Electric vehicles have become increasingly popular over the past decade and sales are set to increase even further and more rapidly in light of the Government's push to meet carbon zero targets. So what are the benefits of choosing an electric vehicle over a diesel or petrol one? Below we’ve outlined our top 10 reasons to drive an electric car.
1. Lower car maintenance costs
In electric cars, the batteries do all of the work. Electric cars are cheaper to maintain than petrol-powered cars, since the number of moving parts in an electric drivetrain is lower than in an internal combustion engine. A lithium-ion battery motor requires no oil changes or engine component replacements. You won’t experience the same general wear and tear concerns that a combustion engine might cause you, over its lifetime.
2. Increased driving efficiency
An electric vehicle converts electricity into movement, making it more efficient than an ICE car, which has to burn fuel then convert that heat into motion. When an electric car brakes, much of its energy is put back into the battery, rather than being wasted. Charging via efficient EV off-peak night time tariffs can make the cost to charge the vehicle per mile typically less than half the cost per mile of fuelling a petrol car, sometimes even more, depending on exact tariffs, fuel prices and vehicle models.
3. Reduced running costs
Besides cheaper maintenance and charging, your road tax is another consideration. Road tax charges are calculated based on the car's price, CO2 emissions, and how it's fuelled so taxing an electric vehicle will be considerably cheaper than taxing high-polluting petrol and diesel models. Fully battery electric vehicles (BEVs) currently pay no road tax at all in the UK, a potential saving of hundreds of pounds a year. This will change in April 2025 when road tax will start to apply to electric vehicles too. To find out how much road tax for EVs will increase to, read our article on electric car road tax cost here.
Reduced running costs are also facilitated by savings on CAZ and ULEZ charges, particularly if you find yourself on city-based business or social trips fairly regularly. Many cities are now introducing charges for high polluting vehicles entering them, and accompanying fines for drivers who fail to pay the charges. Electric vehicles have zero tailpipe emissions and are therefore exempt from paying Clean Air Zone and similar charges.
4. Convenient charging times
Rather than having to refuel at a petrol station when it’s open, electric vehicles offer you the option of recharging your car at home when it best suits you. You're also, to some extent, in control of the costs, since you can source the most convenient, low-cost EV tariffs to suit your lifestyle and charge your car off-peak. You can choose to charge at your convenience, when your car isn't in use by you, even overnight if you prefer, using a smartphone app. Popular chargers offer added smart features such as tariff integration and solar integration that allow you to benefit from further cost savings. Home charging's significantly cheaper than using public chargers particularly during off-peak hours when, according to the UK government, it's possible to save up to £1000 a year.
5. Helping towards Net Zero
The UK must meet Net Zero by 2050, in line with current legislative targets. Defining the balance between the amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) that's produced in the atmosphere and the amount that's removed, net zero is an urgent environmental and political imperative that the world's currently striving to achieve as a result of the Paris Agreement. All-electric vehicles are zero-emission vehicles because they produce no direct exhaust or tailpipe emissions locally. The transition to electric vehicles (EVs) therefore provides a crucial leap towards achieving the UK's Net Zero target.
6. Beating the ban
The Department for Transport is committed to delivering greener transport by supporting the transition to electric vehicles. This includes phasing out the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030 and accelerating the rollout of charge points. The date has been changed from 2030 to 2035 and now back again to 2030 for the complete ban of all sales of new petrol and diesel cars in the UK but regardless of the precise date, a ban is imminent and by leasing an electric car prior to it being implemented, you can get take your time deciding which electric vehicle works best for you.
7. Accessing affordable Leasing
Since the electric car is on lease during its best most problem-free years, while it's brand-new and with maintenance often included, electric car leases totally remove the only real downside of electric cars, their high purchase price, from the equation. Employers are also increasingly offering employees the use of an electric car as a way of saving money and increasing employee benefits.
8. Grants for purchase and chargers
Some types of low-emission vehicles are eligible for grants from the government and applied at the point of purchase by the seller. You can find out more here.
There are also a range of grants towards the installation of chargers in business and residential premises, which at the time of writing include:
- EV chargepoint grant for renters and flat owners. Find out more here.
- EV chargepoint grant for households with on-street parking. Find out more here.
- EV chargepoint and infrastructure grant for landlords, including car parks. Find out more here.
- EV chargepoint and infrastructure grant for staff and fleet car parks. Find out more here.
- Workplace Charging Scheme. Find out more here.
9. Cheaper company car tax
Company car tax is comprised of 2 parts, with the company and employee paying amounts dictated by car value, CO2 emissions and employee income tax bracket. For employees on a big wage, driving expensive cars with high emissions, the company car tax will be high. In 2024/25, the electric vehicle company car tax rate stands at just 2% and despite the fact the rates are set to increase by 1 percent every year until 2028, an efficient petrol or diesel car which emits around 100g/km of CO2 is likely to have a BIK rate of 25% which is a substantial difference and will equate to a much larger company car tax bill.
10. Improved driving experience
Electric motors accelerate faster and drive more smoothly than diesel and petrol cars. The electric motor in EVs can generate maximum torque instantly. Almost always automatic, EVs tend to make driving more responsive and more fun. The EV's motor system powered by a battery is almost totally silent. The only sounds that an electric car generally makes, occur when encountering wind resistance or constitute normal wheel noises. When travelling at slow speeds most electric cars will emit a noise, however, to increase safety by warning pedestrians and cyclists of their presence.