Category Archives: Buying/Leasing

Electric car owners celebrate 1 August as it’s when ‘average petrol bills surpass EV charging costs for the calendar year’

August 16, 2023At Home, Charging, Cost of ownership, Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, OpinionRepost

It’s been estimated that today is when EVs are ‘free to drive’ compared to petrols
Calculation is based on the cost to cover average annual mileage of 7,400 miles

That’s because 1 August marks the date when the cost of filling up a petrol car surpasses the electricity bills to charge an EV for the calendar year, according to one business operating in the EV sector.

It estimates that the average EV owner pays £740 in charging costs per year – and drivers of petrol engine cars will have racked up the same amount in fuel receipts today.

Today is said to be the crossover point when EV owners are ‘driving for free’ compared to those who own petrol cars, says The Electric Car Scheme – a company that helps motorists access government tax incentives for EV salary sacrifice.

It has dubbed 1 August ‘Electric Car Day’ as it ‘underlines just how much more affordable electric cars are, with average EV drivers essentially getting five months of free driving’.

The bold claim comes after it crunched the numbers on annual fuel costs for the average UK driver to travel 7,400 miles a year (the national average in 2019).

The calculation is based on the average price of petrol so far this year (146.26p a litre) and a vehicle returning 38.8mpg, bringing its total annual fuel bill to £1,268.

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Investigation: Who’s driving the anti-electric car agenda… and why?

August 14, 2023Buying a new car, Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, OpinionRepost

If you read the newspapers, it’s been hard to miss the negative electric car commentary that has gained plenty of column inches.

A distinct anti-EV agenda has dominated news pages recently – in the Daily Mail, The Sun and the Daily Telegraph – but is the rhetoric justified?

The negative media coverage of electric vehicles was led by a week-long series of articles in the Daily Mail.

It included front pages with headlines including ‘Put Brakes On Damaging 2030 Petrol Car Ban’ and ‘Proof Politicians Are Out Of Touch On Electric Cars’.

Even yesterday the Mail ran an article about why ‘electric cars are not as green as you think’.

The coverage has led some to question the motivations behind the papers’ headlines, with EV lobby group Fair Charge UK’s spokesman Quentin Willson describing it as ‘an incredible tirade’ and openly questioning what had triggered such ‘relentless negativity’.

In a series of exclusive interviews for this article, Car Dealer spoke to protagonists from all sides to ascertain their motivations.

Ray Massey, Daily Mail motoring editor, pointed Car Dealer to an editorial column he had written explaining his position when asked for comment.

He wrote: “The government’s blind insistence on banning new petrol and diesel cars by 2030 – and all hybrids by 2035 – is nothing short of bonkers.

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Tata Group confirms plans to build gigafactory for batteries in the UK

August 9, 2023Autonomous Driving, Buying/Leasing, Electric Cars, Jaguar Land Rover, News, Reviews and CommentRepost

The company says the £4bn investment will create up to 4,000 new direct jobs and thousands more in the wider supply chain.

The owner of Jaguar Land Rover has unveiled plans to build an electric car battery factory in the UK.

Tata Group says it’s planning to invest more than £4bn, with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak declaring that the new plant in Somerset will create thousands of skilled jobs for Britons across the country.

Jaguar I-PACE Electric Car (Image: T. Larkum)

The deal is the culmination of months of talks with the government over taxpayer subsidies to fend off reported competition for the investment from Spain.

It marks a step in the right direction for UK ministers amid mounting challenges over the transition to electric powertrains, as the clock ticks down to the 2030 ban on the sale of new cars using petrol or diesel.

According to Tata Group, this marks one of the largest-ever investments in the British automotive sector, and the gigafactory will deliver half of the battery production needed by 2030.

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ELECTRIC CARS – CLIMATE SAVIOURS OR ECO-VILLAINS?

August 7, 2023Buying a new car, Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, Opinion, PollutionRepost

As electric car sales skyrocket, there are some tough questions to answer, writes Danny Chivers.

Owning an electric car could double your chances of getting a date.

This eye-catching claim – from car dealers Big Motoring World – gives a sense of the buzz around electric vehicles (EVs) right now. And whether or not they can ignite your love life, EVs are definitely on the rise.

Global sales of fossil-fuelled cars have been falling since 2017 – down from 86 million to 69 million in 2022. In contrast, electric car sales increased by 60 per cent in 2022 and are projected to rise further in 2023 to conquer almost 20 per cent of the global car market.

Battery electric cars are now outselling diesel cars in the UK, and make up 26 per cent of all car sales in China.

But is this definitely good news for the planet? What about all the extra mining needed for electric vehicles, and the increased electricity demand? Aren’t we meant to be switching to buses, trains and bikes, rather than building more cars?

Ultimately, is there a risk that by electrifying the car market, we’re just swapping one set of problems for another?

ARE ELECTRIC CARS THE LEAST WORST OPTION?

In a direct comparison, a battery-powered car is definitely better for the planet than a fossil-fuelled one.

We’re not just talking about cleaner air and less noise pollution in cities; internal combustion engines are highly inefficient, wasting over 70 per cent of the energy in the fuel.

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Lex Autolease report shows appetite for electric vehicles

August 4, 2023Buying/Leasing, Electric Cars, News, Reviews and CommentRepost

Almost two-thirds (60%) of drivers will move away from petrol and diesel vehicles and opt for battery technology when choosing their next car, with two-fifths (40%) set to choose a fully electric vehicle (EV).

That’s according to a new Future of Transport Report, a bi-annual analysis of the UK’s transport sector from leasing giant Lex Autolease.

It includes the Future of Transport Index, a new measure which uses a unique data set to track the level of confidence in different transport technologies and reveal how attitudes towards them are evolving.

The report reveals that drivers are shifting away from traditionally fuelled cars mainly due to the cost of ownership and their environmental impact.

Drivers are keen to go electric to avoid clean air zone (CAZ) charges (35%) and to make savings on overall maintenance and running costs (34%).

Two-thirds (66%) of respondents say it’s important that the vehicle they drive helps them reduce their environmental impact and almost as many (63%) feel that the transition to EVs is important to help the UK reach net zero.

Despite this momentum, concerns remain, particularly when it comes to access to charging infrastructure.

The availability of charging points was a significant concern for more than half of respondents (52%) followed by the length of time to charge (41%) and the logistics of installing charging infrastructure at home (31%).

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Used electric vehicle prices down 19% year-on-year

July 31, 2023Buying/Leasing, Electric Cars, News, Reviews and CommentRepost

June marked another month of contracting prices for used electric vehicles (EVs), with the average retail value (£31,430) falling 19.1% year-on-year, new data suggests from the Auto Trader Retail Price Index.

It makes June the sixth consecutive month of year-on-year decline, with average EV prices falling by around £5,000 since January (£36,179) and nearly £9,500 since their peak in July 2022 (£40,728).

Finance and leasing terms of brand-new electric cars bought three-four years ago have ended, which has, as expected, resulted in a very strong increase in supply over recent months, particularly from fleets.

While consumer demand for second-hand EVs has been robust, up 6% year-on-year in June, it’s been unable to keep pace with the sharp increase in availability – supply was up 174% year-on-year last month.

Auto Trader says it is this imbalance that has caused prices to contract recently, as opposed to any loss in consumer appetite.

However, supply growth levels are softening. June was the lowest level in nine months and down significantly on the 303% increase recorded in January.

Used EV values beginning to stabilise

As such, despite June marking the highest rate of year-on-year price contraction recorded by Auto Trader, there are strong signs of used EV values beginning to stabilise, with June also seeing the lowest level of month-on-month price contraction (-0.9%) since August last year.

The drop in average EV prices is rapidly closing the upfront price gap between many electric models and their ICE counterparts, and in some cases, has already made them cheaper.

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Confirmed: Dacia’s tiny cheap EV is springing over to Britain

July 27, 2023Buying/Leasing, Dacia, Dacia Spring, Electric Cars, FAQ, News, Reviews and Comment, OpinionRepost

Could the Dacia Spring be cheaper and more eco-friendly than walking? Well no. But it’ll be close…

Back in March 2021, Dacia gave us some Bad News. Despite offering the new Spring EV for a hilariously low price in Germany, the company resoundingly kiboshed hopes that the ultra-affordable electric supermini would make the Channel hop to UK shores.

