Debunking what you thought you knew about EVs

We may as well get this old chestnut out of the way first. Range anxiety is a thing of the past. We repeat, a thing of the past.

Around 15 years ago, electric cars were typically only capable of covering less than 50 miles on a single charge. These days, some new releases like the Tesla Model Y Long Range boast real-world range of almost 300 miles. Ask yourself, honestly, when was the last time you had to drive 300 miles in one go?

A more typical ‘real world’ range for most new EVs is in the region north of 150 miles. There's tons of choice, at multiple price points with real world ranges of 200+ and 250+ miles.

That’s more than enough for most of us and around 99% of all car trips in the UK are under 150 miles.

If you do need to travel a long distance in a day then you can quickly replenish the vehicle's battery at one of the many thousands of rapid and ultra-rapid chargers available right across the UK. More on EV charging guidance.

Most of us are aware of the environmental benefits of EVs, which have led the UK government to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2035, and incentivise electric vehicle use through 100% discounts on London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) and Congestion Charge. This London-centric (though understandable) policymaking combined with concerns those new to electric cars have about range might make you wonder: Are electric cars are only suitable for city driving?

This couldn’t be further from the truth. EVs are also a great option if you don’t live in London, you will still make savings on fuel, and vehicle maintenance (company car tax if you’re a business driver) and reduce the impact your journeys have on your local air quality too.

There is also excellent public charge point access outside of London, and more and faster rapid chargers are being added to the UK’s charging networks all the time. Between towns and cities, rapid charging facilities are easily accessible at motorway service stations, which is great for people who cover large daily distances for work. With more and faster rapid chargers being added to the UK’s charging networks all the time.

And due to house prices, you're actually more likely to have off-street parking outside of Greater London, which means an EV driver can take advantage of having a professionally installed home charger, which means the EV can be charged overnight when it's greenest and cheapest to recharge.

Even if you don’t need to drive hundreds of miles per day, EVs are perfectly suited for all kinds of driving. Their comfort levels and efficiency-minded engineering makes them a pleasure to drive, and amongst other things, perfect for short local journeys and commuting, as well as longer trips for weekends away or travelling between meetings.

There are indeed plenty of options out there if you’re looking for a luxury electric car. However, it’s far from the case that all EVs are premium cars. Perhaps the impact of the pioneering brand Tesla is a little to blame, but nowadays there are all different types of electric cars available to suit all manner of budgets.

From inexpensive Smart cars to popular hatchbacks like the MG4 you can also choose from a range of fully-electric vans. Of course, if you do want to have a luxury EV or two as part of your fleet, that option is always there too.

Although we do recommend EVs as being more suitable for people who can park on their drive at night (so you can have a home charge point), there are plenty of instances where this is not necessary. One of these is when businesses have charge points installed on their premises, allowing employees to charge either their personal or fleet vehicles.

There’s even a government grant you can take up at present, which contributes up to £350 per charge point installed through the Workplace Charging Scheme for businesses. And if you do have a driveway or your own off street parking, there is a government home charger grant also offering £350 towards buying and installing a charger - but this is now only available to residents in flats or people renting, with a dedicated parking spot.