Jargon Buster

Let's start with the basics so we are all on the same page. Below are some of the acronyms and meanings you will hear in the EV world:


1. Electrical Vehicle (EV or BEV) - A car that runs solely on battery power and has no internal combustion engine (ICE). It is also known as Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV).


2. Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) - A car that uses a traditional combustion engine with Petrol or Diesel as its main fuel source.


3. Hybrid - A car that has both a battery pack and an internal combustion engine that work in harmony to be more fuel efficient.


4. Plug in Electric Hybrid Vehicle (PHEV) - A car that has both battery and internal combustion, in this case the car will run a number of miles on electric before the engine takes over, this can dramatically improve the efficiency of the car depending on the profile of the driver.


5. Range Anxiety - This is where drivers worry whether their car will reach their destination or to the next charge point before the car runs out of battery power.


6. WLTP - This stands for Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure. This replaces the NEDC tests which originated in the 80's and is a representation of real world driving data to assign official fuel consumption data and CO2 emissions.


7. Regenerative Breaking - This is where the energy from braking is put back into the batteries to allow them to last longer on a journey. Most of the newer EV cars have this as standard now,


8. State of Charge (SOC) - This represents the capacity of the EV's battery life, the closer to 100% the better, to maintain a high SOC there are number of things you can do to preserve the life of the battery.


9. State of Health (SOH) - Same definition as above, used interchangeably.


10. Frunk - 'Front Trunk', often used to describe the space at the front of an EV where the engine would normally be kept and provide additional luggage space.


Starting your EV Journey

Knowing your Requirements

This is an area that is specific to you (and your family), asking and answering questions like:

  • What journeys do I do on a daily basis?
  • What longer range journeys do I do?
  • Where will I charge my car (especially if you do not have a charge point at home)?


There are a number of areas to consider before buying an EV, once you have considered these you will be in a much stronger position to know which EV will suit your needs and you will be able to target those particular dealers.

Enquire Now

Eligibility for Government Grants

To be eligible for a government grant there are some conditions to be met, these are usually straightforward and nearly all dealerships will apply for the grant on your behalf saving you paperwork and providing the discount up front when you purchase the vehicle.

The following conditions apply:

  • The car you are purchasing (or leasing) must be brand new
  • The car must be able to travel at least 70 miles with no emissions

The link below provides an updated list of eligible EV's from the government website:

 

https://www.gov.uk/plug-in-car-van-grants

 

Please note that Plug in Electrics no longer qualify for the government grants.

Budget

There are a few options to owning an EV much in the same way you would an ICE car:

  • Brand New - Government incentives, more models and cheaper EV's available this year.
  • Second Hand - Some well established EV's available at more reasonable prices (Government incentives do not apply)
  • Lease - Options available depending on mileage and monthly budget
  • Company Car - If you are in a position to purchase or lease a vehicle from your company car scheme then is it worth mentioning the Benefit in Kind (BiK) rates which have been reduced to 0% for FY 20/21 and increasing to 1% for 21/22 and 2% for 22/23. This is a fantastic personal tax saving.    

Insurance

There are only a handful of insurers that specialise in EV cars and we suspect this is why the premiums are higher. The few companies that we found were 'easiest' to insure with are:

  • Direct Line (partnered with Tesla) 
  • LV (Liverpool Victoria)
  • Churchill

So what home Charging point should I go for?

Make

Model

Smart Y/N

PV Ready

Eligible for Grant? Y/N

RRP*

Tethered Cable

Installed Price Y/N

WiFi

App

Wallbox

Pulsar Plus 7.4kW

Y

Y

Y

£589

Y

N

Y

Y

Wallbox

Pulsar Plus 11kW

Y

Y

Y

£799

Y

N

Y

Y

Wallbox

Pulsar Plus 22kW

Y

Y

Y

£825

Y

N

Y

Y

Wallbox

Copper SB

Y

Y

Y

£985

Y

N

Y

Y

Pod Point

7.4kW

Y

N

Y

£909

Optional

N

Y

Y

Myenergi

Zappi 7kW

Y

Y

Y (Hub req)

