A quick review from two new EV (electric vehicle) owners:
Like many people, I had been considering purchasing an EV for some time. As we can, we charge our EV at home. This is a great advantage and very convenient. This way of charging is clean, and means no lengthy queues! However, if charging away from home, it can be a different story. Until such time as mass provision for EV charging across the UK is available, it may well add some ‘excitement’ into your journey. It must be said, however, that EV charging infrastructure is continually improving.
There has been an uptake of more makes and models of cars available here in the UK. Keep your eyes open for car registration plates with a green stripe. This indicates that the vehicle is a Zero Emissions vehicle. Owning an EV comes with quite a few benefits, such as:
At the moment, No Road Tax (2023).
Environmental benefits.
If you only charge at home you benefit from cheaper running costs.
You can charge from a normal plug socket (but it takes a long time).
A smoother and easier driving experience.
Low maintenance costs.
EVs are known for their lack of cabin noise and are certainly a smoother drive.
Potential and current EV owners can benefit from Government incentives and other discounts for zero emissions.
Are electric vehicles and hybrids exempt from the congestion charge? All electric vehicles are currently exempt from the London congestion charge and the Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) charge under the Cleaner Vehicle Discount. This discount must be applied for beforehand and will remain until Christmas Day 2025. You can apply on the Transport for London website.
Like all things, there are some disadvantages:
The first thing that most people find hard is called ‘Range Anxiety’ - it’s real given that there is no easy answer if you run out of power!
Weather can reduce the range of your mileage if cold and wet.
Infrastructure for charging is still in development and can be patchy.
Repairs to chargers in public places are not very efficient. However, with more people driving EVs, this will put pressure on the network ... I hope!
It’s not very easy to quantify just how much your charge is, per mile.
There is a need for apps and accounts with multiple providers on your mobile phone.
Phone signal when you are at the charger can be an issue.
Lack of choice for full Evs as opposed to hybrids.
Learning curve.
There is a lot of misinformation out there, so do your research well. Ask an EV owner if possible. This blog has been written by two owners of EVs with different makes, models and ages of car. This means different battery capacity and journey usage. Moreover would we buy another one? The answer is “Yes”, and we would both recommend you buy one for your next car.
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