Start your journey to the EV utopia 

Start your journey to the EV utopia 

All the difficulties sourcing petrol and diesel in the past couple of weeks has led once again to the question of whether now is the time to switch to an electric car.  2020 lockdown demonstrated the impact of the daily commute on air quality and if you are able to charge from home and are signed up with a green energy provider, switching to an EV will reduce your carbon footprint. 

But where to start on that journey?  When buying a car, how far it will go before it needs refuelling is not a question generally considered.  But with electric cars, that is the burning question.  If you work out how many miles you do in a week you can then divide that number by seven if you have off-street parking and can charge at home or by the number of times in a week you can find the time to attach to the public charging network.  Once you have your answer you should also think about any one-off long journeys that you like to do regularly and double-check that the range you are opting for will work for that journey too. 

Now turn to the electric car models that are available – a 30kWh battery will give you just over a hundred miles on a single charge (even in the winter), a 40kWh around 140 miles, a 50kWh around 170 and for more than 200 miles you will need a 60kWh+ battery size.   Generally, the bigger the battery, the more expensive the car and the less fuel-efficient you will be, so do be realistic about what you really need. 

Many people wonder about how long it takes to charge.  It is unusual to fully charge from empty – most people top-up regularly when they can in the same way as you would your mobile phone.  But if you did need to charge fully, the time it takes depends on whether you are using a fast or rapid charger or charging from a conventional three-pin plug socket.   

The slowest way to charge is from the standard domestic socket which charges at a rate of just under 3kW per hour.  So, a 30kWh battery (which will give you just over 100 miles of range) will take 30 divided by 3 to fully charge ie around 10 hours.  Fast chargers are the units fitted at home or at supermarkets, places of interest and in some city lampposts.  They usually charge at 7kW per hour, so your 30kWh battery will take 30 divided by 7 to fully charge – around 4 hours.   

For really quick top-ups, the rapid charging network is the place to go – these are the large units with their own cables that you see in service stations and rolled out in central London.  These work at either 50kW, 100kW or 150kW per hour and for most 30kWh cars this means a half-hour charging stop.  Ample time for a comfort break, to grab a coffee and catch up with social media and emails.   

Finally, people worry about the cost.  In terms of fuelling an electric car, it makes more sense economically to use the fast-charging network or charge at home.  It is going to cost you around £3-£4 for every 100 miles of motoring, less if you can charge overnight on an economy tariff.  Rapid charging is more expensive and greater for those less regular longer journeys.  The rapid charging network is also well established across the UK with more and more being installed every week.  The fast-charging network is still rolling out.  There are places where it is widely available and reliable, but if you cannot charge at home, it is important to check out the status of the fast-charging network around where you live or work.  The place to do that is www.zap-map.com.   

The gap between the price of an EV and a conventionally fuelled vehicle is closing with brand new models now available from £30k.  Real value can also be found in the used or pre-owned EV market where models are available from under £10k and lots of choice with a budget of £20-£25k.  Finance options are also available to give monthly payments that maybe match your monthly fuel bill but giving you a car that is less damaging to the environment, brilliant to drive and cheaper to maintain.  So maybe it is time to make that switch. 

EV Experts, A3 Southbound, Guildford, Surrey GU2 7RZ.  

www.evexperts.co.uk 01483 667744