Electric vehicle drivers are already enjoying the benefits of electric motoring. However, we completely understand that you may have questions. Perhaps you're unsure about how far you can drive on a charge, or how many charging points there are. Or if electric cars cost more?

Today's 100% electric and plug-in hybrid cars have the latest cutting-edge technology. Some of the new breed of 100% electric cars can drive over 200 miles on a single charge, and this is increasing all the time. Plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) use a petrol or diesel engine alongside the electric motor, which can then take you many hundreds of miles – just like a 'conventional' car.

Prices are also coming down, and plug-in cars and vans benefit from generous Government grants. Running costs are significantly lower too, which could save you thousands throughout your ownership.

Worried about charging? The majority of drivers simply charge their electric cars at home overnight, just like plugging in their mobile phone. This usually takes place on their drive or in their garage; or using a nearby on-street residential chargepoint. But there are also many public charging point connectors across more than 50 countries arround the world; including rapid chargers at 96% of motorway service stations (which could charge the average pure electric car to 80% in as little as 30 minutes).

Compared to petrol or diesel, electricity is cheap. On a cost per mile/kilometer basis this means a pure electric car could cost a third (or less) of what a traditional petrol or diesel car might cost. Plug-in hybrids efficiently combine an electric motor with a petrol or diesel engine, meaning they too can be considerably cheaper to run.

To find out just how much you could save, use our Cost Calculator Model. This allows you to compare the cost of any journey between an electric and 'conventional' car. The results may surprise you.

A petrol or diesel engine is a complex beast, requiring many additional components to operate correctly – exhaust systems, starter motors, fuel injection systems, oil, radiators, gears … Pure electric cars, on the other hand, have just three main components – the on-board charger, inverter and motor – and fewer moving parts than cars with an internal combustion engine. This means there are less things requiring maintenance and servicing is simpler. All of which could save you money.

Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) can also be cheaper to maintain than 'traditional' petrol or diesel-powered alternatives. Whilst these have a petrol engine that needs regular servicing, the electrical motor requires little maintenance due to far fewer moving parts, which leads to less wear and tear of the petrol engine component.

Pure electric cars have no tailpipe emissions; in fact, they don't even have an exhaust. Plug-in hybrids have significantly lower average emissions than traditional petrol or diesel cars too. This can help improve air quality, particularly in urban areas and at the roadside where air quality can be worst.

Even when taking into account the impact of generating the electricity used (the 'well-to-wheel' emissions), pure electric cars can still produce substantially lower greenhouse gases than petrol or diesel cars. These emissions will be reduced further as the countries of the world switch to more renewable and nuclear electricity generation.

Over their whole lifecycle, electric cars have lower greenhouse gas emissions than ICE vehicles. Battery manufacture can be than offset by increased efficiency and emissions savings over the life of the car.

Imagine never going to a petrol station again. Simply plug your car in when you get home to charge overnight and it's ready for you in the morning. That's it. No fuss or bother – your car quietly takes care of itself whilst you relax. Plugging in takes all of about 15 seconds. Just like charging your mobile phone.

Using a dedicated home charging unit (rather than your standard home plug, a 13 amp socket) is the easiest, safest and recommended way to charge at home. These compact and robust units can be fitted inside or out – and even benefit from a Government grant.

Use our Home Charging Calculator to discover how little its costs to charge at home, plus how long it takes for a selected car.

Just one journey in an electric car is all it takes to appreciate the smooth and quiet ride.

The high levels of torque delivered by electric motors means that pressing the accelerator results in an almost instant surge of smooth acceleration, providing an exhilarating driving experience.

The Government are actively encouraging drivers to switch to electric cars and vans – which is good news for anyone considering buying a new one. The plug-in car grant provides an important discount for eligible : pure electric cars, plug-in hybrids (costing $60,000 or less); and for eligible vans. There are also generous grants available to help towards the cost of home, workplace and on-street chargepoints.

There are significant tax incentives for making the switch to electric. For company car drivers the news is even better, with electric and hybrid cars emitting 50g/km of CO₂ or less incurring a Benefit In Kind tax of only 9% in 2017/2018. This can represent huge savings for the driver.

To discover just how much tax you could save, use our Car Tax Calculator.

There are now more than 30 pure electric or plug-in hybrid cars and vans available from Automaker manufacturers’. Our Car Selector lets you choose by how the vehicle is powered, seating and boot capacity, and manufacturer.

Pure Electric – high performance batteries are used to provide power to an electric motor, which in-turn drives the wheels. These vehicles need to be charged.

Plug-in Hybrid (PHEVs) – a highly efficient petrol or diesel engine mated with an electric motor and batteries. This enables a range of hundreds of miles using the internal combustion engine, with the ability to run on electric-only at lower speeds or for local journeys; or a combination of both.

Range-extended Electric – as per pure electric cars, these only ever run on electricity. However, they also have a small petrol engine that acts as a generator to top-up the battery charge and hence extend the car's overall range.

Fuel Cell – like a pure electric vehicle, these use electricity to power a motor which drives the wheels. However, instead of a battery, a fuel cell stack uses hydrogen to produce electricity which then powers the car.

Few people worry about the mechanics under the bonnet of their petrol or diesel vehicle and we don’t think you should feel like you need to become an engineer to understand the newer technology in the different types of electric car now available either.

