Electric vehicles

Reality: EVs do cost more to buy outright but, in many cases, have a lower running cost over 4 years. While a new electric vehicle (EV) costs more to buy up front, today most drivers in the UK (around 80%) will buy their cars on the used market. Industry intelligence suggests that some EVs on the used market are now similar in price to their petrol and diesel equivalents.

Many workplaces provide salary sacrifice schemes, which can reduce the cost of purchasing an EV. To support this, company car tax is favourable for EVs at only 2%. The government has confirmed that company car tax for EVs will increase 1% each year from 2025 to a total of 5% in April 2028.

By contrast, the most polluting cars will pay 37% company car tax in 2028. EVs are also exempt from vehicle excise duty until 2025 and will continue to receive favourable first-year rates after this.

As of May 2022, 24 EV models are priced under £32,000 compared to 15 at the same time in 2021. It is predicted that someone buying a new EV next year will recoup the additional upfront cost within 5 years due to lower running costs.

With production costs reducing, some forecasts show that some EVs could be the same price to purchase as a petrol or diesel car. 

Reality: in many cases, EVs continue to benefit from significant savings on the cost of fuel. Charging a medium-sized electric car at home can cost around half the price of filling up an equivalent petrol vehicle. 

Charging at home costs around 8p per mile while a diesel or petrol vehicle can cost around 13p to 17p per mile to fuel, as of January 2024. Some suppliers continue to offer tariffs enabling drivers to charge their EVs at under 3p per mile (such as an overnight tariff offered by Octopus Energy). 

On average, Zapmap charging data shows that the cost of charging an EV on the public network is roughly equivalent to fuelling an equivalent petrol car. 

An EV is usually cheaper to run than a petrol or diesel car, with lower maintenance and repair costs. Recently published independent research suggests an average saving of £700 a year.

Reality: 99% of car journeys in England are under 100 miles. This means most driver’s needs are easily met by an EV.

For those travelling further, there are over 30 models available with a quoted 200 plus mile range. There are also some new electric cars with a quoted range of over 300 miles, enough to get from Exeter to Leeds.

According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, the average electric range for new EVs launched in 2023 was nearly 300 miles, compared to 210 miles in 2020.

With battery prices having fallen to 80% of what they were in 2010, continued price decreases in 2021 and further drops forecasted in the long term, we expect to see more EVs available with greater range.

Reality: existing regulations ban the disposal of EV batteries to landfill and incineration. Car manufacturers are obligated to take back EV batteries free of charge and ensure they are treated at permitted facilities that meet the required recycling efficiency standards.

As the number of EV batteries is increasing, the government are reviewing existing regulations to strengthen them. Their £500 million Faraday Battery Challenge aims to increase the ability to recycle EV batteries to 95 per cent by 2035, increasing the amount of minerals, like lithium and cobalt that can be extracted and reused.

When you're ready to replace your EV, there are steps in place to make sure batteries are recycled without damaging the environment. Manufacturers are obligated to take back EV batteries free of charge to be treated at permitted facilities that meet strict standards.

The government wants to create a circular economy for EV batteries to maximise the economic and environmental opportunities of the transition to zero emission vehicles.

Reality: not true. EVs have to comply with tough technical rules prior to entering the market, including crash and electrical safety. This means they are safe to drive and charge in a wide range of weather conditions.

Drivers should take the usual precautions by:

• following the manufacturer’s instructions
• only using the correct charging cables
• checking the EV and cable are not damaged

As with any vehicle, drivers should also consult the owner manual for guidance on the maximum depth of water a car is safe to drive through.

Reality: like all other cars, electric vehicles need to be ‘type approved’ to tow a caravan or trailer. An increasing number of EVs are coming to market with this capability.

A caravan or trailer towed by an EV can also display a green number plate. When an EV is being towed by another vehicle at higher speeds and longer distances, many manufacturers require that they must be towed with the wheels off the ground.

This is also the case for any automatic petrol and diesel vehicle, so this is not a new challenge for vehicle recovery companies.

If an EV breaks down and is in immediate danger (for example, when in a live traffic lane), it can be towed slowly a short distance to a safe location to await further assistance, just like any other vehicle.

Reality: the number of public chargepoints is growing fast. In January 2024, there were more than 53,600 public chargepoints available across the UK, a 45% increase since the start of 2023.

This puts us on a growth rate consistent with delivering at least 300,000 chargepoints by 2030, in line with the Climate Change Council’s (CCC) forecast charging demand.

We've been allocated £1.273M Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) funding from The Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) to develop the public electric vehicle charging network in Luton through partnership working with chargepoint operators.

The project aims to increase the number of public EV chargepoints across the town, bringing the total number to more than 600 public charging sockets by 2030.

These will be predominantly lower power devices (up to 8kW), in locations that best serve residents without access to off-street parking.

