Whether you like them or loathe them, electric cars are coming. Here are the answers to the questions you’ve always wanted to ask about electric vehicles and hybrids.
WILL ALL NEW CARS BE FULLY-ELECTRIC AFTER 2030?
No. The UK Government has announced that it will be a staggered introduction. So from 2030, all new cars need to be electrified not fully-electric, meaning plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) will still be sold. Then from 2035, all new cars will need to be fully electric or EVs. In reality, most car manufacturers have already announced that their line-ups will be electrified ahead of these dates.
SHOULD I BUY A FULLY-ELECTRIC CAR OR A PLUG-IN HYBRID?
From 2035 you won’t have a choice, but before then it depends on how you use your car. The fully-charged range of electric cars is growing all the time (see next question) and many owners find that the technology isn’t the hindrance that you might at first imagine. However, if you want the flexibility of being able to drive long journeys at short notice or you run up a high annual mileage, then a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) might be more convenient.
WHAT ABOUT THEIR RANGE? HOW FAR CAN ELECTRIC CARS GO ON ONE CHARGE?
Battery technology is improving all the time, but the range of electric vehicles largely depends on the size of the battery fitted. Most new electric cars have a fully-charged range of 200 to 300 miles, while the new Mercedes EQS (the new S-Class) has a range of up to 453 miles. The main problem is the time it takes to fully charge.
IS IT SAFE TO BUY A USED ELECTRIC CAR?
Well, once you accept the usual used car-buying warnings of ‘caveat emptor’, yes it is. All EV car manufacturers have separate warranties for their batteries (on Jaguar’s I-Pace for instance it’s eight years and 100,000 miles) and if you’re in any doubt, you can often check the health of the battery pack using the car’s on-board diagnostics.
IS AN ELECTRIC CAR CHEAPER TO BUY AND RUN THAN A PETROL OR DIESEL CAR?
At present, electric cars are generally more expensive to buy than their conventional counterparts with petrol or diesel engines. However, the running costs are considerably lower and you pay less in road tax and any taxes you might have as a company car driver, so over a period of two or three years they’re usually cheaper overall.
IS AN ELECTRIC CAR REALLY BETTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT THAN A NORMAL CAR?
Oh crikey, how long have you got? Strictly speaking, yes running a car on electricity is cleaner than pumping out carbon dioxide and other particulates into our immediate atmosphere as with petrol or diesel.
Dig a bit deeper though and it’s not that simple. That electricity you use to charge up your electric car needs to be from green sources itself, while the car batteries manufacture includes lithium, cobalt and nickel, which are all about as clean as a Victorian street urchin. Battery technology is improving as is the reliance on rare metals, but the reality is that it’s not clear cut and both sides of the argument can unravel faster than snagging your favourite Christmas jumper on a holly bush.
WILL THERE BE A SUFFICIENT NUMBER OF CHARGERS FOR ME TO CHARGE MY CAR?
There are more than 16,000 charging locations and around 45,000 chargers in the UK. The initial problems of the charging network are being ironed out with more providers able to take contactless or immediate payments rather than requiring you to have an account. Companies such as Gridserve are also building ultra-rapid, fast-charging service stations. Gridserve has bought a national charging network from Ecotricity, so is updating the motorway charging network, too. How much you will need that network however is another matter. At present, around 80 per cent of EV drivers charge their cars at home or at work, so you may need it less than you think.
HOW WILL I CHARGE MY CAR IF I DON’T HAVE OFF-STREET PARKING?
The government has just put in a proposal that all new homes and offices built from 2022 will have EV chargers, so this will become less of a problem as time goes on. As stated above, the charging network is growing all the time and local councils are installing more kerbside charging points in lampposts to help. Otherwise, there are concierge services, such as the start-up firm Zumocharge in London, which will collect your car, charge it up overnight and return it to you for a small fee plus the cost of electricity.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO CHARGE AN ELECTRIC CAR?
Here’s the good news – at a traditional filling station, you’re effectively at the mercy of the fuel company. With an EV though, you can change your home electricity provider for the best deal – some providers even offer overnight deals as low as 5p per kWh. As a very general rule, most EVs will travel around three to four miles per kWh.
On the road, charging prices work much like petrol or diesel. Motorway services and faster charging points tend to be expensive, while quieter, less powerful ones are cheaper. Rates can vary from 20p per kWh up to 70p per kWh. You can sometimes get reduced rates however by paying a separate monthly membership fee if you’re going to charge regularly with one provider.
WHAT ARE THE TAX ADVANTAGES OF AN ELECTRIC CAR EITHER AS AN EMPLOYEE OR BUSINESS OWNER?
As an employee, there are numerous advantages to driving a fully electric company car or even a plug-in hybrid with the Benefit-in Kind tax rates. For plug-in hybrids however, you should check the electric range beforehand as the tax breaks change depending on how far they can go on battery power alone.
The Workplace Charging Scheme helps businesses with the costs and installation of charging points – up to £350 per socket for businesses with off-street parking. For SMEs, the capital allowance tax relief on an EV with low emissions is considerably better than for conventional cars, so speak to your accountant to make it work for you.
Five EV and PHEVs to watch
HYUNDAI IONIQ 5
- Price: from £36,995
Hyundai and sister firm Kia are both building some of the most exciting electrified models to arrive into showrooms and this Ioniq 5 is the perfect example. Stunning, futuristic looks, up to a 298-mile range
and incredible performance (how does 0 to 60mph in 5.2 seconds grab you?). The Ioniq 5 may not be one of the most involving cars to drive, but we think it could easily be a contender for the best design in the World Car of the Year awards.
PEUGEOT 308 HYBRID
- Price: from £33,000
Driver choice is everything when it comes to buying a new car. An incredible 70 per cent of new Peugeot 308s that leave showrooms are sold as company cars and this latest version is better than ever. As well as traditional petrol and diesel engines, there are two plug-in hybrid models available with a fully-electric version coming in 2023. So the same car will be available as a family hatchback or estate and with four different power sources.
VOLVO XC60 RECHARGE PLUG-IN HYBRID
- Price: from £53,075
The XC60 has been Volvo’s best-selling model globally since 2009 and this refreshed model is no less desirable. Three plug-in hybrid models are on offer starting with the 340bhp T6 offering emissions as low as 55g/km and an all-electric range of up to 32g/km. In early 2022, the XC60 will also get a larger and more efficient battery pack, improving those performance numbers still further.
AUDI Q4 E-TRON
- Price: £40,035
The all-electric Audi Q4 e-tron and Q4 e-tron Sportback are on the same platform as VW’s ID4 and the Skoda Enyaq. That means there’s a choice of two batteries – 52kwh or 77kWh – and three power levels along with two or four-wheel drive. The Audi Q4 e-tron goes as far as 317 miles (Q4 e-tron Sportback, 323 miles), while it also has intelligent regenerative braking that cleverly automatically uses its knowledge of the road ahead for ultimate driving efficiency.
KIA KV6
- Price: from £40,945
While under the skin the gorgeous new Kia KV6 may share some of its underpinnings with the Hyundai Ioniq 5, that’s where the similarities end. The KV6 is only available with a 77kWh battery pack, giving it a range of up to 316 miles, but there are two and four-wheel drive models and a more powerful version is on its way, too. We also can’t help thinking there’s more than a hint of Aston Martin DBX about the rear-end styling and what’s not to like about that?
Nat Barnes