Well guess what… there’s Good News at long last. Dacia has announced with some fanfare that it’s changed its mind. Brits will be able to buy the new entry-level EV from next year. Take that, cost of living crisis.

Prices aren’t confirmed yet, given interest rates are fluctuating more wildly than Glastonbury 2024 headliner predictions, but with a pre-grant price of around €20k in Germany, hopes are high this could be the cheapest five-door EV on British soil.

For not much money, you get not much range. Obviously. The battery is a 27kWh tiddler that manages a mere 143 miles, and with only 44bhp and a 19-second 0-62mph dawdle, it’s more placid than Tesla Plaid.

But when most UK commutes take place at 000.1mph in appalling traffic, do we care? This is like a bargain basement Honda E (with more range!). A Renault Zoe a la Primark. A more practical Fiat 500e outta the middle aisle of Lidl. It could be 2024’s most relevant car.

Why is Dacia so confident that we’ll like it? Well, it’s been watching how people in other nations use their Springs. Big Brother, anyone?

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Electric cars are ‘far more reliable and cost-effective’ than petrol and diesel vehicles

July 21, 2023Buying/Leasing, Electric Cars, FAQ, News, Reviews and Comment, Opinion, SalesRepost

Electric cars are “far more reliable” than petrol and diesel vehicles, according to one expert who spoke exclusively to Express.co.uk about how EVs were better than ICE vehicles.

The popularity of electric cars is growing massively, with the UK seeing its one-millionth EV registered last year, hinting at further growth to come.

With the 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles just a few years away, many are looking at electric cars as their next vehicle to purchase.

While some people will have concerns about the reliability of electric cars and whether they will suit their needs, many are confident that people will adjust.

Farhad Tailor, managing director at V12 Sports and Classics, spoke about his experience with electric cars and whether they are easier to maintain.

Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk, he said: “Based on our experience, there are far less things that go wrong with an EV.

“For customers, they are far more reliable and cost-effective to maintain than an internal combustion engine vehicle.

“A typical annual service can take as little as half an hour as it just involves a visual check.”

He added that the same can be said for second-hand electric cars, despite some having fears of EV batteries degrading over time.

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Southampton City Council: Rise in electric cars improves air quality

July 20, 2023Buying a new car, Electric Cars, Energy and Climate Change, News, Reviews and Comment, Opinion, PollutionRepost

A COUNCIL scheme to improve the air quality in Southampton has taken shape as the number of electric cars in the city has risen over 50 per cent from the previous year.

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Ora Funky Cat UK review: electric hatchack comes up short on range, price and quality

July 19, 2023Buying a new car, Electric Cars, ID.3, Leaf, MG, News, Reviews and Comment, Nissan, Opinion, Renault, Volkswagen, ZOERepost

The first in a new wave of Chinese electric cars stands out for its looks but little else in a crowded market

There’s something to be said for making a splash when launching a new brand or product.

Good or bad, an eye-catching design and an interesting name can help establish a brand in the minds of the public and pave the way for future plans. So Ora is certainly onto a winner with the Funky Cat which not only has a name you won’t forget but brings a wide-eyed and unusual look that’ll stand out in most car parks.

Ora is one of a wave of Chinese brands setting their sights on the UK with a host of electric cars, and the Funky Cat is its first offering, aiming to compete with models such as the Nissan Leaf, Renault Zoe, Volkswagen ID.3 and MG4 in the electric hatchback segment.

Volkswagen ID.3 electric car (Image: Volkswagen.com)

We’re largely past the days of Chinese cars being carbon copies of European models but there is an element of Mini to the Funky Cat’s front end and smidge of first-gen Leaf to the sloping, wide tailgate. It looks better in the metal than in photos, which don’t do its proportions any favours, but it still divided opinion during our time with it and is likely to be a bit of a Marmite prospect on the roads.

Under the funky skin, the Funky Cat packs a 48kWh battery and a 169bhp motor. That offers fairly middle-of-the-road performance, with 0-62mph of 8.3 seconds and the usual initial surge tailing off as speeds rise.

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