs out, you can use the car’s combustion engine to carry on your journey.
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