Buying an electric car

It depends on your circumstances. Buying an electric car now could mean you benefit from tax exemptions and home charging grants that could become less readily available as more motorists switch to EVs.

There are an increasing number of independent dealers specialising in used EVs but you can also look out for garages that are EV approved or part of the Hybrid and Electric Vehicle Repair Alliance.

According to Compare the Market (March, 2022) you could find some electric cars are still worth 60% or more of their new price after three years of being driven. Why? An EV battery remains valuable and can go on to lead a new life – unlike a typical combustion engine. 

Many drivers now rent, lease or even subscribe to an EV car club, with a growing number of dedicated electric providers now operating in the UK (source: AirQualityNews, May 2022).

The plug-in car grant, run by the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV), is available for models that meet specific criteria. Vehicles must cost less than £35,000, have emissions of less than 50g/km and have a range of at least 70 miles.

Electric car batteries can last anywhere between 10 to 20 years – a lifespan not dissimilar to a petrol or diesel engine (RAC, October 2021).

But when an electric car does need maintenance, the cost can be expensive as the electric car battery price could be about £5,000. However, many car manufacturers offer a warranty of eight years, or 100,000 miles.

The cost of electric batteries is forecast to halve between 2020 and 2030 (ONS survey, 2021).

Charge points are categorised by their maximum charging speed. Slow charge points are generally 3 kilowatts (kW) or less, fast charge points are between 7 and 22 kW, rapid charge points are 50kW, and ultra-rapid units are 150kW+.

This very much depends on the type of charge point being used, the size of the battery and how fast the car will charge. Generally, a 7kW unit will charge an EV with a 40 kWh battery in 4-6 hours, a 50kW DC rapid charger will add an 80% charge in around 1 hour.