The use of off-peak, overnight charging tariffs will help to bring more parity between those residents who can install their own chargepoints and those reliant on public on-street charging.

Today, a driver is never more than 25 miles away from a chargepoint anywhere along England’s motorways and A-roads. Find a chargepoint near you by visiting Zap Map.

Most drivers charge at home and we expect to see this trend to continue. There are over 1,190,000 fully electric cars on UK roads and evidence suggests that those with off-street parking can meet the vast majority of their charging needs at home while their vehicles are parked.

Last year, the government’s Plan for Drivers also announced measures to make it easier for drivers to access cheaper charging close to their homes.

This includes:

• making it simpler for operators to install chargepoints
• expanding the EV chargepoint grant to trial cross-pavement solutions

The government has introduced regulations to increase confidence in the charging network. These will ensure that pricing information and payment methods are simplified, chargepoints are reliable and public chargepoint data is freely available.

Reality: most charging will be done at or near home overnight. However, some new cars can charge up 200 miles in as little as 20 minutes - the time it takes to enjoy a cup of coffee.

When you need to charge on the go, there is an increasing amount of rapid and ultra-rapid chargepoints available. Charging is already available at 97% of motorway service areas, with more than 800 rapid or ultra-rapid chargers in these locations.

The time it takes a car to charge will depend on the size and type of the car battery and chargepoint. However, an ultra-rapid 150kW charger could completely charge a 60kW EV in 24 minutes.

Reality: the government wants to ensure that lack of access to off-street parking is not a barrier to realising the benefits of owning a plug-in electric vehicle.

The On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS) is available to all UK local authorities to provide public charge points for their residents without access to private parking.

This year, £20 million is available under the scheme to ensure more local authorities and residents can benefit. The scheme has supported over 150 different local authorities to fund more than 11,000 charge points for residents who do not have off-street parking.

Following the announcement of the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) fund, Luton has been allocated £1.273M to work in partnership with a chargepoint operator to develop the chargepoint network in Luton.

This fund will see the number of public, on-street charging sockets exceed 600 by 2030. These sockets will be located to support those residents without access to off-street parking.

These lower powered devices will allow drivers to make us of off-peak tariffs helping to bring more parity between those residents wholly reliant on public charging and those who can install a home chargepoint.

In March 2022 the government announced a £950 million rapid charging fund (RCF). The fund aims to future-proof electrical grid capacity at service areas on motorways and major A-roads to prepare the network for uptake of zero emission cars and vans ahead of need.

Rapid charging hubs and electric forecourts (equivalent to current petrol or diesel refuelling) are emerging as further options for EV drivers to recharge.

Charging at workplaces is also growing. The government has supported the installation of over 26,000 workplace charging sockets as of April 2022.

Reality: all regions in the UK have seen increases in publicly available chargepoints in the year to April 2022.

In addition to the ORCS scheme, the government has also supported the installation of chargepoints in residential buildings and workplaces across the UK, including rural areas, through the EV Homecharge Scheme (EVHS) and the Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS).

The government will also be providing additional funding to install charge points for small accommodation businesses, which are disproportionately found in rural areas. This will help boost destination charging across the UK in such locations.

Reality: EV users should expect a reliable public network wherever they drive in the UK. Having chargepoints out of action is inconvenient, frustrating and can be unsafe.

However, according to ZapMap, 9 out of 10 charge points are working at any point in time.

The government has introduced regulations to ensure that:

• all consumers have a positive experience using the public charging network
• any poor performing charge point operators are held to account, mandating:
  • a 99% reliability standard for rapid charge points in the UK
  • a free round the clock helpline for people struggling to charge

Reality: the government has laid legislation to mandate payment roaming, which means chargepoint operators will have to work with each other to ensure that consumers can pay without having to download an app each time you use a different charging network.

This will also support the business sector to electrify their vehicle fleets.

Legislation was passed in 2017 to ensure all new and replacement public charge points must offer standardised connectors (plugs). This means that the vast majority of EVs can charge on the entire UK public charging network.

The notable exceptions are the Nissan Leaf and Mitsubishi Outlander, which can charge at over 95 per cent of public charge points.

As manufacturers are increasingly standardising their connectors, government has no plans to intervene in the vehicle market.

Reality: over its lifetime, a typical EV emits around two-thirds less greenhouse gas emissions than an equivalent petrol car, even accounting for battery production and disposal.

Over time, these emissions will reduce, due to the government’s clearly stated ambition to decarbonise the power sector by 2035. By 2050, it is estimated that an EV will produce over 80% less emissions than an equivalent petrol vehicle.

Between 1990 and 2021, the government has reduced greenhouse gas emissions in our electricity system by 69%. Taken together, renewables and other low carbon generation, such as nuclear, currently provide over 50 per cent of our electricity.

The government continues to support the deployment of low carbon and renewable technologies to deliver a cleaner greener system at least cost to consumers and that maintains a secure supply of electricity.