The auto manufacturers making electric cars include Audi, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Toyota and Volkswagen.

These leading vehicle manufacturers are applying the same quality and rigour to their electric models as their petrol and diesel vehicles.

100% electric vehicles, otherwise known as “battery electric vehicles” or “pure electric vehicles”, are wholly driven by an electric motor, powered by a battery that can be plugged into the mains. There is no combustion engine.

When the vehicle is slowing down, the motor is put into reverse to slow the vehicle down, acting as a mini-generator to top-up the battery. Known as “regenerative braking”, this can add 10 miles or more to the range of the vehicle.

As 100% electric vehicles rely entirely on electricity for fuel, they do not produce any tailpipe emissions. At present, most of these vehicles on the market typically offer a range of around 100 miles, though many offer more.

100% electric vehicles have been around for over 100 years. The technology is as straightforward as it is mature, with the number of moving parts a fraction of what goes into conventionally-fuelled vehicles. That means much greater energy efficiency and less to go wrong.

100% electric vehicles are characterised by their smoothness. They usually only need a single gear, giving very even acceleration and deceleration for a smooth ride. With an electric motor, full power is available from the first instance, making these vehicles really nippy. There is also no engine noise.

100% electric vehicles can be charged directly from a normal socket. But to speed up recharging times there are a host of charging options available at public and residential locations.

The battery is much smaller than in a 100% electric vehicle and tends to drive the wheels at low speeds or for limited range. However, it is still sufficient in most models to cover well beyond the majority of the average trip lengths for UK drivers.

After the battery range has been utilised, the hybrid capability means that the vehicle can continue journeys powered by its conventional engine. The use of an internal combustion engine means that plug-in hybrid vehicles tend to have tailpipe emissions of around 40-75g/km CO₂ when measured against the current European test cycle.

The key difference between a plug-in hybrid vehicle and conventional ‘mild’ hybrid vehicles is the “plug-in” bit. The battery in a plug-in hybrid is bigger, can be charged directly and allows the vehicle to have a zero emission range.

Extended-range electric vehicles have a plug-in battery pack and electric motor, as well as an internal combustion engine.

The difference from a plug-in hybrid is that the electric motor always drives the wheels, with the internal combustion engine acting as a generator to recharge the battery when it is depleted.

Range extenders can have pure electric range of up to 125 miles. This typically results in tailpipe emissions of less than 20g/km CO₂.

Throughout this Website, we refer to ‘electric cars’, ‘electric vehicles’ and ‘plug-in cars’. The terms are all interchangeable descriptions of the vehicles set out above. Generally, we use ‘vehicles’ to refer to both cars and vans.

Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, also known as Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEVs), are another type of electric car and have a fuel cell stack which uses hydrogen to produce electricity which then powers the wheels of the vehicle. There is no internal combustion engine in a FCEV. The fuel cell is an electrochemical device similar to a battery, but unlike a battery it does not need recharging and will continue to generate power as long as it is fed with a supply of hydrogen. Fuel cells produce electricity and heat with just water produced at the tailpipe.

Unlike battery-powered vehicles, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are refuelled at a filling station in a similar way to vehicles with a petrol or diesel engine. The FCEVs on the market have a range of around 300 miles. They take just three to five minutes to refuel and an initial network of 12 hydrogen filling stations is being developed across in the UK to support their roll out.

We support Electric Vehicle because we want people to switch to ultra low emission vehicles. What does that mean? Well, it’s all the types of cars we’ve listed above which emit less than 75g/km CO₂. Zero emission vehicles are those that emit 0g/km CO₂.

Questions around electric car charging and the range of electric cars are more common than anything else. Which isn’t surprising, given that they do mean thinking a little differently about how you use your car, and driving behaviour.

But, like so many new technologies, it very quickly becomes second nature; perhaps even more convenient than the ‘traditional’ way of doing things. Here’s what you need to know:

You can charge your pure electric or plug-in hybrid car at home, at work, or by using one of more than 16,500 public chargepoint connectors across the country. Most drivers tend to charge their cars at home, overnight whilst they sleep. This is as easy as plugging your car into a homecharge unit or onstreet residential chargepoint using the cable provided, and then forgetting about it. Your car will charge until full, and then switch off. It really is no more complicated than plugging in your mobile phone

The safest and most convenient way to charge at home is by using a dedicated homecharge unit. These can be easily installed in a few hours by a number of approved providers, and come with a Government grant of up to $500, for qualifying drivers. For more details click here. Most cars also come with a charging cable you can plug into a standard home 13 amp socket. However, these are not recommended for regular use.

The beauty of electric car charging at home is that your car is then always ready to drive its full range when you set off. Just imagine, you may never need to visit a petrol station again.

To discover how little it costs to charge at home, and how long it takes, use our dedicated home charging tool.

More and more companies are seeing the benefits of electric cars, and are keen to encourage their staff and visitors to switch to electric by installing workplace charging units. These enable you to easily top-up your charge during the day, ready for the commute home. The workplace charging grant also offers companies support for installing charging units.

The UK has one of the largest public charging networks in Europe, with well over 16,500 chargepoint connectors available. From residential streets and hotels to high streets and shopping centres, these are strategically located to make it easy for you to top-up your charge whilst you are out and about, or to charge near your home if you don’t have off-street parking.

