Category Archives: Charging

Can an EV be your everyday car? The questions to consider first

In the early 2000s, it would have been difficult to consider an EV as your everyday car. They were too expensive to buy, offered a limited driving range, and the charging network was too small to make them a realistic prospect.

Matters began to improve when the Nissan Leaf arrived in 2010, and EV uptake has only accelerated since. In August 2023, more than 20 percent of new cars sold in the UK were fully electric – and Tesla had two vehicles (the Model Y and Model 3) inside the top 10 best-sellers.

The availability of better and more affordable EVs, along with the rapid growth of the charging network, means the answer to our original question is ‘yes’ – an electric car can indeed be your everyday car.

Nonetheless, there are several important questions you need to ask yourself first…

How long is your daily commute?

The average round-trip commute in the UK is around 21 miles. Even an electric car with the most miserly range estimate will be able to cover that. You don’t even need a longer-range EV, such as a Porsche Taycan, to tackle a longer daily commute.

 

Kia Niro Plug-in Hybrid_Geneva 2017 (image: Next Green Car)

For example, the Kia Niro EV offers 285 miles of electric range, which might be enough for an entire week of commuting. At the time of writing, it costs £37,295 in entry-level ‘2’ specification.

Read more: MotoringElectric

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How long does it take to charge an electric car?

The time taken to charge an electric car can vary from as little as 20 minutes to as much as 24 hours. Here’s why…

With almost one-in-five new cars being fully electric, more drivers will be learning about charging electric cars for the first time. And alongside how much charging an electric car cost and how to use a charging point, they’ll likely be considering the time it takes to charge.

The two biggest factors in how long it’ll take to charge your electric car are the size of the battery, and the speed at which your car can charge. For example, an electric car with a small battery and a fast charging speed will charge a lot faster than one with a large battery and a slow charging speed. We’ll go into both of those factors in more depth in this story, as well as looking at the different types of electric car chargers and answering your electric car charger questions.

Types of electric car chargers

The speed at which you can charge your electric car can be governed by the type of charger you’re using. Charging at home using a three-pin plug is the slowest method, typically taking around 24hrs to replenish the battery on your car. Doing so is therefore impractical for many electric car owners, although it can be doable if you own a plug-in hybrid car.

Read more: WhatCar

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UK’s largest electric vehicle charging hub opens in Birmingham

Up to 180 vehicles can be charged at any one time in as little as 15 minutes at the just-opened Gigahub

The UK’s largest electric vehicle charging hub has opened at Birmingham’s NEC conference centre with the power to charge up to 180 vehicles at a time in as little as 15 minutes.

The multimillion-pound site will provide the UK’s highest concentration of super-fast chargers in one location after the biggest-ever private investment in Britain’s charging infrastructure.

The hub offers motorists in the West Midlands 150 seven-kilowatt AC charging bays and a further 30 superfast, 300kW DC charging bays, which can be used to charge up a typical passenger vehicle in about 15 minutes.

The charging zone is located on the outskirts of Birmingham at the hub of the UK motorway network, with access to the M42, M6 and A45 and what will eventually become the new HS2 rail station.

The site was officially opened on Thursday by the chancellor, Jeremy Hunt. He said the “groundbreaking” investment marked “a significant step in our rollout of electric vehicle charging infrastructure across the country”.

“This is the biggest private investment in electric charging in the UK and is a huge vote of confidence in Britain’s role as a leader in green industries,” Hunt said.

Andrew Cole, a director at the NEC Group, said the conference centre’s campus, which has 7 million visitors a year, could now charge about 1,000 electric cars in every 12-hour day.

Read more: TheGuardian

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Hundreds more rapid charging points installed in UK to help drivers go electric

Fast charging stations that allow for longer journeys are being added in regions beyond London

Charging companies are plugging the gaps in the UK’s high-speed charger network, with hundreds added this year outside London in a shift that will help end the “range anxiety” that holds back some would-be electric car buyers.

The capital and the south-east still have far more chargers of all speeds – ranging from slow to rapid and ultra-rapid – than the rest of the country. But the presence of high-speed chargers, generally used for quick recharging on longer journeys, is increasing in other regions as electric car sales surge.

