Common misconceptions about electric cars

Think electric cars are way beyond your budget? Worried that charging is complicated? Heard murmurings that electric vehicles aren’t actually that environmentally friendly? There are plenty of misconceptions around electric cars, so we wanted to take a moment to set out the facts about EVs, and debunk some of the most common myths.

Ready to set the record straight?

Electric cars tend to have higher upfront costs if you’re buying one outright, that’s true, but longer term you’ll save money by making the switch. On average, maintenance and fuel costs are much lower for EVs than petrol or diesel cars, and you could enjoy savings of up to £150 a month on fuelling your car, like many of our drivers do. You also won’t pay any congestion fees or any road tax until 2025..

There’s also much more choice, and with a spectrum of price points available. Not every electric car is a £50,000 premium model. There are different types of electric vehicles to suit all needs and budgets, with affordable models launching all the time.

A typical electric vehicle battery range is anywhere between 100 to 300 miles. The average journeys most of us make are under 25 miles. So you can relax, knowing there’s more than enough miles in your average EV to make your daily commute and then some.

There are millions of electric cars already on the roads across the world and there’s no evidence to suggest that EV batteries only last a few years. Most batteries now have a lifespan of a decade or more and this continues to improve as technology advances.

Plus, most EV batteries come with an 8 to 10-year – or 100,000-mile – warranty, so you won’t have to worry about replacing your EV battery anytime soon.

It’s illegal to dispose of EV batteries in landfill or via incineration. Car manufacturers are legally required to take back EV batteries for free and recycle them.

With electric car sales soaring and environmental trends in business gaining popularity, it makes business sense for companies to reuse and recycle battery materials. Some manufacturers, like Volkswagen, are even trialling recycling processes that could see almost 100% of materials repurposed.

There are over 42,000 public charge points currently available across the UK, with hundreds of new ones being added to the network every month. So there’s plenty of charging capacity.

Many drivers install a charger at home, making charging their car cheap and convenient. What about the cost of installing an EV charger? On average this will set you back about £1,000, but government grants can fund up to 75% of the cost. Even better, get one installed for free when you lease your EV from us.

As most people who have a home charger do it overnight, this isn’t something most of us need to worry about. But if you’re on the move and need a quick boost, rapid charge points can recharge a battery in as little as 20 minutes.

Access to off-street parking isn’t essential for charging. Thousands of public charge points are available on the street, and at supermarkets, leisure centres, and car parks. Local authorities continue to improve access to public charge points for electric car drivers without private parking. And you can always check out Co Charger, the Air bnb of charging, to rent out your neighbour’s driveway if you’re stuck.

From time to time you might find an out-of-action charge point, but thankfully it’s relatively uncommon. As more charging points are added, there will naturally be more working charge points to choose from.

In the UK there is an ever growing number of different charging networks.. In the past, each operator required you to register and use their specific app or charge card to use a charging station. That’s no longer the case, as many new charge points now let you pay as you go with a contactless credit or debit card. Smart solutions, like Electroverse are also making using different networks easier by creating one app and charge card that can be used across multiple networks.

The Government mandated in 2017 that new and replacement charge points had to offer standard connectors, so almost all EVs can now connect to the entire charging network.

Keen to delve deeper into EV charging points? Check out our guide on how to use electric car charging points.

It’s estimated that by 2050, EVs will account for around 20% of total electricity demand. That might sound like a lot, but with grid updates and investments in renewable generation, National Grid, the UK’s main electricity distributor, is confident that the grid can comfortably cope with the increased demand.

Smart charging technologies will also be better at balancing demand. For example, EVs can be charged overnight or when renewable energy is readily available and cheaper in price.

EVs do increase demand for electricity generation, but the significant thing to consider is how the energy is generated. Burning coal to generate electricity isn’t very good for the planet. But currently, more than 40% of the UK’s electricity generation comes from renewable and low-carbon sources. Intelligent Octopus Go uses green energy to charge your EV with the added bonus of low rates between 11.30pm-5.30am.

And as an Octopus EV customer, you also get the added benefit of Intelligent Octopus Go - EV Saver - saving you an extra 1p on cheaper overnight/off-peak rates.

As we continue to move towards renewable energy sources and more environmentally friendly power generation overall, EVs will continue to be the greener and more sustainable option.

Check out this blog we recently wrote on sustainable EV manufacturing.

Burning hydrogen in a conventional engine still produces CO2 and nitrogen oxide, so this doesn’t provide a zero emission solution. But, hydrogen fuel cells are much cleaner than traditional petrol and diesel, only producing water. Hydrogen is expected to play a bigger role, particularly with heavier transport vehicles in future, but for standard cars, electric vehicles are the preferred option.

Keen to embrace a greener, cheaper, and more sustainable electric vehicle? Take a peek at our range of fantastic, affordable electric cars and start your electric journey today.