Category Archives: FAQ

The best new electric cars for every budget 2023

September 1, 2023Buying/Leasing, Citroen, Cost of ownership, Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, TeslaRepost

As 2023 progresses, the electric car market continues to grow and evolve. More zero-emission options are available than ever before as brands continue their efforts to swap fossil-fuel cars for battery-powered alternatives.

EV sales are still steadily growing, with 176,000 new electric cars cars finding homes in the first seven months of this year – a 38% increase over the same period last year. One electric car sits in the annual top ten best-sellers list as of August 2023, with more than 21,000 Tesla Model Y SUVs have been sold in the UK since the turn of the year.

The last year has seen the introduction of several competitively-priced electric models, but with the retirement of the Smart EQ ForTwo and EQ ForFour hatchbacks there are now no electric cars available for below £25k. You can get a pint-sized Citroën Ami for around £8k, but that’s a quadricycle that does not come with airbags and is illegal to drive on the motorway.

Now starting with new models available for under £30k, we’ve analysed all the electric cars available at key price points in the new car market, and consulted our industry-leading Expert Rating Index to see which models have the highest review scores from across the UK motoring media.

With comprehensive review data backing our recommendations, you can be confident that this is the definitive guide to the best new electric cars for every budget that are on sale in the UK right now.

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:

Used EV sales soared by 81.8% YOY in Q2 2023, says SMMT

August 31, 2023Buying a new car, Charging, Cost of ownership, Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, NissanRepost

Used electric vehicle (EV) sales soared in Q2 2023 by 81.8% year-on-year (YOY), research by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has revealed.

This means that used EV sales accounted for a record 1.7% market share and is up by 1% YOY. In total, 30,645 EVs changed hands in Q2 2023.

SMMT also stated that the rising proportion of EVs meant that market share for conventionally powered cars marginally fell to 94.3% from 95.7% last year, even though volumes of petrol and diesel cars saw growth of 2.5% and 2.8% respectively.

Mike Hawes, chief executive of SMMT, said: “It’s great to see a recharged new car sector supporting demand for used cars and, in particular, helping more people to get behind the wheel of an electric vehicle.

“Meeting the undoubted appetite for pre-owned EVs will depend on sustaining a buoyant new car market and on the provision of accessible, reliable charging infrastructure powered by affordable, green energy. This, in turn, will allow more people to drive zero at a price point suited to them, helping accelerate delivery of our environmental goals.”

These statistics for second-hand EV sales come as Octopus EV, part of Octopus Energy Group, recently committed to offer a second-hand salary sacrifice scheme for EVs in a bid to spur growth.

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:

Second-hand electric vehicle sales soar to record levels

August 29, 2023Buying/Leasing, Charging, Electric Cars, Kia, News, Reviews and CommentRepost

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.

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:

Can I save money with an electric car?

August 28, 2023BP Chargemaster, Charging, Charging, Cost of ownership, Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, Nissan, Shell, TeslaRepost

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.

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

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 Vehicles Are Better For People & The Planet

August 25, 2023Electric Cars, Electric Motorhomes, Electric Taxis, Electric Vans, Energy and Climate Change, FAQ, News, Reviews and Comment, SalesRepost

There’s quite a lot of misinformation and disinformation — deliberate misinformation — about electric vehicles online. One of the key bits of disinformation is the false notion that EVs aren’t that green because there are carbon emissions generated by mining for the materials in their batteries and manufacturing them. The false claim is that an EV owner would have to drive about 49,000 miles to offset the carbon emissions from manufacturing the battery and vehicle. The claim was based on a study that eventually was debunked.

The true figure was about 16,000 miles, after which an EV would be ‘greener’ than a gas- or diesel-powered vehicle. The word greener is in quotes because gas and diesel-powered vehicles are not at all green. They have been dirty ever since they were invented, and at no point could ever be considered green.

There’s also something disingenuous — read ‘fake’ — about the concern over an EV battery’s carbon emissions from materials mining and manufacturing, because the people who express it had no regard whatsoever for vehicle mining emissions before EVs came on the scene. That is, for decades before electric vehicles began to appear they never said a word about internal combustion engine or diesel-powered vehicle mining emissions, including their own. Additionally, fossil fuel mining is far worse.

“Every year, about 15 billion tons of fossil fuels are mined and extracted. That’s about 535 times more mining than a clean energy economy would require in 2040.

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:

One electric vehicle sold every minute in July as UK car sales rise

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

Some 143,921 new vehicles were registered in July, up 28.3% on a year ago
Electric vehicles (BEVs) registrations jumped by almost 88% to 23,010
Demand for fleet and business vehicles was biggest driver of sales

UK car sales have now risen for 12 months in a row, despite the ongoing consumer squeeze, with demand for electric vehicles gathering pace, industry figures show.

Some 143,921 new vehicles were registered last month, up 28.3 per cent on a year ago, marking the best July since 2020, when sales spiked after three months of lockdown.

However, the overall market remains below pre-pandemic levels, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said.

Battery electric vehicle (BEV) registrations jumped by a whopping 87.9 per cent to 23,010, meaning one new electric car was sold every minute in July.

New BEVs took a 16 per cent market share in July, compared to 10.9 per cent a year ago, with the SMMT anticipating the figure will rise to nearly 23 per cent across the whole of 2024.

Plug-in hybrid registrations also saw a significant uplift for the second month in a row, rising 79.1 per cent to 11,702, while some 16,321 hybrid vehicles were registered in July, an increase of almost 19 per cent compared to a year ago.

Electrified vehicles, including hybrids, plug-in hybrids and BEVs, accounted for 35.4 per cent of the market in total.

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:

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

August 22, 2023Away From Home, Buying a new car, Charging, Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, TeslaRepost

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.

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 car running costs: are EVs cheaper to run?

August 18, 2023Charging, Cost of ownership, Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, OpinionRepost

Electric cars are more expensive to buy than their petrol counterparts, but are they actually cheaper to run? We explain all

One of the biggest appeals of electric cars – other than the inherent environmental benefits – are significantly reduced running costs. Over the last decade, there have been several reports stating EVs are ‘completely free to run’, and others saying that charging them ‘costs half the price of petrol’ – but is this really true?

Ultimately, whether the total cost of ownership (TCO) is lower for an electric car than its petrol or diesel equivalent comes down to a multitude of factors. Here, we’ll crunch the numbers and find out how expensive – or inexpensive – owning an electric car can be.

We’ve decided to use the Vauxhall Astra Electric and its petrol-powered sibling as an example, but all of what we’re about to go through applies for almost every EV on the market. Read on to see how much you could potentially save.

How much do electric cars cost?

It’d be a crime when talking about EVs to ignore the fact that they tend to cost a lot more than their petrol equivalents. Take the Vauxhall Astra Electric, for example which, starting at £39,795, costs roughly £10,000 more than a comparable petrol model.

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:

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

August 17, 2023At Home, Charge Your Car, Charging, Charging, Electric Cars, Energy Storage, News, Reviews and Comment, OpinionRepost

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.

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.

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 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.

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: