Category Archives: Buying/Leasing

Do electric vehicles really cost less than ICE cars to maintain?

June 7, 2023Cost of ownership, Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, OpinionRepost

While many organisations are electrifying their fleets with the main aim of reducing carbon emissions, cost still matters.

Traditionally, the typically higher purchase or lease rates of a battery electric vehicle (BEV) compared with an internal combustion engine (ICE) model have been mitigated by factors such as lower fuel and/or charging costs.

However, this advantage has been eroded significantly through the soaring cost of electricity.

Another traditional benefit for BEVs has been lower service, maintenance and repair (SMR) outlay.

It has been widely supposed they will deliver uniform SMR benefits over petrol and diesel vehicles because they have fewer mechanical parts, minimising the likelihood of breakdown and requiring less routine maintenance.

But with growing numbers of BEVs on the road giving more data in this area, does this expectation still hold true?

Yes, says Vincent St Claire, managing director of Fleet Assist, which has a network of 5,200 franchised and independent garages, but with a caveat.

“All the indicators are strong that SMR for BEVs will continue to be less than that for ICE vehicles,” he adds.

“However, while we are now in a period after the pandemic where BEVs are in proper real world use and we are seeing vehicles doing higher mileage than they’ve ever done, it is still a small sample and until we get a bigger data set in terms of numbers of BEVs, we can’t say with a high degree of conviction the issue is settled.”

It’s Time to Go Green!

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:

10 Advantages Of Electric Cars

June 6, 2023Cost of ownership, Electric Cars, FAQ, Fiat, News, Reviews and Comment, OpinionRepost

As EV technology continues to improve, electric cars are become more and more viable, and here are some advantages to owning one.

Electric vehicles have been around for many years, but they have only recently started to gain more traction in the market. They offer a lot of advantages compared to conventional gas-powered cars. They are known for their low operating costs compared to gas-powered cars. In addition to them being cheaper to maintain and more efficient, they also provide an environmentally responsible mode of transportation. And, you can’t deny they look fascinating too with a wide variety of stylish designs, proving that eco-friendliness doesn’t have to come at the cost of great and futuristic design. They help in saving money on fuel costs, reducing carbon emissions (which is particularly important because climate change is rapidly becoming a global concern), and more. The advantages of driving an electric car are hard to ignore. They provide better performances and are more reliable than ever before. As EV technology continues to improve, the benefits of driving an electric car are becoming more and more clear. With a large variety of available technology features, improved charging infrastructure, and more options to choose from, the shift toward electric vehicles is inevitable, and there are many excellent reasons to make the switch.

It’s Time to Go Green!

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:

Electric vehicle sales leapt 55% in 2022 – here’s where that growth was strongest

May 31, 2023Buying a new car, Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, OpinionRepost

Global sales of electric vehicles (EVs) increased by 55% in 2022 from the year before, according to data from the EV Volumes sales database.
China remains the world’s largest EV market, with 59% of global sales.
World Economic Forum estimates annual EV sales need to increase 18-fold by 2030 to meet global emissions targets.

Many people around the world will have noticed an increasing number of electric vehicles (EVs) on the roads in the towns and cities where they live. The latest data on global sales of EVs confirms a growing appetite for green motoring.

EV sales rose by 55% in 2022, reaching a total of 10.5 million, according to the EV Volumes sales database. These figures include both battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs).

Where were EV sales strongest?

Sales of new EVs in China increased by 82% in 2022 compared to the year before. The country accounted for 59% of global EV sales last year, cementing its position as the world’s largest electric vehicles market. China is also the world’s biggest EV producer, with 64% of global volume.

It’s Time to Go Green!

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:

Busting EV myths – Breaking down the biggest misconceptions surrounding EVs

May 25, 2023Away From Home, Buying/Leasing, Charging, Charging, Electric Cars, FAQ, News, Reviews and Comment, OpinionRepost

Despite the expected shift towards electric and zero emission vehicles, there’s still a lot of controversy surrounding them. Are they really any cheaper to run? What’s their true environmental impact? In this article, Simone Bruckner, managing director of resistor manufacturer Cressall, breaks down the biggest myths surrounding electric vehicles (EVs).

With more than a quarter of a million new electric car registrations last year, uptake of EVs is definitely on the increase. More than one in five of us expect to be driving an EV within the next five-to-ten years. But there are still a lot of misconceptions surrounding EVs that keep potential buyers on the fence.

EV’s have insufficient range

Many potential buyers are concerned about EV range. Their concern is well-founded in part, with the Nissan Leaf’s lowest range sitting at just 73 miles back when it was launched in 2011.

Thankfully, EV technology has improved in leaps and bounds since then, and most EVs now sit comfortably within the 200-to-300-mile range mark. And these figures aren’t restricted to high-end models either, with models like Hyundai’s Kona and Kia’s e-Niro entering the market at around £35,000 and offering modest real-world ranges of around 250 miles according to Autocar.

99 per cent of car journeys in England are less than 100 miles, and the average length of a trip was less than ten miles pre-pandemic. Based on these numbers, EVs have a perfectly sufficient range for the vast majority of travel.

It’s Time to Go Green!

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:

2030 vehicle ban may be ‘as simple’ as swapping petrol and diesel cars for electric

May 24, 2023Buying/Leasing, Electric Cars, Fleet, News, Reviews and CommentRepost

The switch to electric vehicles will not be a simple process, according to one expert who exclusively told Express.co.uk that a number of factors still need to be considered.

The UK is less than seven years away from the deadline to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles, the biggest measure in the transition to electric vehicles. Certain new hybrid vehicles will be authorised for sale between 2030 and 2035 provided they can travel a significant distance without releasing emissions.

Some businesses and fleets are already starting to switch to electric vehicles and preparing the infrastructure needed to cope with the level of charging.

Scottish Fire & Rescue ZOE (Image: Renault)

Paul Holland, Managing Director for UK Fleet, Allstar, commented on the global transition from petrol and diesel vehicles to electric and what barriers the industry faces.

Speaking to Express.co.uk, he said: “Going electric isn’t as simple as swapping every ICE vehicle for an EV – although it can be.

“A company that has a small fleet of company cars for salespeople and executives can simply change their existing vehicles to EVs as needed, and provided their drivers have access to home charging there should not be any major changes needed.

“Fleet managers may want to switch from general fuel cards to those specific to EVs (EV charging cards) so that their drivers could use public charge points, but otherwise day-to-day operations will stay the same.

It’s Time to Go Green!

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:

EV sales experience 60% YOY growth

May 17, 2023Buying a new car, Electric Cars, News, Reviews and CommentRepost

New AutoMotive’s latest data revealed that electric vehicle (EV) sales in the UK rose by 60% year-on-year in April.

EVs were also the only market segment to experience a growth in sales and market share, which increased by 5% to make up 16% of the market.

The region with the highest number of new cars registered was Oxfordshire with 49% of newly registered cars being electric, which means that now one in every two cars in the county is electric.

Other reginal highlights include Wimbledon with 33% of new car registrations being electric and Birmingham at 23%.

Fuel Type	Registered vehicles April 2023 (provisional)	Market share April 2023 (%)	Registered vehicles April 2022	Market share April 2022 (%)
Petrol	61,462	50.42	59,722	58.8
Hybrid	31,326	25.7	28,224	25.43
Pure electric	19,234	15.78	12,014	10.82
Diesel	9,779	8.02	10,854	9.78
Other	99	0.08	188	0.17

Data: New Automotive.

Electric vans also experienced an increase in new registration, now holding 7% of the market – a year-on-year growth of 55%.

“It is fantastic to see such strong growth in sales of electric cars since a year ago. Electric cars accounted for almost 16% of all new registrations in April 2023, which represents a staggering 60% rise in the number of EV sold,” said Ben Nelmes, CEO at New AutoMotive.

“The shift towards electric vehicles is not just about reducing climate risk; it’s about benefiting motorists. British drivers increasingly understand making the switch to an electric vehicle is beneficial for them – they are cheaper to run, require less maintenance, and improve local air quality.”

It’s Time to Go Green!

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:

Carmakers are pushing electric SUVs, but smaller is better when it comes to EVs

May 15, 2023Buying a new car, Electric Cars, News, Reviews and CommentRepost

Electric SUVs are better than their gas counterparts for the climate, but they can be worse than compact gas burners

The electrification of the US’s vast fleet of cars and trucks is a cornerstone of Joe Biden’s plan to tackle the climate crisis. But the ballooning size of electric vehicles, crowding out smaller, more affordable models that strip fewer resources from the environment, threatens to undercut this goal.

Last week, General Motors announced that it will axe its Chevy Bolt electric vehicle by the end of the year. The compact Bolt, launched in 2016 as a way to challenge Tesla for mainstream EV buyers, is one of the cheapest electric cars on the market, costing less than $30,000 and eligible for the $7,500 tax credit offered to drivers for EVs in last year’s mammoth Inflation Reduction Act, unlike the similar Nissan Leaf, which doesn’t qualify due to its foreign manufacture.

Renault EZ-PRO: Urban delivery goes robo (Image: J. Oppenheim/Renault)

In a sign of how the US’s fixation upon large SUVs and pickup trucks is now infiltrating the nascent EV market, General Motors, which aims to sell 1m EVs in the US by 2025, said that the Michigan plant currently churning out Bolts will switch to new electric models of the Silverado and the GMC Sierra – hulking, and more expensive, alternatives that will probably provide the auto company a greater financial return than the modest Bolt.

It’s Time to Go Green!

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:

Best electric car discounts: how to save money on a new EV

May 5, 2023Buying/Leasing, Congestion Charge, Cost of ownership, Electric Cars, News, Reviews and CommentRepost

It’s currently possible to save up to £4188 on a new electric car. And you don’t even have to haggle, thanks to our free New Car Buying service…

Electric cars have been hugely popular and demand has traditionally been so strong that discounts on them were virtually impossible to find. That has started to change, though, with the average saving on an electric vehicle (EV) now standing at 3.1% or £1805 per car. That’s up more than 25% year on year.

The catalyst for the discounting was Tesla’s big price reduction of its models in January 2023. A number of other factors have also had an influence on prices, including the slowing of new car sales due to the cost-of-living crisis, a drop in resale values of EVs, and the impending Government directive that 22% of all cars sold by manufacturers must be all-electric from next year.

Even though electric car sales are growing more rapidly than those of other fuel types – with registrations up 18.8% compared with 18.4% for petrol models – the discounts available on them are also increasing, according to data compiled by What Car?’s Target Price team.

It’s Time to Go Green!

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 Guardian view on the electric car revolution: targets are not enough

May 3, 2023Buying/Leasing, Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, Opinion, PollutionRepost

The government must do its bit to make new electric vehicles more affordable if mass adoption is to be achieved on the road to net zero

When the government controversially scrapped its discount on the purchase of electric cars last summer, the move was justified on the grounds that its work was done. After 11 years of subsidies, said ministers, the electric vehicle revolution had been “kickstarted”. As Britain strives to meet a 2030 target to end the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles, that judgment is beginning to look a little complacent.

Amid ongoing economic headwinds, data has emerged that suggests a drop-off in current demand for electric cars, despite notable public enthusiasm for their adoption in principle. Auto Trader, which hosts the country’s largest car sales website, reported this month that inquiries in relation to new electric vehicles had fallen significantly compared with last year.

A number of factors are likely to be involved. As interest rates and inflation remain high, the upfront cost of a new electric car makes it more expensive in the short term than a petrol or diesel one. Falling oil prices may have diminished the immediate incentive to switch. At the same time, despite repeated pledges by Whitehall, the rollout of charging infrastructure continues to be too slow and is not keeping pace with sales.

It’s Time to Go Green!

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:

Best EVs 2023: putting this year’s top electric cars to the test

April 24, 2023BMW, Buying/Leasing, Electric Cars, FAQ, News, Reviews and CommentRepost

From BMW to Polestar, these are some of our favourite electric cars available to

Just a few years ago, it would have been simple enough to write an article listing every electric car available. There would be a couple of Teslas, the Nissan Leaf, the Renault Zoe and the Jaguar I-Pace. But times change, and in the case of electric cars (EVs) a century-old industry can be transformed in the blink of an eye.

BMW i8 in Sophisto Grey (Image: T. Larkum)

In 2023 there are now numerous electric offerings from Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Polestar and Volvo, plus others from Ford, Porsche, Fiat, Mini, Lexus, Kia, Hyundai and Genesis.

Today’s market includes small city EVs like the Mini Electric and Honda E, all manner of SUVs, a budget estate in the form of the MG5, battery-powered sports cars like the Porsche Taycan, 2,000-horsepower hypercars like the Rimac Nevera, and fashion-forward rides from startups like Genesis and its GV60. Prices run from under £30,000 to over £2m and quoted range estimates span from a little over 100 miles to 400 or more.

With such a broad range of electric options to pick from, there’s also a lot to understand before you make your purchase. Battery size and range are only one part of the EV equation though, as charging speed is equally important.

It’s Time to Go Green!

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: