Think all electric cars are expensive? Prepare to think again, because we’ve gathered leasing deals starting from just £313 per month on models from Audi to Volvo…
Tempted by a new electric car? One way of getting one on your driveway could be with a lease deal.
Sometimes called personal contract hire or personal leasing, leasing is one of the most affordable ways to access a new car. The way it works is similar to other forms of car financing, because you pay for the car with a deposit and regular monthly payments.
Contracts usually last for three or four years, with a pre-agreed annual mileage limit. Unlike Personal Contract Purchase (PCP), there’s no option to buy the car at the end of the term. In effect, this means you’re renting the car, but the benefit of this is that the monthly payments are generally lower than with other forms of financing.
BMW i8 in Sophisto Grey (Image: T. Larkum)
So, in this instance we name every brand’s cheapest electric car that’s currently available through What Car? Leasing. Our list includes a wide range of models, including small electric cars to electric SUVs, although some manufacturers are excluded due to a limited number of deals available.
In each case, you can follow the links to learn more about our leasing deals or read our full What Car? review on the car.
If you would like to know more about Solar Panels and the PowerBanx range of home battery systems, and get a free instant quote, please complete our online form:
German carmaker Volkswagen has “sold out” of battery-electric vehicles in the United States and Europe, meaning new customers will have to wait until 2023 to get one.
VW Group CEO Herbert Diess told the Financial Times that the company’s brands – which include Volkswagen, Porsche, Škoda and Audi – had a backlog of 300,000 orders for EVs in western Europe alone.
“We have very high order books and… order intake on electric vehicles,” Diess told the FT.
Volkswagen ID 4 (Image: Volkswagen.co.uk)
“We are basically sold out on electric vehicles in Europe and in the United States. And in China, it’s really picking up,” he added.
Volkswagen delivered 99,000 EVs worldwide in the first quarter of 2022, according to a report in the Financial Times.
Top rival Tesla, the world’s biggest electric car maker, delivered over three times that number in the same period, at 310,048.
If you would like to know more about Solar Panels and the PowerBanx range of home battery systems, and get a free instant quote, please complete our online form:
The Texas blackouts caused by the severe winter storm caused havoc for millions of residents earlier this year. But never let a crisis go to waste, as the old saying goes. New Ford F-150 owners realized their trucks’ Power Boost generator could serve as a temporary solution to get some electricity running inside their homes. The automaker even asked Texas Ford dealerships to lend out F-150s with this onboard generator to those in desperate situations. If a combustion-engined truck with a generator can help save the day, a pure battery-electric can do the same, right? Absolutely.
Think of EVs as portable power banks on wheels, but they require one critical feature to distribute that power elsewhere: bidirectional charging. According to Germany’s Handelsblatt, Volkswagen plans to enable this feature on all MEB-based models, such as the ID.4, beginning next year.
Volkswagen ID 4 (Image: Volkswagen.co.uk)
Most new EVs, including the ID.4, have a minimum driving range of around 250 miles. More expensive ones, like the Tesla Model S Plaid, can exceed 500 miles on a single charge. Because of lockdowns and work from home policies, we’re all driving less these days and all indicators point this new lifestyle (or some hybrid form) is here to stay.
That means EVs could have more extra power available for a variety of situations. Bidirectional charging can work in a few ways. The most common method is called “vehicle-to-grid,” or V2G, meaning one can return the car’s stored energy back into the electricity grid. Why would owners want to do this even in non-emergencies? Because they can make money.
Power companies could potentially pay users to return unused energy, and there could be greater incentives to do so during peak hours. Owners usually recharge their vehicles during non-peak hours, like in the middle of the night. Other types of bidirectional charging include vehicle-to-home, vehicle-to-building, and vehicle-to-load.
