Electric vehicles

An overall transition to clean electric energy is a vital part of reducing carbon emissions to address climate change. In 2020 the UK government reported that transport remains the UK’s largest carbon emitting sector, responsible for 28% of domestic greenhouse gas emissions, with road traffic as the most significant source of transport emissions, in particular passenger cars. Therefore the switch to electric vehicles (EVs) is principally to meet net zero carbon emission targets, plus to significantly reduce air pollution from road transport and the associated impacts on human health. As the mass switch to EVs gains momentum, understandably there are [...]

While EVs may be considerably better for the planet over their full lifespan, clearly they do still have a significant environmental impact. Therefore widespread personal vehicle ownership needs to be positioned within a ‘sustainable transport hierarchy’. We all have choices on where and how we travel, and for shorter journeys active travel such as walking and cycling is by far the greenest option (as well as providing benefits of healthy exercise!). Where this may not be realistic, public transport such as the bus and train networks are our next best option environmentally. Nonetheless in reality the car has obviously become [...]

Given that around 25-30% of the UK’s CO2 is emitted from travel, electrifying our transport networks is crucial to national targets for achieving net zero emissions. This means a phased switch from the petrol and diesel vehicle technologies which we've all become very familiar with over more than a century. EVs are responsible for considerably lower emissions over their full lifetime, as compared to conventional (internal combustion engine) vehicles. However, while EVs themselves may have zero emissions from the power source while they’re on the road, of course there are still significant environmental impacts from: manufacturing the vehicle, particularly the [...]

As the switch to EVs accelerates, there’s an expanding range of charging options available. These range from installing home charging for drivers with off-street parking, to public charging at locations such as car parks, workplaces, electric forecourts, community buildings, supermarkets and hospitality businesses. The most widely used reference for finding public chargepoints is ZapMap [www.zapmap.com]. Charging speed for electric cars is measured in kilowatts (kW), and chargepoints can vary between 3kW slow chargers up to 150kW+ super rapid chargers. Note that the actual maximum charging speed you’re able to receive may be limited by your vehicle’s onboard charger. For those [...]

How far an EV can travel on a single charge differs from make and model. With improving battery technology and an expanding range of models available, most EVs now have a significant range to comfortably suit most people’s daily journeys. The best new models will offer up to 300 miles of range per charge, which is not far off what you'd expect from a tank of petrol. Even 2nd hand cars may typically offer a range of 80-150 miles, which is still ample for most people’s weekly commuting needs, bearing in mind cars can be charged overnight ready for the [...]

Just as with petrol and diesel vehicles, the cost of buying and driving an EV varies widely depending on the vehicle's make and model. The great news is there’s a rapidly expanding range of new models to choose from, plus a maturing secondhand market, so increasingly there are realistic switching options for all. While the headline cost of EVs can certainly appear high, prices are reducing as the market develops. When taking decisions it’s also vital to remember that: increasingly many people choose not purchase a car outright, but rather opt for a monthly lease agreement the true lifetime cost [...]