What are the benefits of driving an electric car?

More and more people now see electric vehicles (EVs) as a realistic option for their next car purchase. Here at Nathaniel Cars, the answer to the question, Should I buy a new petrol car or a new electric car?, is an obvious one (it’s electric!). Especially when you consider the many reasons why electric cars are better than fuel cars.

But, for anyone who’s still on the fence when it comes to EVs, we thought we’d collect some of the benefits you’ll start to experience as soon as you become an electric car driver.

Electric cars mean a cleaner environment

One of the biggest benefits of driving an EV is to the environment.

100%-electric cars don’t have an exhaust pipe, so they don’t emit harmful CO2 gases.

This means that air pollution in congested cities will reduce as more people use 100%-electric cars.

Electric cars are also a lot more energy efficient than petrol or diesel cars. So, you’ll get more than twice as many miles out of the same amount of energy.

Read more about why electric cars are better for the environment

EVs have lower running costs

Over the vehicle’s life, owning an electric car is likely to cost you a lot less than a petrol or diesel car.

Electric cars have fewer moving parts. There are no spark plugs, cylinders or gaskets to worry about.

So, less can go wrong, wear out or break down. Which means maintenance costs for an electric car can be as much as 50% less than a petrol or diesel car.

Read more about the lower costs of running an EV

With an electric car, you won’t pay congestion charges or road tax

On top of savings on maintenance costs, electric cars are also exempt from congestion charges and road tax.

Vehicle Excise Duty (also known as car or road tax) rates are based on a vehicle’s CO2 emissions. If you own a 100%-electric vehicle, you won’t have to pay road tax.

You’ll also be exempt from London’s congestion charge, albeit you will have to pay £10 to register your car with Transport for London, and this will change over the coming years. 

Some other areas of the UK are also introducing Clean Air Zones, including Bath, Birmingham, Portsmouth, Bradford, Bristol, Manchester and more to come. 100%-electric cars won’t have to pay a charge here either.

EVs are easy to charge (and sometimes it’s free!)

If you’re used to driving a petrol or diesel car, one major benefit will be the fact that you won’t have to spend money and time at the petrol pump.

You can simply refuel your EV at home, work or a public charge point.

Public charge points in supermarkets, pubs and other car parks are sometimes free. And some local authorities are now providing free parking and charging for 100%-electric cars in public car parks.

Read more about how to charge an electric car.

Or find out about the growing network of EV charging points across the UK.

Electric cars offer a better driving experience

Many drivers say that EVs offer a more enjoyable driving experience than petrol and diesel cars.

An important part of this is the fact that they are so much quieter than petrol and diesel vehicles. So, they’re not only reducing inner-city air pollution, but they’re also reducing inner-city noise pollution.

When you first drive one, you’ll also notice that an electric car’s powerful motor makes acceleration instant. And, since its battery is in the car’s floor, EVs have a low centre of gravity, which makes them more stable and improves handling.

They also use “regenerative braking”. This is a system that collects the excess energy usually lost from braking and decelerating and uses it to top up the battery.

Electric Ed from Nathaniel Cars shared his own driving experience in his EV diary. Find out more about his first long journey in an MG ZS EV.

There are EV grants and schemes available

There are a few grants and schemes available to help fund electric cars and EV chargers, including:

• the Plug-in Car Grant (PICG), which allows dealerships like ours to take up to £1,500 off the price of a new electric car
• the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme (EVHS), which gives up to £350 towards a home EV charger for people who live in flats and people in rental accommodation
• the Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS), which helps businesses with the upfront cost of charger installation
• the On-street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS), which supports local authorities looking to install on-street residential car chargers

Discover everything else an electric car driver needs to know and have!

The benefits of buying an electric car from Nathaniel Cars

Now you know the benefits of buying an electric car, you can come and speak to the EV experts at Nathaniel Cars to find the best electric car for you.

But before you do, here are some of the benefits of buying an electric car from us.

• Electric Ed, our EV specialist, is here to answer all your questions.
• We can offer a great selection of both 100%-electric and plug-in hybrid cars.
• Using our fuel savings calculator, you can compare your current fuel costs in a petrol or diesel car with the equivalent fuel costs in an electric car. (It’s just below this blog)
• If you’re eligible, you could get a new electric car on the Motability Scheme.
• We pride ourselves on having a team who are friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. We’re not satisfied until you’re satisfied.

If you have any other questions, fill in the “Ask our EV Experts” form, or pop into our Cardiff and Bridgend showrooms to see our range of electric cars for yourself.