£810

Optional

N

Y

Y

Rolec

HomeSmart

Y

N

Y

£525

Optional

N

Y

Y

BP

ChargeMaster

Y

N

Y

£599

Optional

N

N

Y

EO

EO Mini Pro

Y

N

Y

£720

Model Dependent

N

N

Y

EO

Smart Home

Y

Y

Y

£875

Model Dependent

N

Y

Y

EO

Basic

N

N

N

£940

Model Dependent

N

N

Y

Anderson

A2

Y

N

Y

£995

Y

N

Y

Y

Ohme

Wall Charger

Y

N

Y

£600

Optional

N

Y

Y

Tesla

N

N

N

£460

Y

N

N

Y

* Cost of unit only. Government Grant is deducted on installation

Data valid as of August 2020

Home Charge Points

There are a number of charge points to choose from now, and as you might suspect they all do pretty much the same thing, however there are a couple of points to consider:

  • First and foremost, is the home charger 'Smart'? Believe it or not they aren't all smart chargers and to qualify for the £350 government grant you will need to opt for a Smart charger. The most obvious charger that isn't Smart is the Tesla charger and hence this particular charge point will not qualify for the £350 government grant.
  • One of the other key decisions to make is if the Charge point can perform 'over the air' updates through your WiFi connection? This helps with maintenance and software updates that maybe required from time to time.
  • Do you own Solar Panels? If so then it is definitely worth considering a charge point that takes advantage of charging your EV whilst the sun is shining (for free!), believe it or not there are only a couple of chargers that support this feature, the Wallbox Pulsar Plus is one of them and a great charger with a huge spec. We are running a special offer on these over the summer.
  • Finally, it is worth looking to see if the providers have Charge Points in public places, this is more for future planning as there may be some loyalty features appearing in the future. For example, Pod Point will fit your home charger and also have a significant number of Charge Points across the country.
  • Also note that some Energy providers now give Home Chargers as an incentive to be with them.
  • If you ever need spare charging cables, these are now readily available.

Some of the basics with understanding your EV if and when you decide to take the plunge are covered below.

Changing from ICE to EV has its differences and there is a certain culture change that takes a little getting used to.

Driving an EV in most cases (and especially with the newer models) are generally a smoother, quicker and more stable drive (usually to do with the weight of the batteries providing a lower centre of gravity). Acceleration is smooth and instant.

Regenerative braking means that you don't use the brake pedal as much, and brake pads will tend to last significantly longer than an ICE vehicle. Regenerative braking works by taking the energy from the braking and feeding it back into the batteries to allow them to provide the car more range.


Nearly everything is electronic, the dashboard, all your messages and software updates over the air!

Charging your EV is different from an ICE car, traditionally you would fill up an ICE car with a full tank of petrol/diesel and off you go. With an EV you charge up (to around 80%) and keep the EV topped up where possible, it is important to never let the battery run flat and aim to keep 20% battery capacity at all times (this extends the life of the batteries).

EVs are cheaper on energy cost, your typical EV car will cost around 4p a mile (based on 15pKW/h energy price) vs around 15-20p a miles, this figure can vary wildly based on whether the ICE is diesel or petrol and what engine size, age etc etc. 

General maintenance costs of EVs are also cheaper, this is due to the fact that there are fewer moving parts and hence less that can go wrong in an EV car vs an ICE car.

 

Daily maintenance of your EV is significantly less than an ICE car, especially an older one. Apart from checking the air in your tyres and keeping an eye on the messages you receive from the dashboard there is little to do. That said to keep the weight down on a car, most EV's do not come with a spare tyre and if you are unfortunate to get a flat tyre it is always worth carrying a Manual Car foot pump or an Electric foot pump for emergencies .


In the long term the maintenance of your EV is governed by your manufacturer and potentially by its warranty. For example the Tesla Model 3 has 50,000 mile or 4 year warranty and stipulate that if you don't need to see them, then there is no reason to service your car. Bear in mind the car has mini services by having 'updates' applied monthly (on average). These updates provide some of the latest features available.

Getting to Know your EV

 

         Benefits

  • Zero emission EVs benefit from £0 road tax
  • No congestion charge in Central London
  • Better for the environment - less pollution, renewable energy, eco-friendly materials
  • Cheaper to run
  • Cheaper on maintenance
  • Health benefits - reduced harmful exhaust fumes

 


Maintenance