A Guide to Electric Cars
- Electric vehicles
- Car ownership
FixMyCar explains all the key information about electric vehicles.
Book a car repair nowEllie Dyer-Brown
Wednesday May 22 2024
10 min read
The sale of new internal combustion engine and hybrid vehicles in the UK will be banned from 2035 onwards in a bid to make motoring greener. Whether we like it or not, change is coming. Many drivers still have questions about electric cars and may wonder whether now is the right time to make the switch. This guide covers everything you need to know.
How do electric cars work?
Electric vehicles (EVs) use electricity for power instead of petrol or diesel. They store the electricity in rechargeable batteries to power an electric motor that turns the wheels. Rather than filling up an EV with liquid fuel like a combustion engine, you recharge it by plugging it into the grid.
Below is a cross-section of a Nissan Leaf fully-electric car.
When was the first electric car made?
Electric vehicles have a much longer history than you might expect. The first production EV was built by Thomas Parker - an English inventor responsible for electrifying the London Underground - in 1884. Shortly after, in 1888, German engineer Andreas Flocken constructed the first electric car in America.
Are electric cars better for the environment?
Electric vehicles are better for the environment than petrol or diesel cars because they produce zero tailpipe emissions. However, they don’t provide the perfect solution. We’ll discuss the environmental drawbacks of electric-powered cars later in this guide.
Types of electric and plug-in vehicles
1. Battery electric vehicles (BEVs)
A BEV is powered by rechargeable batteries. You can plug it in at home to charge using a dedicated home charge point or domestic socket.
Pros
No tailpipe emissions
Lower running costs than a combustion engine
Tax benefits
Quiet during use
Cons
Expensive to buy
Long charging times compared to filling up with fuel
Limited choice
2. Plug-in hybrid (PHEV)
Plug-in hybrid vehicles offer the best of both worlds. They feature a conventional engine powered by petrol or diesel and have batteries to power an electric motor. A fully charged PHEV usually offers enough electric range for your daily commute, and the combustion engine is available if you run out.
Pros
Complete short journeys in electric mode
Lower CO2 emissions than a combustion-only engine
Safety net of combustion engine for longer journeys
Cons
Weight of batteries reduces overall efficiency
More expensive than conventional combustion engine cars
Smaller fuel tank requires more frequent fill ups
3. Hybrid (HEV)
HEVs, sometimes called ‘self-charging hybrids’, are powered by electricity and a combustion engine. They can’t be plugged into the mains because the engine is still the primary power source. The battery is charged through regenerative braking and the internal combustion engine.
Pros
Extremely efficient in towns and cities
Cheaper than PHEVs and BEVs
No need to plug in
Regenerative braking recharges the batteries
Cons
Very limited electric range
Can be inefficient on longer journeys
Sales of new hybrid vehicles will end when the government ban comes into force
4. Mild hybrid electric vehicles (MHEVs)
Many MHEV owners will be unaware that they’re driving one - they aren’t hybrids in the traditional sense and are pretty different to the other electric vehicles discussed so far. They can’t ever be run with zero emissions.
MHEVs feature a small battery pack and integrated starter-generator to boost acceleration and increase efficiency slightly. They have marginally better fuel economy and slightly reduced CO2 emissions compared to pure internal combustion engine cars.
Pros
Roughly the same price as a car without the mild hybrid technology
Feels the same as a conventional non-electric vehicle
Offers a small increase in fuel efficiency
Cons
Can’t drive in electric mode
Not a proper hybrid
Reliant on petrol or diesel engine
5. Range-extended electric vehicle (RE-EV)
A range-extended electric vehicle uses a small petrol or diesel engine to produce electricity, which is used to recharge the car’s batteries. This process allows you to travel further once the batteries have run out.
Unlike a hybrid vehicle, the petrol or diesel engine never drives the wheels in an RE-EV. That’s the job of the electric motor.
Pros
Better than a hybrid on longer journeys
No range anxiety
Cons
Limited choice
Heavy engine reduces efficiency
Shorter range than a BEV
Are all electric cars automatic?
All fully electric cars are automatic because they are powered by an electric motor, meaning the speed and power of the vehicle remain constant and don’t require a change of gears. There is no clutch or gear stick in an EV.
Since an EV’s motor spins too fast to drive the wheels directly, the rotational force is sent to a reduction gear before it goes to the wheels. Rather than using a variety of gears like petrol or diesel cars, the reduction gear is a single-speed unit.
The benefits of electric vehicles
Lower running costs
More environmentally-friendly than petrol or diesel cars
Reduced noise pollution
No congestion charge
Strong resale value
Refuel at home
More miles for your money
The downsides to electric vehicles
The benefits of EVs are numerous, but they also have drawbacks, such as:
They are expensive to buy
Many still have limited range
The lifespan of batteries is limited
It takes a long time to charge them compared to filling up a petrol or diesel car
Many have relatively low top speeds
Environmental considerations
EV batteries contain precious metals like lithium that are extremely energy and water-intensive to mine. Mining lithium can also emit harmful air pollutants depending on the processes used. Extracting it from the earth can cause biodiversity loss, soil degradation, contamination, water shortages and ecosystem damage. It is a non-renewable mineral, leading some to call it the new oil. A lithium mine is pictured below.