There are now rapid chargers at 96% of motorway service stations too. These high-powered units could charge your car to 80% in as little as half an hour. Just enough time to stop for a coffee before continuing your journey.

To explore the public charging network and see how it’s constantly expanding, use our interactive Charging Point Map.

In all likelihood, a lot further than you imagine. The range of pure electric cars is improving all the time, with the latest models able to drive well over 100 miles on a single charge with ease (and some considerably further). How often do you actually drive 100 miles in one go? And if you do, there is the opportunity to stop on the way and top-up your charge.

We know that pure electric cars may not be for everyone (yet). But with most car journeys less than 15 miles, they could be right for you.

However, if you do need to regularly drive further, then plug-in hybrids (PHEV) are a great option. These sophisticated models combine an electric motor and smaller battery with a conventional petrol or diesel engine. This can give much improved economy and reduced emissions, plus an overall range of hundreds of miles. Shorter local journeys can still be completed using just electric power if you wish (with all the benefits this brings), with the petrol or diesel engine providing the range you need for those longer journeys.

Our Journey Range Calculator shows you how far you might be able to drive in a pure electric or plug-in hybrid car or van.

We support Electric Vehicle because we want people to switch to ultra low emission vehicles. What does that mean? Well, it’s all the types of cars we’ve listed above which emit less than 75g/km CO₂. Zero emission vehicles are those that emit 0g/km CO₂.

Owners tell us driving an electric car gives great performance and handling. They are quick, responsive and have smooth acceleration.

We all want to drive a car that makes us feel good behind the wheel. You may not be a racing driver, but you’d probably rather have a car that’s fun to drive.

Unlike a conventional internal combustion engine, the electric motors that drive electric cars provide instant torque: the force that moves the car. Having plenty of torque on tap means that an electric car can accelerate from 0-30mph and beyond with the vigour of a much more powerful conventional car.

Not limited by the constraints of a conventional engine, engineers are also able to position batteries and motors to give an optimum weight distribution and a lower centre of gravity. This all means that electric cars can provide an enjoyable driving experience for the journeys you do.

Don’t take our word for it, book a test drive today and experience driving an electric car for yourself.

Pure electric cars are in many ways a lot simpler than our conventional petrol or diesel cars. Which can make electric car servicing easier and maintenance costs less likely; helping to keep costs (and hassle) to a minimum.

To ensure they run smoothly and reliably, our trusty petrol and diesel cars require a number of parts. Exhausts; catalytic converters; starter motors, spark plugs, oil, cooling systems; engine dampers; fuel injection systems; fuel pumps… the list goes on. Pure electric cars, on the other hand, have only three main components: the electric motor; the on-board charger and the inverter.

This is one of the main reasons electric cars and vans can cost less to service and need less maintenance. When you next service your current car, spare a moment to look at what you’re paying for: new engine oil and filter, replacement spark plugs; air filters; perhaps new engine coolant? A pure electric car doesn’t need any of these. Electric motors themselves have proved to be very robust, and can require very little maintenance.

More and more companies are seeing the benefits of electric cars, and are keen to encourage their staff and visitors to switch to electric by installing workplace charging units. These enable you to easily top-up your charge during the day, ready for the commute home. The workplace charging grant also offers companies support for installing charging units.

Data from ‘KeeResources’ illustrates how the service, maintenance and repair costs for plug-in vehicles can deliver major savings:

Predicted SMR saving of plug-in models versus petrol and diesel equivalents from the same brand (over 4 years/60,000 miles).

To take proper care of your new electric car, you should be using an appropriately trained technician. Manufacturers are already ensuring their dealer networks have appropriately trained technicians available, and independent repairers are likely to follow suit as the numbers grow. What’s more, training courses are widely available at over 100 approved UK colleges and training providers.

Batteries are a major part of an electric car, and something that we know drivers worry about. However, the technology used is very different from that found in your mobile phone. Evidence so far points to batteries not being an issue for electric car owners.

A report by Fleet News in 2017 shows that the major leasing company have experienced no battery failures among the electric vehicles on their fleets. What’s more, C&C Taxis, a 100% pure electric taxi fleet based in Cornwall, recently retired its second-generation Nissan LEAF after an incredible 174,000 miles. In the USA, ‘Plug-in America’ owner surveys also suggest that the Nissan LEAF is performing well.

Thankfully, the cells in electric car batteries don’t deteriorate at the same rate as those in mobile phones or laptops. But they do still degrade very gradually over time. Nevertheless, the electric vehicle manufacturers’ are so confident in the ongoing performance of their cars, that they guarantee the batteries will maintain a specified level of charge over the years:

• Audi – 8 years / 100,000 miles
• Hyundai – 8 years / 125,000 miles
• Kia – 7 years / 100,000 miles
• Nissan – up to 8 years / 100,000 miles
• Renault – 5 years / 100,000 miles
• Toyota – 5 years / 100,000 miles
• VW – 8 years / 99,360 miles

There are now more than 30 pure electric or plug-in hybrid cars and vans available from all manufacturers. Our Car Selector lets you choose by how the vehicle is powered, seating and boot capacity, and manufacturer.

Pure Electric – high performance batteries are used to provide power to an electric motor, which in-turn drives the wheels. These vehicles need to be charged.

Plug-in Hybrid (PHEVs) – a highly efficient petrol or diesel engine mated with an electric motor and batteries. This enables a range of hundreds of miles using the internal combustion engine, with the ability to run on electric-only at lower speeds or for local journeys; or a combination of both.

Range-extended Electric – as per pure electric cars, these only ever run on electricity. However, they also have a small petrol engine that acts as a generator to top-up the battery charge and hence extend the car’s overall range.

Fuel Cell – like a pure electric vehicle, these use electricity to power a motor which drives the wheels. However, instead of a battery, a fuel cell stack uses hydrogen to produce electricity which then powers the car.

Driving a pure electric car or van can produce substantially lower emissions than a petrol or diesel car, even taking into account how the electricity used is generated (source: Drax Electric Insights Quarterly – Q2 2017). That’s good news for us and even better news for the planet.

It might sound obvious, but pure electric cars and vans do not pump out harmful emissions into the air we breathe whilst being driven (and in fact, don’t even have an exhaust pipe). Plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) combine an electric motor with an efficient petrol or diesel engine, and so usually produce some tailpipe emissions over the course of a journey; although on average at a far lower level than conventional petrol or diesel cars. PHEVs can also drive in ‘electric only’ mode for shorter distances, which means zero tailpipe emissions.

This helps to keep the air we all breathe clean, particularly at the roadsides and in urban areas where air quality can be worse. Clean air is one of the most basic requirements of a healthy environment for us all to live, work and bring up families. According to Public Health England, air quality is the largest environmental risk to public health in the UK. Switching to an electric car or van means playing your part in cleaning up the air we all breathe.

You can explore the ambient air quality in your area here.

Transport accounts for around a quarter of the UK’s carbon emissions, a key contributor to climate change. Pure electric vehicles don’t produce any greenhouse gas exhaust emissions whilst being driven and those from plug-in hybrids are significantly lower than from a traditional petrol or diesel car. Switching to an electric car or van therefore makes it easy for drivers to reduce their carbon footprint and play a part in protecting the future of our planet

The UK is a world leader in tackling climate change and, so far, we have cut our economy’s emissions by more than a third while growing our economy by over two thirds. The UK Government is committed to continuing to drive down emissions and has legally binding targets to reduce carbon emissions by 80% by 2050 (compared to 1990 levels).

Most people agree that pure electric cars can dramatically reduce air pollution from tailpipe emissions. But can they also reduce overall CO₂ emissions when the electricity they use comes from fossil fuels?

The short answer is yes. A recent lifecycle analysis of electric vehicles showed that even when powered by the most carbon intensive electricity in Europe, they emit fewer greenhouse gases than a conventional vehicle. The calculation includes the carbon output from the production of the vehicle’s battery.

In the UK, analysis by Drax (Electric Insights Quarterly – Q2 2017) shows how green plug-in vehicles can be, using the average UK electricity mix during each period. This reflects the longer-term situation if the extra demand from electric vehicles was met by building the same mix of power stations as currently exists. Charging the BMW i3 back in 2012 would have created 81g of CO₂ per km driven. However, by the Summer of 2017 this had fallen to 27 g/km for the BMW i3, and 32 g/km for the Nissan LEAF.

In other words, electric cars are ‘greener’ than their average petrol or diesel equivalent, even when taking the electricity generation into account.

This is also backed-up by the ‘JEC 2014 Well-to Wheel report’, which found that driving a pure electric car produces substantially lower greenhouse gases than their petrol or diesel equivalents, when taking into account how the electricity it uses is generated, together with the production of petrol and diesel.

The good news is that these emissions’ savings will increase further as the UK switches to more renewable and nuclear electricity generation: Government figures show that in 2016, 34% of the UK’s electricity generating capacity was renewable and there were three months when low carbon energy accounted for 50% of the electricity generated, with periods when there was no coal fired generation whatsoever. Between April and June 2017 the figures are even better, with output from all low-carbon sources (including nuclear and imports from France) meeting 56% of demand over the quarter (Drax Electric Insights Quarterly – Q2 2017).

It’s also worth remembering that the emission figures quoted for traditional combustion engine cars takes no account of the considerable energy required (and emissions produced) to extract, refine and manufacture the petrol or diesel they consume.

Batteries are a significant part of an electric car, and their production does have an environmental impact. However, studies have shown that the initial impact of battery manufacture can be offset by the increased efficiency and emissions savings over the life of an electric car.

The 2013 Ricardo-AEA report found that, over an average whole lifecycle, pure electric vehicles produce lower greenhouse gas emissions than internal combustion engine vehicles. There are also opportunities for ‘second-life’ uses of batteries – such as storing electricity generated by excess renewable energy in domestic settings. Battery recycling ensures that the valuable materials used can be placed back into the production cycle.

A core component of EV batteries is lithium, but contrary to what you might hear, studies have shown lithium is relatively abundant and there are decades worth of deposits in existing mines.

The total projected demand for electric car batteries will require a substantial increase in lithium production in the 2020s. But studies have indicated reserves in existing mines are sufficient to satisfy cumulative demand to 2050. The lithium content of batteries is, in principle, recyclable an unlimited number of times.

The ‘rare’ earth metals (specifically neodymium and dysprosium) which are used in the high performance permanent magnets in some EV motors aren’t especially rare; and aren’t needed at all in the AC induction motors used by some manufacturers. As technology develops further, it is likely that the use of these metals will be reduced.

As this study puts it, “critical metals and rare earth minerals will not be constrained in the coming decades and won’t stop the EV transition, as some have argued”.

The automotive industry is heavily regulated, ensuring that products are safe. There are strict rules and regulations which guide the safety of the vehicles we drive and by law vehicles have to meet minimum safety standards. These tests need to prove passenger and pedestrian safety in a range of collision situations, and for electric vehicles that includes ensuring the battery and voltage cables are safe.

Beyond statutory standards of electric car safety there are NCAP ratings, providing each car with an out of 5 stars performance level against the Euro NCAP crash tests which consider adult protection, child protection, pedestrian protection and safety assist measures. All electric cars carry an NCAP rating so you can compare with confidence using this standardised approach to vehicle safety. You can find out more at www.euroncap.com or on individual vehicle manufacturer Websites.

The dedicated chargepoints that are recommended for charging your electric vehicle have undergone safety testing and are installed by qualified electricians following industry best practice for installation of charging equipment.

The majority of public chargepoints are lockable. That means the only person who can unplug your cable is you. Some cars and chargepoints will actually send you a message if your car is unexpectedly unplugged, or tell you when your vehicle is fully charged.

In terms of driving in the rain and in cold weather, electric vehicles have all been extensively tested by their manufacturers to ensure top performance in a range of conditions.

Charging in the rain is common – all chargepoints have undergone rigorous safety testing, and are installed in accordance with the relevant regulations. If you opt for an outdoor chargepoint at home, it will be weatherproof.

Compared to a “traditional” petrol or diesel car, electric cars can be cheaper to run, cost less to service and maintain, and benefit from tax savings and other incentives. But, rather than just taking our word for it, see how much you could save for yourself, using our clever interactive tools and calculators above.

The Government are keen to encourage us to ‘make the switch’, and start enjoying the many benefits of electric motoring. To make this easier, there are a number of generous grants available to eligible customers buying either a 100% electric or plug-in hybrid car or van.

We know that new cars can seem expensive. The Government’s Plug-in Car grant is designed to help overcome this, by giving you up to $4,500 off the ‘on the road’ price of an eligible new 100% electric car, $2,500 off eligible plug-in hybrid cars, and up to $8,000 off the price of a new electric van. In many cases this brings the price of electric cars and vans in-line with their equivalent petrol or diesel models.

Eligible cars are split into three categories, which determines the level of grant they receive:

Category 1: eligible cars with a zero emission range of over 70 miles will receive a grant of $4,500 (covering 100% electric cars such as the Hyundai IONIQ Electric and Nissan LEAF)

Category 2: eligible cars that have CO₂ emissions of less than 50g/km and a zero emission range of between 10 and 69 miles, with an ‘on the road’ price of $60,000 or less, will receive $2,500 (typically including plug-in hybrids such as the Audi A3 e-tron and Toyota Prius Plug-in).

Category 3: eligible cars with CO₂ emissions of 50 to 75g/km and a zero emission range of at least 20 miles, with an ‘on the road’ price of $60,000 or less, will also receive $2,500.

Benefiting from the grant is easy – as you don’t really have to do anything. When you buy your new car, the dealership will complete all of the paperwork on your behalf at point of purchase. The grant is administered by the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) and they have set a number of criteria that eligible cars have to meet; these include ensuring all cars meet certain safety requirements.

You can also access a Plug-in Grant if you need a van. The grant will give you up to $8,000 off the price of an eligible van. Again, applied as you buy.

Information on cars and vans eligible for the Grant is available here.

If you’re still concerned, it’s worth remembering that there are a wide range of finance and leasing options available on electric cars, spreading the cost across more manageable monthly payments. With some models you can even consider buying the car and leasing the battery, lowering the initial purchase price and giving you complete peace of mind for the lifetime of your battery.

If you are regularly going to charge at home, installing an authorised home charging unit is the fastest, easiest and safest way to charge your car – and comes with a Government grant of up to $500 towards the cost of installation. To qualify, you need to be the registered keeper, lessee or have primary use of an eligible electric vehicle, with dedicated off-street parking.

If you don’t have a driveway or garage, you can still get help for a chargepost on your street. The Government has directed funds for local authorities to enable them to respond to resident requests for on-street residential charging solutions.

To make commuting in your Zero Emission car even easier, the Workplace Charging Scheme also enables any business, charity or public authority to claim a grant of up to $500 per charging socket towards the cost of installing EV chargepoints, providing they have dedicated off-street parking for staff.

Please click here to find out more about the OLEV charging grants available.

It is worth exploring your local area to see what regional initiatives you could benefit from.

To see how much VED and ‘benefit in kind’ tax (if you’re a company car driver) you might save driving an electric car, compared to your current car, use our interactive Car Tax Calculator.

The way vehicle tax is calculated has changed for cars first registered with DVLA in such countries from 2017. For the first year this is based on CO₂ emissions; after that, the amount of tax to be paid depends on the fuel type of the vehicle.

So by choosing a low emission vehicle, you’ll save yourself money. Just how much? All pure electric cars (costing less than $40,000) attract a rate of $0 per year; whilst all alternative fuel vehicles (which includes plug-in hybrids) receive a $10 discount each year.

For company car drivers, electric and hybrid cars emitting 50 g/km of CO₂ or less incur a ‘Benefit In Kind’ tax of only 9% in 2017/2018, compared to 22% for a diesel car emitting 100g/km of CO₂.

This can represent huge savings for the driver.

To discover just how much tax you could save, use our Car Tax Calculator.

Driving a EV plug-in car mean big savings compared to ‘traditional’ petrol or diesel. Discover just how much you could save on your everyday journeys in three simple steps.

Whether you’re a private or company car driver, find out just how much tax you could save by driving a electric or plug-in hybrid car, compared to ‘traditional’ petrol or diesel. You might be surprised…

Charging your electric or plug-in hybrid car at home is safe, simple and convenient – and surprisingly cost effective. This clever tool will show you just how little it can cost to charge at home, and how long it takes.

This is one of the main questions people ask about electric cars. Thankfully, the answer is not as complicated as you might think:

Simple, convenient and probably the easiest way to charge your car if you have off-street parking; just ‘plug in’ whenever your car’s on your drive or in the garage – and then forget about it. Your car will then be ready for your next journey. And charging at home is surprisingly cost effective too!

More and more companies are installing charging points for their staff, meaning you can simply plug-in when you arrive, using the cable that comes with your car. Job done!

The UK has a growing public charging network of over 16,500 chargepoint connectors, making it easy to top-up your charge when you’re out. Use your car’s charging cable to plug in, activate the charge point (usually via either a contactless RFID card or mobile app) and leave the car to do the rest.

If you’re not sure where your nearest charging points are, use our interactive Charging Point Map.

Rapid chargers are a lot more powerful than regular chargers, meaning they can charge up to 80% in as little as 30 minutes. That’s perfect when you’re making a longer journey in a 100% electric car – which is why they can be found at 96% of motorway service stations. Rapid chargers are being added to other key locations all the time, making quick charging even easier.

Not all 100% electric and plug-in hybrid cars and vans have the same charging socket; there are three main types. However, the cable that comes with your car will fit your car’s socket. At the other end, all standard cables have a ‘Type Two’ plug, which connects with the universal ‘Type Two’ sockets found on the latest charging points. In other words, plugging in to charge should be easy.

Rapid chargers don’t have sockets, but have the cables built in, so you simply use the one for your car to connect up. Homecharge units can be specified with either a Type Two socket, or with a cable already attached. It’s your choice.

Some cars also come with charging cables that connect to a standard 13 amp socket. A dedicated homecharge unit is the preferred method of charging at home.

Our interactive map will show you all the public charging points in a given area, as well as their power output and which network they belong to.

Most electric car drivers charge at home, and it’s easy to see why. No more queuing (or paying!) at the petrol station; simply plug in when you’re at home or overnight, to be fully charged in the morning.

If you have off-street parking, installing a dedicated homecharge unit is the fastest and most convenient way to charge your electric car. These compact units make it as easy as possible to charge: simply connect your car, switch on… and that’s it. They will also switch off once the car is fully charged. Some will even tell you how much electricity you’ve used.

You can usually choose between having either a standard Type Two socket fitted to your homecharge unit (which means using your car’s charging cable to connect) or a built-in tethered cable, which you then plug directly into your car. It’s worth remembering that these cables therefore have to be fitted with the right connector for your particular car; if you change your car in the future, you may find that this connector no longer fits.

Homecharge units are wired directly into your fuse board and so are completely safe, and do not place any additional load on other wiring or circuits. They include overload protection circuitry and are fully weatherproof, so can be located outside or wherever is most convenient.

Some manufacturers may provide a homecharge unit free or at a discounted price with their cars. The Government also offers a grant of up to $500 towards the cost of installation, for eligible customers using an accredited supplier. The supplier will look after all the paperwork for the grant, so all you have to do is pay the remaining balance. You can find more information here.

This depends upon two things: the charging capacity of your car and its battery; and the power output of your homecharge unit itself, which is usually either 3.6kW or 7 kW. As a rough guide, a 3.6kW unit charges 60% faster than a standard 13 amp socket, whilst a 7kW homecharge unit is around 3 times faster.

Use our Home Charging Tool to see how long it takes for your chosen electric car.

Worried about the cost of charging at home? Don’t be. Compared to petrol or diesel, electricity is cheap. Not only is charging at home a lot more convenient than filling up with petrol, it’s also a lot less expensive.

Discover how little it costs to charge at home with our Home Charging Tool.

We know that not everyone has access to dedicated off-street parking, which can make charging your electric car at home more difficult. However, the growing number of public charging points means that more and more residential streets are becoming part of the public charging network, making it possible for those without a drive or garage to charge their EV at home.

The Government also offers a grant to local authorities to encourage the installation of residential on-street charging points, which covers up to 75% of the cost. Simply check with your local authority whether they are participating in this scheme, or check here for the latest guidance.

Between the morning and evening rush hours, most cars sit motionless for hours in the office car park – which is the perfect opportunity to plug in and top-up your charge. This makes using an electric car for work a very viable and sensible proposition all-round.

