What EV To Buy

As a taster, to show you the EV cars currently available, go to Automobile Dimensions Click Here and click on the blue tab Electric and Hybrid followed by Electric cars on the drop-down menu. This will list by size starting from the smallest and clicking on the image will show additional pictures of the interior.

The smaller models are designed as city cars then moving through family models to the executive brands.

You will have similar considerations to buying any car such as price and specification level with the addition of range. If the majority of your journeys are local, then you can look at a model with a smaller battery pack and lower cost as range is not so important.

Having narrowed your choice look at online reviews, preferably more than one and also do a web search for possible issues with that model. The reviews will give pros and cons, but as they don’t have the use of the cars for very long it is wise to see if there are any adverse comments from longer term owners/users. As EVs develop towards fully autonomous capability, more aspects of the vehicle’s control are done for you. One thing to consider is whether you are comfortable making adjustments on screen while driving or whether you feel safer with buttons and knobs. Perhaps think how you can manage on a busy motorway in the dark with heavy rain and poor visibility.

The fun bit is now the test drive. Be sure you get useful instruction before setting off and have the dealer’s phone number with you just in case. You may wish to ask them how to do this or that while out. Be sure to ask before you set-off if the vehicle has any default settings which may distract you. For example, most will set Lane Assist to on or a particular level of regeneration which does not suit and you need to know how to adjust or switch off.

Also check the adjustment of the climate control. It can be annoying to have the screen steam up and you really don’t know how to clear it!

Try different drive modes (Sport, Comfort and Eco etc.) and feel the difference in performance and notice the change in the remaining range available. The car may feel heavy at first because of the battery pack but you soon get used to that.

If buying new is not in your budget there is a growing second-hand market and there are garages that specialise in repair and renovation of older models. Be sure to get expert opinion of the condition of the battery.

The half-way house, should you choose not to go fully EV, is the PHEV – plug in hybrid. These will normally give an all-electric range of some 20 to 45 miles and the petrol/diesel engine will then take over. With some models the  ICE engine will recharge the battery during the time that it has taken over enabling you to revert to electric drive when appropriate.

Self-charging hybrids simply assist the IC engine to give greater fuel consumption and lower emissions.

As EVs are currently more expensive than their ICE equivalent the government has a grant to help make them more affordable. This is up to £2500 for cars and £6000 for commercial vans. For cars it is 35% of the on the road list price including VAT up to a maximum of £35,000. The .gov link Click Here lists all the qualifying vehicles.
VED is currently zero rated and lower running and service costs help to offset the higher purchase price.

Insurance cost is not greatly different to the equivalent ICE vehicle. Shop around is the best advice. However there are some companies that specialise in cover for EVs with specific mention of cover for the battery, accident to a third party due to the charging cable when in use etc. That should be a consideration.

For business users there are substantial tax allowances in the form of Benefit in Kind and capital allowances. Your professional advisor will take you through the benefits relating to your business.

Hydrogen electric? They are available. Models such as the Toyota Mirai. However, they are currently expensive and in the UK there are very few refuelling points other than around the M25. They have the advantage of decent range and can be refuelled in a similar time as a current ICE vehicle. It will be some time before they become an option to consider more widely.

Suggested category to read next is …..  Charging and Caring for your Battery

If you feel that you have benefited from the information published here, please refer to the Dedication at the end of this blog when you have finished reading the various topics of interest.