While, on average, new electric cars have a higher ‘sticker price’ than petrol or diesel cars, more than 20 of the EV models available have an RRP of less than £30,000, with more to come. And outside of the new car market, one in three used EVs are listed for less than £20,000¹ – with choice only set to expand as more new EVs reach the road.

EVs also offer great value. Incorporating the very latest tech and safety features, they are easy and enjoyable to drive.

All cars, regardless of what powers them, degrade over time – and the evidence shows that the expected degradation is no different to how a petrol or diesel car might change over time.

Manufacturers provide warranties on EV batteries lasting at least eight years or 100,000 miles, so those buying used EVs can be confident that they can enjoy compelling range. The latest data suggests that battery capacity reduces by just 1-2% a year, suggesting no difference to engine efficiency loss over time.²

EVs also contain fewer moving parts – meaning they will be less likely to require repairs and maintenance, which can mean lower running costs.

Drivers who can charge at home could save up to £750 a year compared with a petrol car.³ VAT on home charging is just 5% and costs can be brought down by signing up to a specialist EV or off-peak tariff.

While home charging is typically slower than off-street charging, by plugging in the car at night – much like many people do with their mobile phone – the vehicle will have a full battery ready for the morning, for a fraction of the cost of petrol and without any need to visit a fuel station.

EVs also benefit from reduced Vehicle Excise Duty taxation compared with their internal combustion engine counterparts.

When charging on the road, drivers have more choice, with more than 70,000 chargepoints on the UK road network.

Slow/fast chargers (7-22kW) are generally found on-street, in car parks and workplaces. They can affordably charge an EV overall several hours while parked and the driver is otherwise occupied, such as through working or shopping.

There are also more than 14,000 rapid/ultra-rapid chargers (50kW-300kW) which typically found at dedicated charging hubs on major roads and motorway services. While these are more expensive to use, they can charge a car quickly – typically 20-40 minutes, making them ideal for drivers taking a break in a longer journey.

The average car covers fewer than 130 miles a week – while the average EV can cover more than 230 miles on a single charge.⁴ In fact, this would also be ample to cover a one-way journey between London and most major English cities, Liverpool (212 miles), York (211 miles), Manchester (200 miles), Exeter (195 miles) and Cardiff (149 miles).

While producing an EV is likely to require more emissions than producing an ICE vehicle, over its lifetime, an EV emits just one-third of the greenhouse gases of a petrol car.⁵ Buying a new electric car to replace an older car would benefit the climate after driving 20,000 – 32,000 miles.⁶ The UK also benefits from a relatively high proportion of electricity generated from renewables, further enhancing the net zero benefits of driving electric.

While buying an EV may not be an option for everyone just yet, there are other choices that can reduce environmental impact – for example, a hybrid that can offer some zero emission capability, and a newer, cleaner petrol car will still mean fewer emissions.

As more EVs reach the road, more data is coming in that demonstrates that EVs are far less likely to catch fire than their internal combustion engine counterparts.

Sweden has one of the highest rates of EV uptake in Europe – and a study in 2023 shows that just 0.004% of EVs on the road were involved in a fire, compared with 0.08% for petrol and diesel vehicles.⁸ That suggests EVs are 20 times less likely to catch fire. Meanwhile, the latest data (up to June 2023) shows that out of the 30 million EVs put on the road worldwide between 2010 and 2023, fewer than 400 were involved in a fire.⁹