For most people, the cost of travelling to work is a cost they’d rather do without. So commuting in an electric car makes perfect sense, and could significantly cut your journey costs. It also helps to improve air quality and the working environment. Businesses across the UK are aware of these benefits, and encouraging their staff to drive pure electric or plug-in hybrid cars by installing workplace charging units.

For some drivers who are unable to charge at home, charging at the office makes it easy for them to also drive and enjoy the benefits of an electric car.

Depending upon the route an employer takes, charging at work is likely to be every bit as straightforward as charging at home or using the public charging network.

Some businesses decide to install charging points that are free and open for everyone to use; in which case you plug-in just like you would at home. Others may decide to make their chargepoint part of the public network, which would mean signing-up for access to that particular provider, if you hadn’t done so already. Either way, charging your car at work is the perfect way to make the most of its down-time, and ensure you have plenty of range for the journey home.

To encourage businesses to install charging points, the Government also offers the Workplace Charging Scheme grant, a voucher-based scheme that provides support towards the up-front costs of the purchase and installation of electric vehicle charge-points, for eligible businesses, charities and public sector organisations. This is up to $500 for each charging socket, up to a limit of 20.

You can find the latest guidance on this scheme, and how to apply here.

There are more than 100,000 public charge point connectors across the world – and it’s growing all the time.

This may surprise you, but the UK’s public network of over 16,500 public charging connectors is already one of the largest in Europe; whilst our network of almost 1000 rapid chargers is the largest. Highways England’s intention is to ensure that 95% of the strategic road network will have a charging point every 20 miles, which will be rapid charging points wherever possible.

To ensure they’re as convenient and as accessible as possible, public charging points are at a number of strategic locations:

• At service stations on motorways and other main trunk roads – 96% of motorway services already have rapid chargers, making longer journeys possible.
• Destinations such as hotels, restaurants, leisure parks, station parking – where you are likely to be parked for at least a few hours, perfect for recharging.
• Shopping centres, retail parks, high street and public carparks – giving the opportunity to easily top-up your charge whilst out and about.
• Residential streets and parking areas – meaning those without off-street parking can still happily charge close to home.
• Businesses and workplaces – providing charging for both staff and visitors.

Some public charging points provide what’s called ‘open access’, meaning anyone can use them. You simply plug your car straight in and you’re charging in seconds – for free. This tends to be found at certain retailers, hotel chains and other destinations who see the value in offering their customers free unrestricted charging.

The majority of public charging points belong to one of the main network providers. To make full use of their charging network, you may need either their contactless RFID card or mobile app, depending upon the provider; but with most of these chargepoints you will be able to turn up on the day and connect in the usual way with your car’s public charging point cable.

The costs for joining the various public charging networks vary.

Use our Charging Point Map to see which network a charging point belongs to.

The good news is that there’s an agreed standard for the sockets found on the latest charging points – all now using the universal ‘Type Two’ socket. That will fit the ‘Type Two’ connector found on the end of the charging cable that (usually) comes as standard with your electric car, so you should have no problem plugging-in to a public charging point.

Some of the very early charging points used different sockets (usually a domestic-style 3 pin 13 amp socket), but these are gradually being phased out.

It’s worth remembering that the charging socket found on your car could be one of three types, so if you are buying another charging cable you need to ensure you get the right one. If in doubt, your dealer will be able to help.

Rapid chargers don’t have sockets, but tethered cables that plug straight into your car (rather like a petrol pump; remember those?). Your car may have one of three different rapid charging sockets, so just use the cable that fits.

How quickly your car charges depends largely on how powerful the charging unit is, together with the charging capabilities and battery capacity of the particular vehicle. There’s therefore not an exact answer that applies to all, but as a general rule there are three charging speeds for pure electric cars:

• Rapid charging units (43, 50, or 120kW) could charge up to 80% in as little as 30 minutes.
• Fast charging points (7-22kW) can fully recharge some models in 3-4 hours. The majority of public points are fast chargers.
• Slow charging points (up to 3kW) are used for longer charging times, around 6-10 hours, depending upon the car. This applies mainly to some homecharge and workplace units.

In some areas, electric cars and vans are able to park for free (or at a reduced rate) whilst they are charging, which can be a very welcome benefit to your journey. This varies by region and is not available in all areas. Please check with your local authority for details.

It’s the question everyone asks. And it’s a very important one. The short answer is – probably a lot further than you usually need. But this also depends upon how you use your car, and your personal circumstances. Read on to find out more.

Understandably, none of us want to worry about how far our car will go before needing a re-charge. But, in reality, most of us drive much shorter distances than we imagine. The majority of car journeys in the UK are less than 15 miles. You could do this a number of times and still be well within the range of a 100% electric car.

Even when you drive that bit further, you should be able to easily stop and top-up on the way, thanks to over 16,500 public charging point connectors across the country. This includes rapid chargers at 96% of motorway service stations too, which could charge a 100% electric car to 80% in as little as 30 minutes.

Our Journey Range Calculator will show you on a map roughly just how far your selected car can go on a charge, as well as all the charging points in the area. You might be pleasantly surprised…

The range of 100% electric cars is rapidly improving. Huge advances in battery technology and falling costs mean this will continue to grow and grow. Today, all pure electric cars can drive over 100 miles with ease on a single charge; some of the latest models are closer to 200 miles or more.

