Would you buy an electric car?

15 January 2021

The UK government has recently made a pledge to stop selling all new conventional petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2030. This is part of the Prime Minister’s 10 point plan for a ‘green industrial revolution.’ That said, would you buy an electric car in 2021? True Solicitors uncover the pros and cons of owning an electric vehicle.

Benefits of owning an electric vehicle

There are many benefits to buying an electric vehicle, including:

Fuel cost savings

Electric cars are substantially cheaper to run than their diesel or petrol counterparts. For example 100 miles in an electric vehicle will cost £2 on average. It would cost around £12 to drive the same distance in a petrol car.

Maintenance cost savings

It is generally cheaper to maintain an electric car, as they have fewer moving parts than vehicles with an engine. They also don’t require the likes of oil changes and transmission fluids.

Tax benefits

The vast majority of electric vehicles benefit from being exempt from road tax – a saving of at least £140 per year compared to a petrol or diesel car.

Government grants

Low emission vehicles are eligible for a plug-in grant. The maximum grant is £3000 off the purchase price of a brand new electric car. It is however not only cars that are eligible for the grant, the following government approved, low-emission vehicles are also eligible:

• Motorcycle
• Mopeds
• Vans
• Taxis
• Large vans and trucks

The gov.uk website has a comprehensive list of vehicle and model types which benefit from the scheme.

Low noise pollution

Motorists that are new to driving electric cars can initially find the lack of noise from electric vehicles disconcerting. Electric vehicles do emit some noise, the sound of tyres against the road and the whooshing sound of movement- however there is no rattling sound of the engine.

Zero – emissions

Through choosing to drive an electric vehicle you know that you are doing your bit for the planet. Electric cars produce zero emissions when on the road.

The disadvantages of buying an electric vehicle?

Whilst there are many advantages to buying an electric vehicle, there are some pain points to owning one. However, as the uptake of electric cars increases year on year and the technology progresses, the main disadvantages to owing an electric vehicle are likely to disappear.

Mileage Worries

Most electric cars can travel for over 100 miles on one full charge – which is generally more than enough for someone’s daily commute to work. However, if you are planning a longer journey you will have to factor in figuring out where charging points are along the way.

Lack of charging points

According to Zap-map.com there are public charging points at around 13,439 locations around the UK. However charging points are distributed fairly unevenly around the country, with 25% alone in the Greater London area, whilst there are only 3.4% in the North East, 5.7% in Yorkshire and the Humber and 7.1% in the North West.

Slow Charging Time

Whilst it will take only a few minutes to fill up a tank of petrol, it can take several hours to charge an electric car. Charging time differs from vehicle to vehicle and on how powerful your charger is.

You can purchase a home wall charger for around £500. This will deliver around 15-30 miles of charge per hour – depending on the vehicle.

Expensive to buy

New electric vehicles are more expensive to purchase than new petrol or diesel cars. EVs tend to cost around £10k more than their equivalent petrol or diesel model.