The UK’s electric vehicle drive has put the energy sector on the road to change

The West Midlands, east Midlands, the south-west of England and Wales all installed more rapid or ultra-rapid chargers than London during the past year, and their networks have grown more rapidly than the south-east of England, according to data from ZapMap, which maps UK public charging points.

Nine out of 12 regions of the UK installed more than 100 rapid chargers during the past year, ZapMap’s data showed.

Long journeys are relatively rare occurrences for most households, but perceived difficulties in finding chargers for the occasional long drive – such as the 14m trips expected over the August bank holiday weekend – have been one factor putting people off electric cars.

Read more: TheGuardian

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Charging Hub with eVolt Rapid Chargers (Image: SWARCO eVolt)

Electric car charging costs

The impending ban on the sale of brand new petrol and diesel-powered cars due in 2030 may already have you thinking about switching to an electric vehicle (EV) or plug-in hybrid (PHEV) in the near future. But how much do EVs cost to charge in the UK and how much could you save by making the switch to an electric car now?

There are many ways to charge an electric car and the cost will vary depending on your choice of energy provider and your tariff. Other influencing factors on EV charging costs include the speed and power of the charger, and the size of the vehicle’s battery. Here, we take a look at how much it’ll cost you to charge an electric car, plus we delve a little deeper into whether or not it’s cheaper to run an EV than it is a petrol or diesel car.

 

Group sales of BMW i, BMW iPerformance, and Mini electric have seen dramatic growth

Charging an electric car at home: three-pin plug

While not recommended as such, you can charge your electric car with a conventional three-pin plug at home. It will take a long time because the power from a domestic wall socket is relatively low, so it’s best reserved for emergency charging away from home, and for cars with reasonably modest battery sizes.

The average home electricity rate costs around 30p per kWh (as of August 2023), meaning it would cost you roughly £12 and take 16-17 hours to charge a Nissan Leaf with its 40kWh battery.

Read more: FutureCar

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I travelled the UK and Ireland in an electric car, and what a shocker: nothing went wrong

Despite being an EV convert, fearmongering made me anxious before my holiday. But the summer road trip reaffirmed my faith

When my son suggested a road trip this summer around the UK and Ireland, I wasn’t sure. He wanted to go from our home in Brighton to Manchester, Edinburgh, Belfast, Dublin, Dingle on Ireland’s west coast, Rosslare on Ireland’s east coast, and Cardiff. We worked out a route and looked at booking hotels, a treehouse, a campervan and a lighthouse; we’d visit friends and family; and we’d explore the capital cities of four nations – it sounded amazing. The only problem was that we’d be doing it in our electric car – and it holds less than 100 miles’ worth of charge.

 

Nissan e-NV200 Winter Camper Concept (Image: Nissan)
Nissan e-NV200 Winter Camper Concept (Image: Nissan)

I’m a convert, but even I was affected by the fearmongering that haunts the electric vehicle market. A relentless campaign in the rightwing media against government plans to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars in 2030 reflects the views of an increasingly desperate fossil fuels lobby, and I had read story after story about a lack of working chargers in the UK. I took out a second breakdown policy when I realised that mine covered only one callout in any 28-day period. I expected an adventure, and to come back with tales to tell, like running out of charge halfway up a mountain, or making friends for life with a random farmer as the car took all night to charge on their three-point socket.

Read more: TheGuardian

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Second-hand electric vehicle sales soar to record levels

Boosting the second-hand market is crucial to increasing the reach and affordability of electric vehicles, however, the sales accounted for 1.7% of the total used car market.

Sales of second-hand electric vehicles (EV) rose by more than 80% in the three months to June, indicating increasing demand for more affordable zero and low-emission cars.

More than 30,500 of the battery-powered vehicles changed hands in the second quarter this year, an 81.8% rise on the same period last year.

Those sales accounted for just 1.7% of the total second-hand market, which while a record for the sector, demonstrates the scale of the adjustment required in the UK’s vehicle fleet before a ban on new internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles in 2030.

