Posted on: 3rd January 2019
Categories: Charging news, Home charging

Electric cars are becoming more and more popular, and many households are considering making the switch. EV technology is improving all the time, the cars are becoming more affordable, batteries are lasting greater distances and more chargepoints are popping up in towns and cities.

If you’re looking to buy a new car in 2019, our team of EV chargepoint installers bring you the top 10 reasons why moving to an EV car is a smart idea for your lifestyle and bank balance.

Electric cars are cheaper

Overall, electric cars cost less than petrol and diesel vehicles to run each year. The cost of the cars themselves are decreasing all the time, and they cost significantly less to run and maintain than petrol or diesel-powered cars. There is no fuel to buy, no oil to change and fewer parts to break or wear out.

Goodbye to car tax

A significant benefit is that electric cars are exempt from vehicle tax (provided the electricity comes from an external source or an electric storage battery not connected to any source of power when the vehicle is moving. For more information see: https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-exempt-from-vehicle-tax)

The Government will pay £500 towards having one

The Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme (EVHS) provides grant funding of up to 75% towards the cost of installing electric vehicle chargepoints at domestic properties across the UK.

This means that homes with off-street parking are eligible for a government grant (up to £500) to cover the cost of installing a chargepoint. Find out more about the OLEV grant.

Charge up at home

EV charging at home is a top benefit for electric vehicle owners, with over 80% of all charging taking place at home. With electric vehicles, visiting a petrol station every few days is a thing of the past as you can charge your car at home. Leading chargepoint manufacturers such as Rolec, EO and Anderson offer a wide range of chargepoint units, with different designs and options available to choose from.

Low maintenance

With an electric engine, there are simply fewer parts and therefore less things to break or replace over time. Other parts, for example brakes, will last longer than a petrol or diesel car. The most significant part of an electric car, the battery, come with generous warranties which can last up to 15 years.

Safety

Electric cars have to pass the same safety tests as fuel-powered vehicles. So, they are no less safe. In fact, in a number of crash-test safety ratings, many electric vehicles score better than regular cars. For example, the Tesla Model X has a perfect crash rating score.

Quieter to drive

One of biggest differences people notice about driving an electric car is the lack of noise. Electric cars make virtually no noise, and many drivers feel this makes for a seemingly smoother, calmer driving experience.

Drive the latest models

The limited number of options when it comes to vehicle choice is becoming a thing of the past. It is predicted that as many as 20 new pure electric vehicles will be released in the next two years, with dozens more hybrid alternatives. Erin Baker, editorial director at Auto Trader, said: “By the middle of [2019], there will just be such an explosion of what’s on the market to choose from which will really widen consumer choice”.


Help protect the environment

Driving an electric car can produce substantially lower emissions than a petrol or diesel car, even when taking into account how the electricity used is generated (Source: Drax Electric Insights Quarterly – Q2 2017). More and more people are becoming eco-aware, with many households looking to make a positive impact on the environment in any way they can. With no exhaust or emissions, electric cars are an obvious way to reduce pollution in towns and cities.

Electric cars are the future

If you are thinking about buying an electric car, then you are looking ahead to the future. The government is on track to finalise targets for new cars and vans to be zero emission by 2040. Buying electric vehicle technology now is the smartest way to be ahead of the curve and benefit from incentives like the OLEV grant which won’t be in place forever.

Still need convincing?

Electric vehicle technology is here to stay. If you have questions about what’s involved with installing an electric car chargepoint at home, visit our FAQs or contact us for a free consultation.