Somewhat astonishingly, only a few EVs are currently equipped with bidirectional charging, specifically the Nissan Leaf and Tesla’s lineup. The upcoming Hyundai Ioniq 5 will have it as well. VW has confirmed it’s now in the final testing phase for the tech, and other Group brands like Audi and Porsche will get the feature too.
If you would like to know more about Solar Panels and the PowerBanx range of home battery systems, and get a free instant quote, please complete our online form:
First impressions on British roads are very favourable – make no mistake, this is VW flexing its muscles after several tough years
What is it?
Like opening one of those brown envelopes from HMRC, climbing aboard the Volkswagen ID 4 for the first time is an ordinary act loaded with trepidation.
Which seems ridiculous, I’ll admit. While this is only the second car after the ID 3 hatchback to be built under the grand banner of Wolfsburg’s ID electric sub-brand, the ID 4 is just (yet?) another crossover, albeit one whose pebble-like curvature hints at something unusual. And as for being an electric crossover, lots of those exist already. Hyundai makes one, as does Ford, as does Vauxhall. So why the suspense?
It’s because the ID 4, fresh to UK roads and tested here in £37,800 1st Edition trim, could do more than any other car to shape the market over the next decade, at least in Europe. With dimensions just inside those of the Volvo XC60 in every direction, it taps richly into the crossover zeitgeist. And coming from the one ‘legacy manufacturer’ whose ambitions in the EV sphere trump all others’ (we’re promised 70 new electric models by 2028 and told that 70% of new Volkswagens sold in 2030 will be EVs), its volume potential is simply colossal. If the ID 4 is properly good, you have to imagine that it will light the fires beneath the ID offensive. And if not? Well, the ghost of Dieselgate still lingers.
As for the hardware itself, under a body that’s somehow bulbous and rakish in equal measure (the ID 4 isn’t exactly handsome, but neither is it unattractive) lies the same MEB platform used by the ID 3, only with the wheelbase and tracks extended. In the forseeable future, both Audi (with the Q4 e-Tron) and Skoda (with the Enyaq iV) will also make use of the MEB platform.
For now, the sole ID 4 derivative is this Pro Performance 1st Edition, which pairs a 201bhp rear-mounted motor with a 77kWh battery for a 310- mile range and 0-62mph in 8.5sec. Expect a 52kWh battery offered with 146bhp or 168bhp motors to arrive later this year, and eventually an ID 4 GTX with four-wheel drive courtesy of another motor on the front axle and more than 300bhp all in. A coupé version, the ID 5, will also sprout.
Volkswagen ID 4 (Image: Volkswagen.co.uk)
What’s it like?
Beyond the exterior design, the ID 4 further departs from traditional Volkswagen fare within its cabin.
The dashboard topography is loosely inspired by that of the Golf but, as with the ID 3, the cockpit is even more minimalistic. The conspicuous lack of buttons and switches might even seem quite shocking to someone coming from, say, a Tiguan.
In our test car, the white plastic that wraps around the dainty 5.2in digital display also seems to be exactly the same sterile-looking, medicinally reassuring material they use for the cases of MRI scanners (absolutely intentional), and it branches off to form the new gear-selector rocker, à la BMW i3.
In addition, the attractive and superbly comfortable ‘Style’ seats, plus organic shapes in the door-card mouldings, and Volkswagen’s modern reluctance to use much in the way physical switchgear, do create quite a special ambience. And, yes, one that is genuinely very relaxing, not least because the scuttle is relatively low and forward visibility thus effortless.
Still, there are some quirks I don’t get. Why, for example, use a (not particularly) touch-sensitive pad to switch the driver’s pair of window switches between controlling the front and rear windows, instead of just fitting four switches?
And if you see the dashboard putting on a light-show, that’s the new ID. Light concept, which blinks in different colours and patterns to relay everything from satnav directions to charging status to incoming calls. It’s moderately useful at times, but mostly a bit distracting.
