Owning An Electric Car - What’s It Like?

In this blog, we uncover some of the realities of owning an electric car in CITY - from the upkeep and maintenance requirements, to keeping it moving on the road with plenty of charge to complete your journey.

First up, what are the benefits of owning an electric car?

The Benefits Of Owning An Electric Car

If you opt for a car which is fully electric (as opposed to hybrid) then you will never need to stop and refill your car with diesel or petrol again. As well as being a huge cost saver when it comes to the daily commute and long journeys, this is a big benefit for the environment and your own carbon footprint.

Another benefit of owning an electric car in CITY is the cost efficiency, particularly as EV’s become more popular, more widely accessible, and cheaper to run and maintain.

Finally, to the incentives - which include the charge point installation grants, and the amount of free charge points which are popping up across the country to encourage drivers to turn to electric.

Charging Your Electric Car

While fuel station visits will inevitably be slashed, your electric vehicle will still need charging - and that’s where charge points come in. When you first own an electric vehicle, you will be offered a home charge point installation which will be attached to your home’s electricity metre and installed on your driveway. While this will increase your electricity bill, electric vehicles herald the cost savings when compared to the cost of petrol or diesel - supporting the benefit of electric vehicles as more cost effective.

Owning an electric vehicle also means navigating the various charge options when out and about - with most vehicles coming with an app which allows you to open a map with detail on where your closest charge points are and pay for any charge you receive through the app. EV owners should note that not all vehicles are compatible with all charge points.

Maintenance And Upkeep Requirements

Maintenance on an electric vehicle is far less intensive than that for a standard diesel or petrol powered vehicle. The main areas of maintenance are tyre alignment, brake maintenance, and upkeep of the battery itself - with many EV owners who own older models looking to upgrade their battery in particular to hold a higher amount of charge and cover longer distances.

Most manufacturers and EV sellers provide warranties on the batteries for the electric vehicles, with costs for maintenance and upkeep varying across different dealerships and vehicle models. However, in almost all cases, maintenance on an electric vehicle is less expensive than that for a standard vehicle.

To learn more about first-hand ownership of an electric vehicle, and to determine if an EV is right for you, we’re here to help.