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The Electric Vehicle Guide

Basics | Benefits | Recharging | Bikes | Scooters | Cars & Vans

EV cars & vans

Until relatively recently, most EV cars and vans were essentially conversions of standard conventional models and relied on lead-acid battery technology to provide a typical vehicle range of around 40 miles. Newer models tend to be dedicated designs that are smaller, constructed from lightweight materials and use high-performance batteries (eg Ni-MH and Li-Ion). As a result, the latest EV cars offer better acceleration and range (often 60+ miles). Although most commercial models are designed as city cars and will 'top-out' at 40-50 mph, battery electrics can be high performance vehicles - the Tesla roadster is capable of 130 mph and goes from 0 to 60 mph in 4 seconds!

While it is the case that most battery electric cars do not match the handling or comfort of conventional vehicles, current UK models have a range and performance that is adequate for urban and short-range journeys. EVs are therefore most suited for short-distance commuting, as second cars for city use, for use in business fleets (for small loads), and as company 'pool' cars.

Purchase costs for battery electric vehicles are higher than for their conventionally fuelled equivalents (with equal performance). Typically for new car or small van the price is higher by 50%-100% depending on the performance characteristics of the electric model. For larger EVs, due to the high cost of the batteries, these are often not included within the purchase price, instead being leased on a monthly basis. Alternatively, batteries may need to be replaced every 3-5 years, the costs of which need to be considered.

On the plus side, all EVs are exempt vehicle excise duty ('road tax'), leading to a saving of around £100 per year compared to a conventional vehicle. If you live in London, EV cars and vans are eligible for the 100% Congestion Charge discount which is worth up to around £2000 per year - and is the reason that most UK electric vehicles are currently sold in London. Fuel costs are also significantly less for EVs than for conventional vehicles due to the high efficiency of the vehicles themselves and the fact that electricity is effectively (fuel) tax free - typically, fuel costs are only around 1.5-2.5p/mile (depending on tariff) as compared to around 10-15p/mile for conventional cars and vans.

To be legally designated as an 'electrically propelled vehicle', electric energy must be derived from a source external to the vehicle and, when the vehicle is in motion, must be supplied by a storage battery that is not connected to a source of power. Note that many popular electric cars currently available in the UK are in fact classed as quadricycles and are therefore subject to a different set of regulations - these are defined as four-wheeled vehicles capable of more than 6km/h, with a maximum kerb weight of 400kg (not including the mass of the batteries) (550kg for a goods vehicle) and a maximum net power of 15kW.

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