Low-emission plug-in and hybrid vehicles are also growing in popularity in the used market, with sales up 11% and 30% respectively, according to figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

The market share of petrol and diesel vehicles fell as a result of the growth in electric car sales, but still accounted for almost 95% of 1.8m used vehicles sold in the quarter.

Boosting the second-hand market is crucial to increasing the reach and affordability of electric vehicles, which are still significantly more expensive to buy than ICE models.

Second-hand EV prices have been dropping in the last year however, with data company Cap hpi estimating a 35% fall in 12 months.

The EV market has expanded rapidly in recent years, with more than 260,000 new electric cars registered last year, up from 15,000 in 2018.

Read more: SkyNews

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Can I save money with an electric car?

Electric vehicles are increasing in popularity but with the price of energy high, is it still cheaper to run an electric car than it is a petrol or diesel one? Here we weigh up the cost of going green.

By 2030, the sale of new petrol and diesel cars is to be banned in the UK. Despite EVs making up more than half of all new cars sold, concerns remain around cost, range and whether the infrastructure is ready to achieve this target.

 

Tesla Model 3 (Image: Tesla.com)
Tesla Model 3 (Image: Tesla.com)

From April 2025 EVs will no longer be free from paying road tax. The removal of government grants, a higher list price than petrol and diesel, and the rising cost of refueling has left many wondering if making the switch to electric is financially worth it?

This article covers:

Related content: How to save money by going green

Are electric cars cheaper to buy than petrol cars?

Whether an electric car is more economical for you in the long run than an conventional fuel car, you need to consider a number of factors, which include:

  • the upfront list price
  • how much you intend to use the car
  • where you intend to charge it
  • insurance
  • maintenance costs

Read more: TheTimes

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One electric vehicle sold every 60 seconds in July after price cuts

One electric vehicle was sold every 60 seconds in July after carmakers cut prices to attract cash-strapped drivers, industry data shows.

Figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) revealed an 88pc year-on-year increase in the sale of battery-powered vehicles last month, as deliveries hit 23,000.

This comes after manufacturers, such as Elon Musk’s Tesla, reduced prices.

The SMMT welcomed the increase in electric car sales but said “consumers must be given every possible incentive to buy”, as it called on the Government to scale up infrastructure.

It also warned that its outlook for overall sales next year had been downgraded by 0.7pc as households struggled with the increased cost of living.

There has been growing concern about the lack of charging capabilities for battery-powered cars across the UK, particularly for drivers embarking on long-distance journeys.

Last year just one new public charger was built for every 53 electric cars sold.

Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: “Government must pull every lever to make buying, running and, especially, charging an EV affordable and practical for every driver in every part of the country.”

Figures released by the SMMT in February showed 368,617 plug-in cars were registered in Britain last year, while just 6,949 standard chargers were installed.

This shortfall has fuelled the debate over Rishi Sunak’s plan to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030.

Read more: msn

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cheapest electric car UK

OVO customers saved over £1 million in six months with its smart EV tariff

Energy supplier OVO says it has saved customers on its Charge Anytime tariff over £1 million in half a year.

The Charge Anytime tariff uses smart charging to power electric vehicles (EVs) for 10p per kWh at any time of day, saving the average customer £129 per month.

Customers have completed over 5 million kWh of smart charging, which uses an algorithm to automatically shift charging away from peak times, usually between 4-7 pm, to periods when the grid relies on cleaner energy sources.

 

POD Point installed (Image: T. Heale)
POD Point installed (Image: T. Heale)

The 10p per kWh rate is three times cheaper than the national average (30p per kWh) and seven times cheaper than many public charge points. The tariff is powered by Kaluza’s smart technology, which OVO says has resulted in a 67% reduction in charging costs.

One OVO customer who drives over 1,000 miles per month to transport disabled, vulnerable, and elderly individuals to their appointments, is said to have seen their monthly costs drop significantly from over £120 in a petrol car to approximately £40 with her EV and the Charge Anytime program.

Alex Thwaites, director of EV, OVO, said: “It’s incredible to see the impact Charge Anytime is making for people and the planet. By using smart technology to shift EV charging out of peak times when the grid is more reliant on fossil fuels, we’re able to provide greener, cheaper energy for customers.

Read more: Current+

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