If that’s not enough though, there’s the option of a plug-in hybrid. Whilst their electric-only range is less (typically 20 – 30 miles) they also have the benefit of a petrol or diesel engine. So, just like a ‘traditional’ car, can drive many hundreds of miles on a single tank of fuel.

As the popularity of electric cars and vans grows, there’s no doubt that we’ll require more electricity to power them. However, by encouraging drivers to charge during off-peak periods where possible, we can make the most of the significant extra capacity that’s already available.

Introducing ‘smart charging’ technology, which intelligently adapts to the needs of the grid, is one way of doing this. The Government is putting measures in place to ensure that in the future, all charge points sold or installed in the UK will be ‘smart enabled’. The National Grid’s ‘Future Energy Scenarios’ (13 July 2017) predicts that this could reduce the additional peak demand from electric vehicle by 6GW in 2050. Please click here for more details.

The ‘Smart Flexible Energy System’ report July 2017 (jointly published BEIS and Ofgem) sets out Government’s plan to deliver a smarter, more flexible energy system by removing the barriers to smart and battery technologies – which could reduce the costs for consumers by up to $40bn in the decades to come. Electric vehicles are very much part of this solution, with the potential of smart charging and vehicle to grid technology. You can find out more here.

There are also several trials taking place to explore these issues and the different ways of controlling electric vehicle charging, such as ‘Low Carbon London’, which is running both electric vehicle and smart meter trials. Others, such as ‘Electric Nation’, are developing an electric vehicle charge control system to balance out the charging cycles of these vehicles at times of network stress, which is being tested by ‘creating’ clusters of electric car users within neighbourhoods. There are more details here.

Most drivers usually charge their 100% electric or Plug-in Hybrid cars at home, overnight. Smart metering helps you to do so using cheaper and greener electricity – which is a great way of reducing your ‘fuel’ costs even further, whilst taking care of the planet at the same time.

Smart meters are the new generation of gas and electricity meters now being installed by energy suppliers, at no extra cost, in homes across Great Britain to replace traditional electricity and gas meters. These send automatic meter readings directly and securely to your energy supplier, resulting in accurate bills, an end to estimates, overpaying and manual meter readings. They show you how much energy you are using in real time, in pounds and pence, so that you can take control of your costs.

Crucially for electric car drivers, they also allow you to take advantage of the new breed of ‘EV smart tariffs’ specifically designed for those charging at home.

To claim your free smart meter please contact your energy supplier. You can find out more at smartenergygb.org

Unlike traditional electricity tariffs, where you pay the same unit rate (in kWh) all the time, a smart tariff works in conjunction with a smart meter to supply electricity at different prices, depending upon the time of day. This usually means they can offer you cheaper electricity overnight, when demand is low and supply plentiful, which is perfect for the electric car driver. Your car will enable you to pre-set when it charges to take full advantage of these reduced prices.

A number of energy suppliers now have smart tariffs designed specifically for electric car drivers. These will soon become ever smarter, with variable ‘time of use’ tariffs constantly adjusting their pricing throughout the day depending upon demand. The smart meter will then communicate this with your home charging unit / electric car, telling it when the most economical time to charge is.

In the future, smart meters will allow the energy providers to better manage the demand for their electricity – by reducing prices when supply is plentiful to encourage usage. This enables them to maximise the use of intermittent renewable sources and lessens the need for extra generation at peak times using fossil fuels.

Smart meters are a vital upgrade to Great Britain’s energy system, enabling a more efficient, greener, smarter energy system. It is anticipated that by 2030 smart meters will save 29.6 million tonnes of carbon from being emitted in Great Britain, the equivalent to taking 500,000 petrol cars off the road (source: BEIS – Smart Meter roll-out cost-benefit analysis, August 2016)

As well as benefitting from the potential ‘smart tariff’ savings, all smart meters come with a rather handy in-home display. This portable device shows exactly how much energy you are using and what it is costing you in pounds and pence – in near real time.

This makes it easier for you to identify when you are using a lot of energy – so that you can potentially then reduce your consumption and cut your costs.

New smart tariffs for electric car and van drivers are now being introduced. These can offer a number of different benefits to electric car drivers:

• 100% renewable electricity
• Money-off discounts on energy bills for electric car owners
• A dual rate tariff which offers customers a night rate priced significantly below the day rate which is when many electric and hybrid car owners choose to charge their vehicle.
• Discounts for public charging schemes

We suggest contacting your energy supplier to see if they yet offer a smart tariff for EV drivers, or using one of the many energy comparison Websites.

In the future, smart meters and electric cars together will have the potential to generate revenue from ‘vehicle to grid’ (V2G) services.

By charging your car during low-demand cheap tariff periods, the electricity stored in the car’s battery can then be used at home to power the kettle or washing machine when costs are higher. Or alternatively you might get paid to feed this electricity back to the grid. V2G technology will help the electricity grid maximise the use of renewable energy too, by using your car’s battery to store this when it’s being produced.

When combined with home battery storage, consumers can have greater independence from the grid and receive incentives for not using the energy grid or for providing back up generation.