Why 2015 can be the year you go green

We love electric cars. They’re almost always pleasant to drive, and the amount of power available at low speeds makes them incredibly fun to use. More importantly however, they help reduce harm to the environment, contribute to a more sustainable level of energy usage, and create a cleaner urban environment.

The Nissan Leaf is a spacious city car, the dinky Smart ForTwo is perfect for slinking around city streets, and the Renault Zoe is the cheapest car to run according to our Driver Power survey. The Tesla Model S is an incredible car and beats many conventional fuel-burners, with its 0-60mph time of 3.1 seconds and top speed of 155mph.

Still need convincing? Here are eight reasons to buy an electric car this year:

1. Electric cars are quiet

One of the most striking features of an electric car is the silence with which it operates. We’re accustomed to the noise generated by an internal combustion engine, but pulling away from the lights in a Ford Focus Electric makes no noise at all. The result is a very calming driving experience, as well as a quieter environment.

2. Electric cars are fast

An electric drivetrain enables a car to use almost all of its power immediately. A petrol or diesel car won’t be able to use all of its power until the engine is turning at a specific speed – an electric motor is always generating as much power as it can. The effect? A quick car – the Tesla accelerates faster than an Audi R8.

3. Electric cars are reliable

There aren’t many moving parts in an electric car. Those parts that do move are relatively simple and robust – electric motors are clean, safe technology. Fossil fuel cars, meanwhile, rely on combustible fuel and a plethora of perishable, metallic components that wear out and need replacing.

4. Electric cars are cheap

They might not be as cheap as their gas-guzzling counterparts, but they’re not far off. The Tesla Model S is obviously a bit of an anomaly, as – despite its supreme value – it’s a very high-end product. But electric cars start at well under £20,000 and finance options are available, making them easily attainable to most drivers and families.

5. Electric cars are good for the planet

It’s barely worth mentioning, but electric cars are vastly better for the environment than their petrol or diesel counterparts. The generation of electricity depends partly on fossil fuels, but the percentage is falling and it’s still a more efficient process than burning petrol on an individual basis.

6. Electric cars are good for your town

“The environment” includes your personal one. Towns and cities, especially congested ones like London, suffer from pollution caused by conventional vehicles. Pollution warnings are becoming common in the capital – everyone’s life would improve if petrol and (especially) diesel cars were replaced with electric vehicles.

7. Electric cars are cheap to run

The Renault Zoe is the cheapest car to run according to Carbuyer and Auto Express readers who contributed to the Driver Power survey. You can expect to pay a couple of pence per mile, and sophisticated charging systems enable you to charge your car when electricity demand is at its lowest nationally (and therefore prices are at their lowest). What’s more, a lack of maintenance overheads and a wide variety of incentives and discounts make owning an electric car a clever financial move.

8. Electric cars are probably the way of the future

Fossil fuels are a finite resource. The way we depend on them for transport is going to have to change, and the best option we have at the moment is electricity. They’re likely to become the norm in the next few decades, so the question isn’t so much whether you should buy an electric car – it’s when.

Source: Car Buyer