5 Considerations Before Buying an Electric Car
Electric cars continue to take a bigger slice of the car sales pie every year and as manufacturers continue to improve and refine them, it’s inevitable that one day the only cars on the road will be running off batteries.
With so many electric vehicle options now available, we've compiled a helpful list of 5 key things to bear in mind before you take the purchase plunge.
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Average Driving Range
The obvious starting point is to consider your average mileage. While electric vehicles are being built with increasing driving range, they still fall short of most diesel or petrol equivalents. According to the RAC Foundation, the average annual mileage in the UK is around 7,400, however this figure has likely tumbled as a result of COVID and the rise of remote working.
Electric vehicles tend to have a range of between 100 to 300 miles or more. So it’s vital to take into account how regularly you travel long distances. While more and more charging points are popping up across the UK, charging an electric vehicle isn’t as simple as filling up a petrol car. Some electric cars require hours to fully charge, so be sure to factor this into your decisions.
Electric vehicles and hybrids have zero trailpipe emissions, meaning they are greener, cleaner and better for the environment than petrol or diesel cars but they can have an impact on the environment, find out here where the impact comes from.
Home Charging Options
Most electric vehicles are able to be charged right from a traditional electrical socket, however this will result in lengthy charging times. In order to significantly reduce your charging time to minutes instead of hours, you’ll need to have a powerful charging system installed at your property.
Home EV Chargers can be expensive, and because you’re dealing with such high voltages, they’ll often need to be installed by a trained professional. This all adds up to the initial cost involved when purchasing an electric vehicle, for example a Tesla home charger retails at around £500 with installation.
Service & Maintenance Costs
Just like regular cars, electric cars will need to be regularly serviced. While electric vehicles generally have fewer moving parts that can go wrong, when something does unfortunately happen, it can be very pricey. Visit MotorEasy servicing to get a quote and save on prices up to 40% cheaper than main dealers.
The most expensive electric vehicle component is the battery, which some manufacturers state should last around 100,000 miles. However, things do go wrong, and if your battery is the cause of the problem you’re likely looking at several thousand pounds for a new one. For example a replacement battery for the Nissan Leaf will set you back almost £5000, and if you drive a Tesla it’s likely to be at least double that cost. Get protected with a MotorEasy EV warranty, covering failures identified during MOT and servicing, drive battery, wear and tear and more.
Due to the weighty batteries that these vehicles carry, electric vehicles can be around 20-30% heavier than their non-electrical counterparts, this results in tyres being put under increased pressure - find out more on how to protect your electric car tyres from damage.
Before taking a plunge on an electric vehicle, ensure you could afford the worst-case scenario of the battery needing to be replaced.
Electricity Bill Costs
Adding an EV to your household is obviously going to increase your electricity bill each month, but you may not have considered the savings that can be made if you scrutinise your current energy supplier.
Before you receive your shiny new electric car, be sure to use comparison sites and talk to your current supplier to ensure you have the best energy tariff. Some even offer cheaper ‘off peak’ electricity, meaning you can plug your vehicle in overnight and save substantial amounts of money over the course of the year.
Technology & Software
Electric vehicles are absolutely brimming with the latest technology, and when your car requires regular software updates much like your home computer would, it can be quite a jarring experience for some. Some manufacturers will provide these updates for free and seamlessly download and install them without you having to do anything.
On the other hand, some manufacturers will hound you like an expired antivirus licence, repeatedly asking you to download the latest updates and even charging you a fee to do so. This is a big consideration that many don’t think about, as you’re ultimately giving the manufacturer an incredible amount of control over your vehicle.
With MotorEasy EV warranty you can relax knowing that your drive battery is covered and that we’ve got a whole network of electric car specialists to deal with any repairs you may need, get protected today.
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Daniel McClure Fisher is the owner of Dead Simple Computing, an IT services company based in Caversham, Reading. They provide honest and clear IT support, IT Solutions and consultancy for businesses and residential customers.
Further electric car advice:
Electric cars - How are tyres affected