The fundamental ergonomics are excellent, though, and you might not be expecting to find such generous rear leg room. The ID 4 is akin to the Mercedes-Benz E-Class in the back, and overall it’s clear that Volkswagen has brought all its packaging knowhow to bear with this first electric SUV. You really do get an impression of spaciousness.
And to drive? It’s inoffensive but not inert; far from what you might call engaging but very intuitive. Like so many electric cars, the ID 4 could easily have ended up feeling like an appliance, and it does have appliance-like virtues, such as its high perceived quality and its straight-forward driveability.
But there’s also enough character to ensure that it doesn’t leave you cold: neatly tuned control responses, sharp initial performance, interesting little design cues and a sense of maturity on the move. That the ride quality, even on 20in wheels, is mostly fluid and well-mannered elevates the ID 4’s game further.
If you would like to know more about Solar Panels and the PowerBanx range of home battery systems, and get a free instant quote, please complete our online form:
Our second go with VW’s upcoming EV leaves us convinced that electrification is the way forward.
It’s been a long time coming, but the 2021 Volkswagen ID 4 EV is nearly here. That is, nearly ready for patient buyers to actually take the things home and experience what VW can do when it makes up its mind to build an electric car from the ground up.
Don’t get me wrong, the VW e-Golf was great, but shoving a battery pack in a car designed around an engine and gasoline tank necessarily results in some substantial compromises. The ID 4’s MEB platform was designed for EVs like this, and as such offers far more range and a much better layout than the humble Golf.
How much more range? At 250 miles per the EPA, the ID 4 can go twice as far on a charge as the e-Golf. That’s despite having much more power (201 horsepower and 228 pound-feet of torque) and being bigger and roomier, too.
My colleague Steven Ewing already had a go in the American flavor of the ID 4, so I won’t rehash too many details, but suffice to say my impressions behind the wheel were very much the same. Despite all that power going to the rear axle, there’s very little that’s sporty about the ID 4. It accelerates briskly but not angrily and offers a comfortable, relaxed ride quality. It’s a very different thing from Volvo’s electric XC40 Recharge, which is surprisingly quick.
Volkswagen ID 4 (Image: Volkswagen.co.uk)
This observation is not a strike against the VW. Far from it. I really liked the chill feel of the ID 4, a vibe you pick up as soon as you get in the car. The stark, white of the steering wheel and other interior highlights present on this First Edition give the car a bright, modern aesthetic that’s more concept car than conventional cruiser. Even the act of driving away is free of drama. You just sit down, tilt the gauge-cluster-mounted shifter in the direction you want to go, and step on the accelerator.
The shifter is very much in the style of that found in another EV, BMW’s i3, which I adored. This style didn’t catch on back then, and I’d probably be letting optimism get the better of me to hope that it might do so now. Regardless, it’s far more intuitive than the push-button solutions showing up on more and more cars.
After you get where you’re going, just push a button to put the car into park (it clicks like a mouse when you do), get out, and walk away. The car powers itself down.
To find more fresh takes on everyday tasks, look no further than this VW’s HVAC system. Sure, you can do the usual zones and temperatures and defrost settings, but the ID 4 adds some smarts and personality with Smart Climate modes. Are your hands cold? There’s a mode for that, which turns on the steering wheel and directs warm air through the dashboard vents. Feet too hot? There’s a mode for that too, plus one called Fresh Air that quickly sucks in some ambient atmosphere — not something I sampled much on my chilly New Jersey drive, I confess.
Control freaks will surely want to dial in their own climate settings, which they can do, but I’ll be curious to see how well these modes strike their targeted scenarios when we get a chance to spend a little more quality time with the ID 4. I’m also curious to see whether Volkswagen can improve the responsiveness of the software the car is running, because right now, it’s all sorts of laggy. That’s not good given how many of the car’s systems are all handled via the center-mounted touchscreen.
Really, though, that’s the only fly in this ointment. The 2021 Volkswagen ID 4 is an impressive package. From the fresh look inside and out to the overall calm, relaxed aura of the thing, it left me smiling and wanting more. Hopefully that’s something we’ll all get soon.
If you would like to know more about Solar Panels and the PowerBanx range of home battery systems, and get a free instant quote, please complete our online form:
Finally there’s a mainstream EV that takes advantage of its elements to be a thoroughly well engineered modern everyday vehicle
The ID.3 is an important car for VW. It’s the first model from a ground-up exercise in the creation of not just one battery electric model, but a whole range of different electric cars across the Volkswagen Group on its highly anticipated MEB architecture.
A Golf-sized, high-roof hatchback, the ID.3 will sit right in the middle of its eventual family. Volkswagen is keen to point out some similarities between its new arrival and the original Beetle, not least its rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout, but also the notion that it too will mobilise the masses – only this time by electrical means.
Volkswagen ID.3 electric car (Image: Volkswagen.com)
Engine, transmission and 0-60 time
The ID.3’s powertrain comprises a single 201bhp synchronous electric motor mounted within the rear axle and driving the rear wheels via a single-speed gearbox. Torque is rated at 264lb ft and is available from zero rpm, so it’s not hard to tap into.
The motor draws power from a 58kWh (net) battery pack, although later ID.3 models will add 77kWh and 45kWh options. The batteries themselves are stored in a panel that sits underneath the entirety of the cabin, with the axles pushed right out to each corner of the chassis. Despite its Mk5 GTI-like power figure, the ID.3 is not a fast EV, with 62mph taking 7.3sec.
Claimed ranges are just that, claimed, with the 58kWh battery rated at 263 miles give or take a few miles based on wheel choice. The larger 77kWh option extends this to 331 miles, while the smaller 45kWh battery reduces it to 205 miles. The two larger battery options are also capable of up to 100kW charging where available.
Technical highlights
While the technical components of the ID.3 don’t sound especially different to those of most EVs, it’s the way Volkswagen has packaged the powertrain that makes all the difference. Almost every bit of the chassis is different from VW’s internal-combustion models, designed from the beginning to work exclusively with an electric powertrain and battery pack.
The interior’s impressive packaging is arguably the most advantageous bit for buyers, with a cavernous cabin considering the car’s Golf-like exterior dimensions. Space up front is vast, and the feeling is exaggerated by the compact dash, low scuttle and deep glazing that together totally transform what the ID.3 feels like to sit in. It’s superbly airy, and feels genuinely fresh and interesting.
If you would like to know more about Solar Panels and the PowerBanx range of home battery systems, and get a free instant quote, please complete our online form:
Although 2020 will be primarily remembered for the pandemic, it has also been a watershed moment for electric vehicles. The rest of the car industry has seen massive drops in sales every month during the worst months of COVID-19, but the EV market has continued to grow. In the UK, by November, 162% more battery electric vehicles had been sold over the year compared to 2019. This was echoed across Europe, with EVs (including hybrids) outselling diesels in September and every month since. Here are the important events that have helped to make 2020 the year EVs came of age.
VW Takes The EV Market Seriously
After Dieselgate, Volkswagen has clearly felt the need to make amends, and is now the German carmaker with the most mainstream EV plans. The ID.4 SUV sold out overnight on launch in the USA, and in Europe the ID.3 compact was already the bestselling EV in October, just a few months after launch, surpassing the ever-popular Renault Zoe and leaving Tesla’s Model 3 in its dust. Considering VW’s heritage of taking cars to the masses – “people’s car” is what the word Volkswagen means, after all – the fact that the Teutonic giant is now going for the mainstream electric market really means something. VW is aiming to sell 28 million electric cars by 2028. Putting that in perspective, that would be three quarters of all cars currently on UK roads, and around 10% of current US motor vehicle registrations. It’s highly ambitious, but the ID.3 is great start despite software glitches in early vehicles. Volkswagen clearly sees how big EVs are going to be, very soon.
