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The great switch to zero-emission cars is well underway - the UK Government has pledged to end the sale of petrol and diesel cars from 2030 and for all new cars to be fully zero emission at the tailpipe. But many have already made the switch to Electric and found that in fact, the UK is ready for the future of transport. If you're just starting out on your journey, this page will help to answer your questions and myth bust your way to an EV.
So buying an electric car is all about the environment right? Wrong! Whilst it's true that driving a zero emissions car is better for the planet there are also many benefits for the driver too which make it a worthy investment. After the initial purchase of the car itself, your lifetime running costs will be significantly lower than that of a combustion engine car.Firstly, the comparison of charging an electric car vs filling with fossil fuels are the most obvious of savings. Even with the volatile energy prices of 2022, the difference is a no-brainer. Most electric cars will cost a few pounds to fully charge at home whilst a traditional car will cost anything from £40 to over £100 to fill. The average ICE also has a fuel efficiency of 40% which means the remaining 60% is lost due to heat and friction. This means that the ICE engine uses more energy in comparison to an electric vehicle travelling the same distance.Next, Electric cars have been the subject of many government incentives over the last few years. As EV's become more popular it is likely that these incentives will start to fizzle out, however from a tax perspective you'll still see a saving here. Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) is a tax calculated on the tail-pipe CO2 emissions of a car. So, fully electric zero emission cars will be exempt from this charge. Also for those who use a car for business purposes, the Benefit-in-kind (BIK) rate rates pure-electric models at 2% for 2022/23 in comparison to 30%+ for ICE cars.
We've discussed the costs associated with the initial purchase and your day-to-day costs with charging. However, when it comes to servicing and repairs, EVs are more straight forward and require less maintenance. For example, a traditional ICE car can have in excess of 2,000 moving parts whilst a fully electric vehicle would be as little as 20. That's a lot less things that can go wrong! The traditional service will be a thing of the past too with much more simplified annual maintenance requirements. The new service will involve many checks that are not covered on an MOT but fewer parts and top-ups required so servicing cost should be significantly.
SELF-CHARGING HYBRID vs PLUG-IN HYBRID vs FULLY ELECTRICChoosing between a hybrid vehicle and a fully electric vehicle is a matter for what is most important to you - so it's critical you understand the difference. In short, the difference is choosing between a vehicle which switches between two power sources (Hybrid) or one that relies solely on electric.HEV - Hybrid Electric VehicleAlso known as a self-charging hybrid, a small electric motor works with a traditional combustion engine. A small amount of electric range is generated via this combination and by regenerative braking. The electric range is used during light load movements, for example moving off from a stationary position. PHEV - Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle As you can probably guess from the name, a plug-in hybrid has the facility to plug in a charging cable to charge a battery, allowing the vehicle to drive both on electric and traditional fuel. The amount of electric range will be higher than that of a HEV. When the car is deleted of electric range, it switches to the internal combustion engine. BEV - Battery Electric VehicleThis is your fully fledged electric vehicle. Rapid charging replenishes your car's batteries to around 80%, usually in around half an hour whilst an overnight charge gets you to 100%. This is your true solution if you're looking for zero emissions driving.
Range anxiety is a term used to describe fear that whilst driving an electric car your battery will run out without immediate access to a charging point. In reality, you needn't worry. When driving a combustion engine you keep an eye on the fuel gauge and you recognise when you need to head to the fuel station. Since nearly all fuel stations also have charging points these days the only extra thing you'll need to consider is how long it takes to charge as this will take a little longer than using petrol of diesel. However, due to the versatility and simplicity of installing charging points (in comparison to fuelling stations), you can find them also at shopping centres, carparks, restaurants and many other places. So arguably, you have more options of places to charge than you did when you drove a petrol or diesel!
It's still early days in the EV battery world but the current estimate on battery lifespan is 10-20 years. Volvo offers a 8 year/ 100,000 mile warranty of their batteries so you can rest assured that your covered for years to come.
The clue is in the name. These are chargers which are able to charge much quicker than one you may have in your household. This is a result of a higher amount of power running through their system. Rapid Alternating current (AC) chargers use around 43Kwh which is much more power in comparison to Fast chargers which are rated around 7-22Kwh. Direct Current (DC) chargers feed direct to the car and can deliver about 50 Kwh.
It's a myth that you can't drive very far in an all-electric vehicle. As the technology is developed the ranges are getting better every year too. Current figures with Volvo's choice of EVs offers 266.6 miles with the XC40 Recharge and 274 miles with the C40 Recharge - that's sufficient to get you from Ipswich to Cardiff without stopping to charge. That's not a journey you're likely to do on a regulars basis so all other normal driving routes should be fine if you're charging overnight.
Absolutely! There are many different charging solutions available. With a home wallbox, it's a case of plug-in, forget then come back and enjoy electric mobility - simply make it part of your routine by plugging in when your car is idle at home and you need never worry about how much charge is left.
This can vary depending on the model you are driving and how and where you are charging it. For full EVs, at fast charging stations a typical charge to 80% is between 32-37 minutes whilst charging to 100% from home or work is 7-8 hours. Plug-in hybrids on the other hand will be between 3-8 hours.
Zero emissions refers directly the tailpipe emissions. An electric car has zero emissions as it runs purely off electricity and consequently does not realise emissions into the atmosphere (and doesn't have a tailpipe) in comparison to a ICE car which releases CO2 via a tailpipe. Zero Omissions is a phrase used by Volvo occasionally and refers to ambitions to be carbon neutral within the whole production of the car without the use of any fossil fuels during any of the process of manufacturing.
We all know that electricity and water aren't a good mix, however all EV's have been sufficiently waterproofed to ensure that this should not be a problem. However, you should approach deep puddles exactly like you would had with an ICE car and ideal check the full depth your car is able to drive through.
Most of the noise you hear from a regular car is coming from the engine. Since electric cars don't have engines you won't even hear when the car starts. When you pull off you'll hear a faint dim whirling sound coming from the small fan which keeps the car's charging equipment cool. You may also notice the sound of the tyres on the tarmac however, overall however, you'll notice much less sound in comparison to ICE cars. When electric cars are reversing all models have a (often futuristic) sound which acts as a pedestrian warning.
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