You may have noticed that there are more electric cars on Britain’s roads. As the technology of electric cars has improved and the prices become more affordable, you might be wondering if now is the right time to swap to electric. The UK Government recently announced that it would be preventing new diesel and petrol cars from being sold by the year 2030. So is an electric car right for you? Here are some of the advantages of owning one.
By Team Savant
Image: CHUTTERSNAP
There Are Incentives To Purchase One
There are a surprising number of incentives for purchasing an electric car. For example, some electric vehicles are available with Ford Motability cars schemes and there are grants available for those who invest in low-emission vehicles. You can get significant discounts on an electric vehicle and you’d be surprised at how much money you can end up saving over the long term. There may even be benefits from your employer or charging schemes to provide your home with an affordable electric charging station.
You Helping the Environment
If you’re concerned about your impact on the environment, then an eclectic car is the perfect option. Rather than use diesel or petrol, these vehicles can be charged at specialist charging points or even through a normal household plug. In the past, people were put off EVs by the short range of the battery and the length of time it took to charge up. Now battery and fuel cell manufacture has progressed to a point where they can run for over 300 miles between charges and can fast charge in around 30 minutes when using a specialist fast charging point.
If you swap your home energy tariff to one that uses renewable energy, then you can reduce your carbon footprint even further.
Lower Running Costs
Filling the average family car up with petrol or diesel can cost you up to £70. With EVs, you can charge your car for a fraction of this. There are also many free charging points to be found in towns, cities, and shopping centres. You can charge up while getting your weekly shop.
Some energy suppliers have specialist tariffs for EV charging, which gives you lower prices overnight when you would typically be charging your car. It’s a great way to lower your running costs even further.
Less Maintenance
Petrol and diesel engines have many moving parts which need to be serviced or replaced regularly. This isn’t the case with EVs, which don’t need as much maintenance.
Improved Infrastructure To Support EVs
As part of the government’s commitment to becoming more environmentally friendly, the UK is on course to become far convenient for electric vehicle drivers. The number of charging points is increasing all of the time.
Electric vehicles are often exempt from congestion charges and there is even some discussion happening regarding EVs being allowed to use bus lanes in some towns and cities.
Great Performance
EV manufacturers such as Tesla and Polestar are doing a lot to raise the image of the electric car into the realm of performance vehicles. Luxury interiors, high specifications, and acceleration leave most other cars standing are all features that are attracting serious car enthusiasts.
Final Thoughts
The future of the UK’s roads is electric. Sooner or later, you’re going to have to move away from your petrol engine, but electric cars have come a long way from the clunky-looking models with a short-range that took days to charge. They are well built, luxurious and often outperform their petrol counterparts in performance.