Another point to consider is that electric vehicles are only as green as their power sources - currently, millions of metric tonnes of wood pellets are imported from Canada and America to be burnt at UK power stations like Drax. It goes without saying that this is not an environmentally friendly practice, even though the pellets are misleadingly labelled as ‘renewable’.
The UK’s infrastructure for recycling lithium-ion batteries is still limited. They cannot be discarded at the end of their life because the materials they are made from would be harmful to the environment, and the process of recycling them is complex and (at present) inefficient. Fortunately, this problem can be solved by investing in new recycling technology and infrastructure.
All of this is to say that electric vehicles are more environmentally friendly than internal combustion engines, but they are not perfect. We may move to a better, alternative fuel source as technology advances.
Charging an electric vehicle
How to charge an electric car
All you have to do to charge an EV is plug it into a power source. There are three ways to do this:
At home - you can charge your car using a domestic three-pin socket or a dedicated home charging point, which is much quicker.
At work - the government has a Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS) that helps companies with the cost of installing charging points.
At a public charging point - you can often find public charging points at supermarkets, service stations, cinemas and at the side of the road.
How much does it cost to charge an electric car?
Running an electric car is cheaper than a petrol or diesel model. According to E.ON Energy, the average cost of electricity is 34p/kWh, and the average price of petrol or diesel is more than £1.63 per litre, which is significantly higher.
However, prices vary depending on when and how you charge. By taking advantage of the convenience of off-peak home charging, you can potentially save a significant amount. Fast chargers at service stations are likely to cost considerably more than charging at home.
How much does it cost to install an electric car charger at home?
The cost of installing a charger varies based on the following factors:
Your home’s construction
The charger being installed
Where your internal electricity distribution board is
Your house’s electrical system
Additional options
You can expect to pay around £700-1,000 for the installation of a standard 7kW home fast charger and roughly the same again for the charger itself. Some companies bundle these two costs together.
You could opt for a 22kW version if you want a faster charger. However, this requires a three-phase power supply, which UK homes generally don’t have. You could upgrade your power supply, but this would come at a significant extra cost.
How long does it take to charge an electric car?
The time it takes for an EV to charge depends on the charging point's speed and the battery's size. It could be anywhere between 30 minutes and 12 hours. A typical electric vehicle with a 60kWh battery takes less than eight hours to fully charge from empty using a 7kW charging point.
How long do electric car batteries last?
Most manufacturers offer a five to eight-year warranty on their EV batteries. That said, the current prediction is that most batteries will last at least ten years before they need to be replaced.
Maintaining an electric vehicle
Do electric cars need an MOT?
EVs still need an MOT every year after they turn three years old, but the test doesn’t include a check of the car’s emissions or noise.
Do electric cars need servicing?
Electric vehicles don’t have a combustion engine or gearbox, so there are fewer moving parts to go wrong. However, they still need regular servicing to keep the suspension, brakes, fluids, motors, batteries and tyres in good condition.
Running an electric vehicle
Are electric cars cheaper to insure?
Electric cars are not cheaper to insure than their internal combustion engine counterparts. In fact, they are often more expensive. The good news is that prices are coming down, and EVs are still cheaper to run overall.
Read our guide about car insurance and how to get it cheaper.
Do you pay road tax on electric cars?
Fully electric cars are exempt from road tax. However, hybrid vehicles still have to pay.
Do electric cars pay congestion charges?
As part of the Government’s Cleaner Vehicle Discount scheme, which runs until 2025, electric vehicles are exempt from congestion charges.
Are electric cars cheaper to run?
Electric vehicles are usually cheaper to run than petrol or diesel cars. They don’t have to pay road tax and are exempt from congestion charges, although their insurance is sometimes higher. Compared to buying fuel, charging an EV works out cheaper per mile. Eventually, this may offset the high initial cost of buying one and installing a charging point.
Are electric cars worth it?
Only you can decide whether switching to an electric vehicle now is worth it. If you can afford the expensive upfront cost, there are many benefits, including lower running costs. Plus, you’ll be making a positive impact on the environment.
On the other hand, some drivers can’t afford to go green just yet and may decide to hold out until cheaper models with a better range are available. The decision is yours - hopefully, this guide has given you the information you need to make it.
Looking for affordable car repairs or maintenance? Whatever you need, FixMyCar can help you find the right garage at the right price.
If you found this guide helpful, you might also like:
Written by Ellie
Ellie is FixMyCar's Content Writer. She has over three years of experience writing about cars and regularly collaborates with automotive experts to provide trustworthy advice for drivers that is easy understand. Her work has been featured in Yahoo! Finance, iNews, The Daily Express and The Sun. She has a BA in English literature and an MA in creative writing from Durham University. Outside of work, Ellie follows F1 and eagerly awaits Ferrari's next era of dominance in the sport. She drives a Suzuki Swift.