The Future is Electric: Why You Should Consider Buying an Electric Car

Introduction

The electric vehicle (EV) market in Northern Ireland is booming and has steadily grown year after year since 2012 (Figure 1). There is now over 260,000 fully electric cars being registered on the UK roads making them a growing popular choice for consumers. This shift towards electric cars is due to greater availability, government support and improved charging infrastructure making owning an electric car more easy than ever. So why should you consider switching and what are the benefits of owning an electric car?  

(Figure 1) Number of EV's registered in the UK between 2012 & 2021.

The roadmap to 2030  

By 2030 there will be a ban on the sale of all new petrol and diesel cars however you will be able to buy hybrid cars up to 2035. PM Johnson wrote that the Government will invest more than £2.8 billion in electric vehicles, lacing the land with charging points and creating long-lasting batteries in UK gigafactories. This will allow us to end the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans in 2030. So why not get ahead of the curve and invest early?          

The Northern Ireland Network is growing

The ecarNI network has over 337 public charge points across Northern Ireland. The network includes seventeen Rapid (50kW) chargers that can typically charge an electric vehicle up to 80% in 30 minutes. The remaining fast chargers (22kW) are located on street, in supermarkets etc and can recharge an electric vehicle in between one to six hours (depending on the battery size of the electric vehicle). You are no more than 30 miles from a rapid charger, making it possible to drive across the country easily on electric power alone. ecarNI provides an app and a map to see the location of each charger and its availability. Fast-charging points are highlighted on the map in green and rapid-charging points are in blue.  

The range is increasin

How far an electric vehicle can go on one charge should no longer be a concern. With up to 300 miles now available on selected full electric vehicles.With ranges now reaching up to 300 miles on a single charge, partnered with the ever-decreasing charge times, ensures electric motoring is now an option for even more buyers.

EV's cost less to run

With an electric car you can save on petrol costs, the average cost to fully charge an electric car is £9.20 for a range of 300 miles that’s a bargain!! Other cost-effective ways of charging your car can include public car parks, rapid public charging points and potential charging at work options. SERC have recently installed two electric charging points at their Downpatrick campus (Figure 2).

Figure 2) Downpatrick Campus EV Charging Points

No Vehicle Tax

Fully electric vehicles are exempt from Vehicle Excise Duty (vehicle tax) which result in annual savings which become even more significant over time.

Environmentally Friendly

It’s well known that Electric vehicles emit less greenhouse gases and air pollutants over their lifetime than a petrol or diesel vehicle. If you want to contribute to saving the planet, cutting down air pollution and cutting down your own greenhouse emissions then electric cars are a great way to start.

£3,000 Grant on Full Electric Vehicles

The UK government is offering grants of up to £3,000 towards the purchase (on vehicles up to £50,000). Now is the best time to buy an electric car before this scheme runs out. Motorists can also claim up to £350 (including VAT) off the cost of installing a charger at home through the Government’s Electric Vehicle Home charge Scheme. To find out more click this link

With increasing infrastructure, Government support and a wider range of choice in the EV market. Now is the time to consider switching to an electric car to make a positive steps towards living a more eco-friendly lifestyle.