Not only will electric models help you to reduce your carbon footprint, but they're also cheaper to run, require less maintenance and save you money on fuel. Win, win. Here's everything you need to know.
Fuel Costs
Fuel costs are lower for electric cars than for petrol and diesel vehicles. The cost to charge an EV depends on the size of the battery and where you're charging it.
The latest statistics from Zap-Map suggests that the average price to charge an electric car is 14 pence per mile on slow/fast chargers and 20 pence per mile on rapid/ultra-rapid public chargers.
However, by using public chargers only a fraction of the time and charging at home and taking advantage of off-peak tariffs motorists are still better off than filling with petrol or diesel.
These prices are subject to regular fluctuations with changes in energy prices and fuel price caps.
If you're curious how much it will cost you, Zap-Map has two handy calculators for home charging and public charging.
Many supermarkets, cinemas and some car parks also offer free charging - as do some workplaces. In the case of hybrid vehicles, they still use less fuel than petrol cars - the electric engine powers the car at lower speeds and gas engine powers it at higher speeds.
Maintenance
Compared with petrol and diesel vehicles, EV servicing and maintenance costs are considerably lower than their petrol and diesel equivalents, as they have fewer moving parts than traditional engines. View our article on maintenance to find out more.
Road Tax and BiK
Zero emission vehicles are exempt from road tax until April 2025 while plug-in hybrids currently pay reduced rates with an annual supplement for five years which begins the second time the car is taxed with those costing more than £40,000 subject to an additional premium rate.
For those with an EV car as their company vehicle, the company benefit in kind rate is just 2% on pure electric cars which could save you thousands of pounds every year depending on the tax rate you pay.
Insurance
This used to be more expensive than insuring a petrol or diesel model but with the increasing number of EVs on the roads there is now far more parity and there are also specific electric car insurance policies available.
Out And About
There are also savings to be had when driving around town. EVs travel free in Clean Air Zones and London's Congestion Zone (once you have paid an annual registration fee for the cleaner vehicle discount) and in many places, pay reduced or zero parking charges.
Additional Savings With Hendy
At Hendy, we want to make your transition to driving electric as seamless as possible. That's why we're delighted to offer you a bespoke package of benefits in collaboration with our partners, Zoom EV. You can save up to £1,000 in your first year of ownership with our host of offers and discounts, as well as being connected with the essential services you need to run your EV. Upon completion of your purchase, our Sales team will start the process of getting your Hendy Group EV Driver Benefits set up! Find out more here.
Join The Electric Revolution With Hendy
For more tips and helpful guides about electric/hybrid driving, check out our News page. From the types of vehicles available to information about charging, our series of articles will give you complete confidence when making the switch!
And click here to view the latest electric and hybrid models available at Hendy!
