The Benefits
Feedback
The feedback we've generated from people buying electric vehicles is twofold. Firstly, they have an interest in making a difference towards reducing their carbon footprint. And secondly, they are interested in saving money... a lot of money.....
When weighing the pros and cons of electric travel, bear in mind that the average daily distance commuted by workers in the UK is a measily 8.7 miles. On top of this, the average speed of a car in London is a mear 6.5 mph!
Congestion Charge
Taking a commuter who travels into the congestion-charge zone through a conservative 49 weeks of the year. (5 x 49 = 245). Congestion charge costs alone are 245 x £8 = £1960! That's nearly £2,000 a year instantly saved.
Fuel
Add on top, average cost of petrol for those 49 weeks of travelling into the capital. With fuel prices now hitting the £5 the gallon mark, the average cost of travelling is becoming increasingly more taxing on the wallet. New analysis by uSwitch, the independent price comparison site recently concluded that the average cost of fuelling a car per year based on 12000 miles and petrol cost of 109.8p per litre was a staggering £1930.10. uSwitch analysis also predicts that by 2009 motorists will be paying around 150p per litre causing the average trip to the petrol station to cost around £84 or £2637 per year!
Free Parking
Did I hear you say free parking? Well yes actually, free parking for green vehicles (specifally electric ones) are popping up all over the capital - Westminster for example has free parking for EV's on all metre bays. This is in contrast to the £5000 annual parking permit you would ordinarily need in London for one of our gas guzzling neighbours! Not to mention the savings on paying direct into a metre!
What about Road Tax?
Being electric, there's also no road tax!
Don't forget more charging points are springing up all over London (an extra 10 have just been unveiled in Westminster, plus 2 in the borough of Islington) More are being introduced in Manchester, Leeds and Birmingham too. Take a look at our up to date map which details your local juice bar!
Insurance
Bear in mind that most electric vehicles are in insurance category 1, which will no doubt provide a generous discount on your current insurance premium.
Environment
Presently around 22% of the UK's GHG emissions are produced through the cars on our roads. This however, tells only half the story. Along with the CO₂ that is produced (which is the talk of the town these days - with a target by the European Commission for new cars to average less than 120g/km CO₂ by 2012) a number of other unsavoury by-products are also emitted. These include:
Carbon Monoxide (CO) - Binds to red blood cells hampering their ability to deliver oxygen to vital organs.
Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) - Contribute to acid rain and smog formation.
Hydrocarbons - These are partially burned fuel molecules that react with NOx and sunlight to form ground level ozone, part of what we know as smog.
Particulates (PM10s) - Have been associated with increased respiratory and cardiovascular conditions.
Electric vehicles on the other hand produce NO TAILPIPE EMISSIONS, consequently reducing CO₂ and importantly not emitting any of the other nasties detailed above.
But ‘what' I here you cry about the production of the batteries and electricity that is used to charge them up? If renewable energy sources are used then completely carbon free motoring can be enjoyed by all. If however this is not your source of electricity, it is still estimated that compared with one of our ICE cousins the environmental impact is reduced by around two thirds. On top of this, it is much easier to police and effectively control the few power station sites used to generate this electricity compared with the millions of individual exhausts that would otherwise roam.
A significant technical advantage of EV's is their use of regenerative braking. Approximately 30% of a car's generated power is lost through slowing the vehicle down. Hence, harnessing and reclaiming this otherwise lost energy is ideal in reducing our impact on the environment.
This efficiency is also evident through the actual motors used in EV's. A normal internal combustion engine converts only around 20% of its energy into useful motivational power where the rest is expended mostly as heat. An electric motor however operates at around 85% efficiency - Waste not, want not!