THE BENEFITS OF SWITCHING TO AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE (EV)

What does it mean when we say that EVs are cheaper to run? There are three main financial benefits to electric cars compared to petrol and diesel alternatives:

1. Electricity is cheaper than fuel

The average cost of charging an electric vehicle’s battery is much lower than the average cost of a tank of petrol or diesel fuel. Though rates will fluctuate depending on the electricity provider, the cost of fuel is always going to be more expensive. 
 

2. No congestion charges

Congestion charges were introduced to tackle traffic and pollution and encourage drivers to use public transport in cities. Because EVs don’t produce harmful emissions, there are no congestion charges. 

3. Free parking in some areas

In another bid to make electric vehicles more appealing, many councils are offering free parking for EVs – though this doesn’t apply to every city or local authority, it’s worth looking to see if your local council offers free parking for electric cars. 

The other headline benefit of an EV is how much better they are for the environment. They’re better because they don’t emit any gases from the exhaust – they don’t even have a tailpipe! This reduces air pollution in the area – the more EVs on the road the better – every little helps!

The UK government plans to ban the sale of petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030 – to help encourage the public to make the switch to an electric vehicle, they’re offering packages of funding to make the switch easier and less expensive.

While funding changes depending on where they think support is needed most, there are four EV grants currently available:

1. Plug-in Van Grant (PIVG)

The grant will pay for 35% of the purchase price for small vans, up to a maximum of £2,500.

2. EV Chargepoint Grant

It provides funding of up to 75% towards the cost of installing electric vehicle smart chargepoints at domestic properties for eligible flat owner-occupiers and people living in rented properties.

3. Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS)

When a workplace agrees to install EV chargers, this grant will help with the upfront cost of installation.

4. On-street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS)

Local authorities are given funding towards installation costs for on-street residential EV chargers.

The driving experience of an electric vehicle is often praised as being much smoother and quieter, but why is that? Most EVs tend to have a low centre of gravity – this makes driving experience elements such as handling, comfort, and safety much better. 

In addition to this, the electric battery used to power an EV means there’s no noise pollution from the engine. They’re so quiet that an AVAS (Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System) is often added to make noise when reversing or travelling below 12mph for safety reasons.

Second-hand vehicles are having their moment, especially in the wake of slow production times for a brand new vehicles and the 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles. Second-hand electric cars are going to have an even more impressive resale value as demand increases – by investing in an EV sooner rather than later, you can count on a better resale value the closer we get to 2030.

Looking to make the switch? Browse our full range of electric vehicles at Citroën – we have every kind of electric for all kinds of people.