Tesla Promises $25,000 Car
Tesla hasn’t actually released a $25,000 car in 2020, but the company’s Battery Day 2020 showed in great detail how it was about to enter the battery business in a big way, potentially more than halving costs by 2023/24. Batteries are the most expensive component of an EV, costing as much as a third of the entire sticker price. Halving the costs of these would mean electric cars hit cost parity with fossil fuel ones, and then start becoming cheaper. This led Musk to promise a “fully autonomous $25,000 small Tesla” around 2023/24, which would mean from then on that fossil fuel cars would become the more expensive option. But VW is already discounting the ID.3 to this kind of level in some countries, MG has an SUV and a station wagon around the equivalent of this price, and in France the Renault Zoe can be had for as little as 20,000 Euros ($24,000) with all the discounts available. So the $25,000 Tesla by 2023/24 is no pipe dream. It may even be cheaper than that, and there will certainly be even less expensive options by then too.
Volvo Polestar 2 (Image: Volvocars.com)
Polestar 2 Challenges Tesla Model 3
Tesla has a huge technological lead over its competitors, and a teardown of one of the company’s cars in February by Nikkei Business Publications put it six years ahead. It’s no surprise, therefore, that most other companies entering the EV market have chosen to target sectors Tesla isn’t currently in. Even the luxury electric SUVs from Mercedes, Jaguar and Audi aren’t directly competing with the Model X, and VW has clearly aimed its ID.3 at a European mass market that Tesla won’t be entering until it releases the much-vaunted $25,000 “Model 2” mentioned above. But one company has had the courage to go head-to-head with Tesla: Polestar. The Polestar 2 is priced and specified to go directly against the Tesla Model 3 Long Range. In fact, in the UK, it’s £90 ($120) cheaper. It doesn’t have the latest 2021 Model 3 Long Range’s massive 360 miles of WLTP range, and it’s not quite so fast either. But its 292-mile WLTP range and some great design features show that there will be some serious competition for the American giant, and likely sooner than in six years. Most telling of all is the fact that Polestar is part of Geely – a Chinese company that also owns Volvo, the LEVC taxi company, Malaysian carmaker Proton, and Lotus. So the Polestar 2 is just the beginning of the EVs we will see coming out of China very soon.
If you would like to know more about Solar Panels and the PowerBanx range of home battery systems, and get a free instant quote, please complete our online form:
Our favourite plug-in hybrids from the more affordable end of the spectrum.
Thanks to CO2-based taxation rules and growing environmental concerns, the idea of running a large, diesel-powered saloon or estate as a company car is, in 2020, a pretty unattractive one for the vast majority of people.
As these rules get ever stricter, a similar shift is starting to occur further down the food chain too; the small capacity petrol and diesel hatchbacks that might have once appealed as an entry-level company car are starting to become increasingly expensive ownership propositions. From a financial point of view, it likely won’t be too long until the prospect of running a mid-spec, oil-burning Volkswagen Golf for work is about as seemingly nonsensical as running a six-cylinder BMW might be today.
Thankfully, plug-in hybrids are more widely available, and cheaper, than ever before. But a greater focus on affordability doesn’t necessarily mean you have to give up on things like interior quality, driving fun or practicality. Here are some of the best everyday PHEVs from the humbler end of the spectrum – be they hatchbacks, compact estates or crossovers.
1. Volkswagen Golf GTE
When it came to the job of being a refined, easy-driving plug-in hybrid, the previous Golf GTE was a pretty slick operator. What it lacked, however, was some of the dynamic pep that was essential for it to be taken seriously as an eco-friendly alternative to the excellent Mk7 GTI.
VW e-Golf (Image: Volkswagen.co.uk)
This new, Mk8 version retains a healthy amount of what made the last Golf GTE a good PHEV, but brings an additional smattering of athleticism and engagement to the table too. Grip levels are good, its steering accurate and responsive, and body control is usefully tight. Make no mistake, it’s still not quite as focused as its purely petrol powered stablemate, but by PHEV standards the new GTE has enough talent about it to keep keener drivers interested.
It now has a larger 13kWh battery too, as opposed to the 8.8kWh that appeared in the last one. This means its claimed electric range is now up to 39.7 miles on the WLTP cycle – though you’d be hard-pressed to cover that much ground in the real world. Still, that figure combined with a CO2 rating of 26g/km means the GTE slots into the 10% BIK band.
Admittedly, with a price tag of just under £36,000 the GTE is one of the pricier cars on this list. But owing to the fact that it’s also most entertaining to drive, it earns its place at the top of the pile.
2. Mini Countryman Cooper S E ALL4
Mini is growing and maturing as a car brand, and that’s evident in this second-generation Countryman – a car that is more practical and multi-faceted than before, and is also available as an impressive, if expensive, plug-in hybrid with around 27 miles of electric range on the WLTP cycle
Back to top
Like all Minis, the Countryman Cooper S E is characterful, desirable, quite firmly sprung and spirited to drive – but it also offers decent space for passengers and luggage, four-wheel drive, a combined 221bhp of peak petrol-electric power, 284lb ft of torque and the potential for sub-7.0sec 0-62mph sprinting.
The car’s off-road ability is to be taken with a large pinch of salt, but if its value for money is considered in light of everything it offers, Mini-brand desirability included, it’s an appealing option – and one fully deserving of a top-half place in this chart.
3. Renault Megane Sport Tourer E-Tech
Only the estate version of Renault’s stylish Megane is offered with a plug socket and an electric motor; the French firm hasn’t yet launched an electrified take on the standard hatch.
If you would like to know more about Solar Panels and the PowerBanx range of home battery systems, and get a free instant quote, please complete our online form:
As it turns out, not all electric cars are created equal
Electric cars are not absolute newcomers to the car industry anymore. Over the past five years or so, most carmakers have churned out at least one electric car with plans to release a handful of others over the coming decade or so. The charging infrastructure has grown, too.
While this is obviously good news, it also leaves us (and the customer) with quite a big pond of EVs to choose from. To add more to the confusion and indecision, electric cars come in all shapes and sizes, set in motion by just one electric motor, two, or even three, and, obviously, very different price tags. Long story short, picking your next electric car might leave you scratching the top of your head. We get it.
Fret not, though. We’ve been kindly invited by Romania’s leading car outlet, Automarket, to an eight-day, eight-car real-life experiment that set out to discover just how good (or bad) the latest electric cars are in actual traffic both in and outside the city. What followed was to be known as Electric Romania 2020, basically a workshop on wheels powered by Vitesco Technologies, joined by other partners such as Michelin. The experience helped us better digest and understand both the strengths and shortcomings of today’s electric car: range-wise but also in terms of comfort, dynamics, user friendliness, tech-savviness, and overall liveability.
Porsche Taycan Turbo S (Image: Porsche)
This is where I started feeling like doing my dissertation paper all over again. Firstly, Electric Romania was thought out and designed as a tour of Romania done with EVs.
In case you’re asking why eight days, well, the backbone of the tour consisted of eight cars – all launched in 2020 on the Romanian market – and 14 journalists and content creators that would sample the said cars.
Basically, you got to drive another car each day, and the end of which you had to fill in a form with various bits of information: distance travelled, total time of travel, charging times, how much battery you had left at the destination, how much electricity went into the battery during charging, average speed, and so on.
So, each electric car was put through its paces over eight days, but every time by a different driver with a completely different set of driving habits than the one before him and on a different route. This included highways, winding A- and B-roads through the mountainside and hillside, as well as flat, plain-splitting roads where the elevation didn’t change much.
As for the car lineup itself, this is it, in the exact order we drove them:
Porsche Taycan
Renault Zoe
Volkswagen ID.3
Audi e-tron Sportback
Hyundai Kona Electric
Kia e-Niro
Mini Cooper SE
Peugeot e-2008
From here on, each car’s battery pack, electric motor (or motors), range, other specs as well as driving impressions will be presented as it follows.
Porsche had to get its first electric car right. And good God, it did. The Taycan Turbo is not just a flurry of performance, but a smile magnet. Sitting behind the wheel in the handful of traffic jams that slowed us down is the best way to enjoy the most honest smiles I’ve been treated with in a luxury car. Some people see you in Mercedes-AMG S63 or in a Panamera Turbo and you can just read either envy or loathing on their faces. With the Taycan, it’s the complete opposite: candid, genuine smiles from folks of all ages, walking on the street or driving in the next lane.
When you’re not sitting in a traffic jam, the Taycan Turbo’s personality can flip from tame to psycho as quick as it can go from naught to 60 mph: three seconds flat with Launch Control, on its way to a top speed of 260 kph (162 mph). The acceleration is brutal. You can easily squeeze a lot of squeal out of the wider-than-life rear tires from a standstill and with a drop of bad luck, you can even fracture a vertebra before the electronic nannies kick in or you decide to lift off. Even at highway speeds, smashing the accelerator will make the Taycan squat then shoot straight up ahead. The back of your head never leaves the headrest. Even if it wants, it can’t. At this point, I’m scared just thinking of what the Turbo S can do.
For a car this wide and long, city cruising is surprisingly swift and easy, but it’s the outer roads that make your spine tingle inside the Taycan. When on, the Launch Control feature triggers the Overboost function that unlocks the Turbo’s 500 kilowatts (670 hp, 680 PS) and 850 Newton-meters (627 pound-feet) coming from two electric motors fed by the 83.7-kWh battery pack (that’s the net, usable capacity – gross capacity according to Porsche literature is 93.4 kWh).
If you would like to know more about Solar Panels and the PowerBanx range of home battery systems, and get a free instant quote, please complete our online form:
There might not be a big history of electric vans in the UK, but expect this to change rapidly as the number of battery-powered commercial vehicles is set to grow in the coming years. Here we recommend 5 great electric vans…
While you could count the number of electric vans on one hand in recent times, this will be very different in just a few years’ time.
Electric vans provide the same benefits as electric cars, but there are some additional challenges that private drivers won’t have to factor in. The obvious benefit is the lack of emissions, with EV vans able to drive around without producing any tailpipe emissions. These are the factors to consider when deciding whether an electric van will work for you or not.
ULEZ charges
This means that they aren’t subject to any of the inner-city charges that are either already in place or are planned for the coming years. In London they are exempt from the Ultra Low Emission Zone charge that operates 24 hours a day and costs £12.50.
They are also exempt from the London Congestion Charge (£15.00 a day as of 22 June) although that will end in 2025. As all the current electric vans are classified as light commercial vehicles, they are not eligible for the LEZ that applies to heavy duty vans and trucks. Future charge zones are designed to reduce pollution in urban areas above all else so it is highly likely that electric vehicles will be exempt from charges in other cities for the foreseeable future, too.
Range
The range that a van can travel between charges is the biggest barrier for many, and it is fair to say that a battery-powered van will not be able to replace a diesel model if you are going to do anything other than short-distance urban deliveries or predictable daily routes.
As it stands, the longest official range available in an electric van is 143 miles from the Renault Kangoo Z.E. 33, while many, like the VW e Transporter and Mercedes eVito offer an official range of below 100 miles.
This range will be impacted by how fast you drive, how cold the weather is and, crucially, how much weight you carry in the back. Hauling around a full payload could reduce the range by around 10%, or 10 miles or more, so it is a notable factor.
If you would like to know more about Solar Panels and the PowerBanx range of home battery systems, and get a free instant quote, please complete our online form:
