5 compelling reasons to drive an electric car
The other day I shared 10 ways to save money on petrol and diesel, with some driving efficiency tips.
But there’s an even better way to save money without giving up your car:
By driving an electric car!
I’ve been looking into some of the misconceptions about electric vehicles (EVs) and I’m becoming more and more convinced that they might actually be the way forward – pun not intended 😉
Save on fuel
EVs currently cost around £1.80 per eight-hour charge and the average vehicle will enable you to travel around 100 miles on that charge. If you have solar powered electricity at home, that cost could drop considerably – making it even more green and economical. With recent panic buying of fuel in the UK, it’s a welcome change NOT to have to queue at a filling station and just to be able to charge your car overnight at home!
Save on running costs
In addition to saving money on fuel, electric cars are exempt from road tax and the London Congestion Charge. In some areas in the UK you can park your EV and even charge it for free!
Feels like a car
Electric cars don’t feel like electric cars to drive. What does that mean? A popular misconception is that EVs are little more than glorified golf buggies or milk floats; the reality is your average family EV can do 0-60 in around 7 seconds. Not too shabby! Inside they look and feel just like any other car and they come complete with air conditioning, satnav, parking cameras and other mod cons we have grown accustomed to.
Noise
One of the things that frustrates me most about travelling is my inability to talk to Little Miss Green when she’s in the back. She’s quietly spoken and I often have to ask her to repeat something three times before I hear her. When I’m in a bad mood and can’t be bothered I sometimes put a ‘no talking’ rule in place until we’ve reached our destination. This causes tension between us so it’s not great. With an electric car there is no drone of the engine and no revving; everything is silent, so you can have a pleasant chat rather than a shouted exchange.
No service
As well as cheaper running costs you save money on servicing with an electric car. These vehicles don’t need oil in the engine so there’s no need for oil top-ups and filter changes. Brake pads and discs rarely wear out because they are not needed so much in an EV (taking your foot off the accelerator is usually enough to slow it down quickly). There is no clutch, so no need for clutch fluid and, when you look under the hood, there are few moving parts to wear out. It’s estimated that an electric car will cost about one third of the current cost of maintaining a petrol or diesel vehicle.
While you won’t want an electric car for long distances, they are ideal for the daily commute and local errands. Personally I only ever travel more than 100 miles in a day when I’m going on holiday once a year, so an EV would be great for most people for day-to-day living.
What about you – do you think electric cars are the way forward or are you still unsure?