Whether you like them or loathe them, electric cars are coming. Here are the answers to the questions you’ve always wanted to ask about electric vehicles and hybrids
1WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES
As no gas is required for electric vehicles, there’s no exhaust or exhaust fumes, which makes them cleaner to run. They are also quieter, more efficient and have lower maintenance needs, with cost-savings to be had over the long run – although upfront costs tend to run a little higher. As governments are increasingly seeking to phase out internal combustion engine (ICE) cars, tax and insurance breaks are also possible.
2SHOULD I BUY A FULLY-ELECTRIC CAR OR A PLUG-IN HYBRID?
It depends on how you use your car, and the facilities in your city. The fully-charged range of electric cars is growing all the time (see next question) and many owners find that the technology isn’t the hindrance that you might at first imagine. However, if you want the flexibility of being able to drive long journeys at short notice or you run up a high annual mileage, then a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) might be more convenient.
3WHAT ABOUT THEIR RANGE? HOW FAR CAN ELECTRIC CARS GO ON ONE CHARGE?
Battery technology is improving all the time, but the range of electric vehicles largely depends on the size of the battery fitted. Most new electric cars have a fully-charged range of 200 to 300 miles, while the new Mercedes EQS (the new S-Class) has a range of up to 453 miles. The main problem is the time it takes to fully charge.
4IS IT SAFE TO BUY A USED ELECTRIC CAR?
Well, once you accept the usual used car-buying warnings of ‘caveat emptor’, yes it is. All EV car manufacturers have separate warranties for their batteries (on Jaguar’s I-Pace, for instance, it’s eight years and 100,000 miles) and if you’re in any doubt, you can often check the health of the battery pack using the car’s on-board diagnostics.
5IS AN ELECTRIC CAR CHEAPER TO BUY AND RUN THAN A PETROL OR DIESEL CAR?
At present, electric cars are generally more expensive to buy than their conventional counterparts with petrol or diesel engines. However, the running costs are considerably lower and you tend to pay less in tax.
6IS AN ELECTRIC CAR REALLY BETTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT THAN A NORMAL CAR?
Oh crikey, how long have you got? Strictly speaking, yes running a car on electricity is cleaner than pumping out carbon dioxide and other particulates into our immediate atmosphere as with petrol or diesel.
Dig a bit deeper though and it’s not that simple. That electricity you use to charge up your electric car needs to be from green sources itself, while the components used
