Is it time for you to switch to an EV?

General Guides  Low Emission Vehicles 

Making the switch to an electric car (EV) can feel like an enormous decision. It needn't be as big a deal as you think though. No more trips to the fuel pumps, zero emissions when driving,  reduced maintenance costs, as well as low emission zone benefits. There are plenty of reasons it could be time for you to lease an electric vehicle.  

Driving an EV is better for the environment and better for your wallet.

Running costs are drastically reduced with an electric car, as are maintenance costs, and the constantly growing public infrastructure makes topping up your battery simple. And don't forget the performance. Electric cars are agile, accelerate quickly, and the lack of engine and transmission tunnel makes most of them incredibly spacious inside.

An EV clearly isn't going to be suitable for everyone just yet. If you live in a remote corner of the country with very little infrastructure and regularly travel very long distances you should probably stick to a hybrid if you want to lower your costs. Luckily, that only applies to a very small number of people so the rest of you are much better placed to switch now.

So, how do you know when it's time to switch to an EV?

The answer to that question is going to depend on a number of factors but essentially it comes down to three things.

1 Your average mileage

2 Local charging infrastructure

3 The cost of leasing your EV

And it's the combination of those factors that will determine if an EV is right for you.

In terms of mileage, we all know that charging an EV is significantly cheaper than filling a tank with fuel. On the other side of that you have to balance ease of charging and your ability to keep the battery topped up. If your daily commute is more than the range of your car and you can't top it up while you're at work you'll have a long walk home. On the other hand, if your daily commute is measured in yards rather than miles you should probably think about buying a bicycle instead.

If you've got an average daily commute of around 30-40 miles then range isn't going to be an issue for you. A full charge could last days for most people, so now you need to think about infrastructure.

If it's possible, instal a home charger

The best thing to do is have a home charger installed. Even a small home charger is significantly better than an extension lead out of the window. You can even opt for a smart charger and take advantage of much lower off-peak rates if you shop around for a special EV deal from your electricity provider.

If you can't charge at home – a lack of off-street parking is usually the main reason – you're going to need to access the public charging network. That requires living in an area that has a good network of charging points that you can easily visit during your normal routine. There are lots of options for charging points, some charge while others may even be free. You just need to be sure you can keep your battery topped up while you're out and about if you can't charge it at home.

What about range?

The range of an EV can vary depending on the model you choose as well. A small city car may only have half the range of a top-of-the-range saloon so the next thing you're going to have to consider is cost. There's no point pretending otherwise: the list price of an EV is more expensive than an equivalent petrol or diesel model so you also need to consider your budget for monthly lease rentals.

Generally speaking, the range you can get from an EV is improving at a rapid rate but that range comes at a cost. The more miles you can get from your battery, the higher the price tag on the windscreen. You might need something with a 300+ mile range for an EV to work for you and that's not much use if you're budget will only stretch to 200 miles. Leasing can help enormously in mitigating the extra cost but you'll still pay a premium for choosing an EV.

Just to make you do more maths, you'll also need to balance out that higher initial cost against the savings, not only on fuel but also maintenance.

The fuel cost savings speak for themselves. The other saving in running an EV comes from the much simpler maintenance. The reason servicing and repairs can be so costly is because cars contain complicated engines with lots of expensive and necessary parts. In comparison, a battery and an electric motor is incredibly simple technology that has been around for a lot longer than the internal combustion engine.

And when you add all of that together you can see why an EV is the perfect choice. Just not for everyone.

So, before you can make the switch you need to answer those three questions and do some sums. If now isn't the right time for you, don't worry because inevitably the time will come when the reasons you can't really do cease to be issues.

If now is the right time, what are you waiting for? We've got great deals on EV leasing and the sooner you switch the sooner you'll start saving.

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