With the sale of new petrol and diesel cars due to be outlawed in the UK from 2030, it’s a good time to start looking seriously at whether an electric vehicle is a better option.
Even without the change coming at the end of the decade, buying an electric car is far more cost-efficient than a petrol or diesel equivalent and can save you a lot of money in the short and long term.
Here’s how.
Why are electric cars worth the investment?
The costs you’ll see for running an electric car will depend on the make, model and specifications of the vehicle you choose, just like any other vehicle.
Whatever you’re looking for, there’s bound to be an electric vehicle that suits you.
This alone is one reason why electric cars are now worth serious consideration.
It’s not like 10 years ago when choosing an electric car meant you’d have to choose from a limited, obscure selection.
Today, every major car brand has an electric or at least hybrid option to choose from.
Cost to buy an electric car
As we’ve said, the cost of an electric car to buy will depend on the make, model and individual specifications you go for. But having said that, there are some affordable electric cars available now.
The Seat Mii for instance, brand new, is under £23k with a range of 160 miles between charges, or you can pick up a Mini with a 140 charge range from between £27k and £34k.
Even a good BMW will come in below £40k depending on the model.
There is, of course, the higher end of the scale and if you’re looking for a new model Tesla like the Model X, you’ll be looking at costs just over £80k.
Getting a government grant
To help you cover the costs of buying an electric car there are a number of government grants and incentives that can help with the initial purchase and ongoing maintenance costs.
Vehicle Duty discounts and Fuel Duty exemptions can help to bring the costs down for example.
Running an electric car
As well as the initial costs of buying an electric vehicle, they are also cost-effective to maintain.
This is because they don’t require as much maintenance as a petrol or diesel car.
One of the reasons is that electric cars have fewer parts, so there is less to go wrong.
This means there are fewer parts to maintain and replace over time.
This is one reason why maintenance costs for an electric car can be half the cost of a petrol or diesel car.
Electric vehicles also have more efficient braking systems which can actually put electricity back into the engine to save on charging costs. Plus the brakes of an electric car don’t wear down as quickly.
You will still have to have to pay for a regular MOT to make sure the car is safe, but with fewer parts to replace or repairs to carry out, and with no emissions testing, even this can be lower.
Charging an electric car with your own EV charger at home
There are several options to charge your electric vehicle, and they’re all more cost-effective than a petrol or diesel car.
By far the most effective and reliable is to have an EV ChargePoint installed at your own home.
The biggest expense here is to have the EV charger installed in the first place.
But just like there are government grants to help with the cost of an electric car, there are also grants available to drastically reduce the cost of installing an EV charger at your home.
After this initial investment, the cost is dependent on the per kWh cost of your home’s electricity supply.
Some charge points come with technology built in that helps you time your charges for when electricity is at a lower cost during the day (utility costs naturally fluctuate during the day).
This can bring the cost down even more.
To give you a basic idea of costs. For a 60kWh battery with a 200-mile range, you can fully charge the battery from empty for about £9.
Compare that to the cost of filling a petrol car (which can easily cost between £70 and £80) and you’ll see why an EV is a good option.
Charging your EV at a work or public charge station
If you don’t have an EV charger at home, you won’t be short of options to charge your electric car at work or in public.
According to Zap-Map there are about 20,000 public EV charging stations available throughout the UK, and even more when you consider the number of commercial properties with EV charge stations now available.
The cost of charging your EV at a publicly available station will cost you more than charging a vehicle at home.
Rapid chargers, for example, can cost you about £6.50 for a 30-minute charge (the equivalent of about 100 miles).
You can purchase charge cards or subscriptions and memberships which can give you access to charge time for a set monthly amount. Depending on how often you charge your car in public, this can be cost-effective.
Some publicly available charge points (like those in supermarkets) can be free to use as long as you shop in the store.
The main downside to this way is that you’re reliant on being within proximity to a charge station to be able to charge your vehicle and you won’t be able to leave it charging overnight like at home.
Get an EV charger for home and save money
If you’re looking to get an electric car or are looking for a more effective way to keep your car charged and ready, get in touch with us today.
We can provide you with a free quote so you’ll know how much you’ll need to invest to start making your EV charging cheaper and more efficient.
It’s a free, no-obligation quote, so you have nothing to lose.
Request your free quote today.
