Revealed: The Top 4 Disadvantages of Electric Cars In The UK
In 2019, the UK government announced the goal of stopping the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2035. More recently, in January 2024, the government also introduced a zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate for car manufacturers which is intended to provide greater certainty to manufacturers and provide a greater range of EV options to consumers. This mandate specifies the minimum proportion of car manufacturers’ sales that must be zero-emission vehicles. This will increase from 22% in 2024 to 80% by 2030 and 100% in 2035.
Due to these changes worldwide, electric cars continue to grow in popularity, you may be wondering why drivers are making the switch, especially with a lot of drivers only hearing and talking about the disadvantages of electric vehicles.
At The Electric Car Scheme, we often hear drivers express concerns about the potential drawbacks of electric cars. While it's essential to consider all options before choosing a new vehicle, it's important to note that many of these perceived disadvantages are myths or misconceptions.
Let’s have a look at some of the most common misconceptions regarding electric cars compared to their petrol or diesel counterparts.
There Are Not Enough Electric Car Charge Points In The UK
This issue frequently arises among those considering their first electric vehicle. Many drivers may not realize how rapidly the charging infrastructure is advancing. By the end of 2016, there were approximately 6,500 public charging stations, a relatively modest number at the time.
As of July 2024, there were 66,779 electric vehicle charging points in the UK across 34,570 locations. This is a 46% increase from the previous year. The number of EV charging points has been growing rapidly and “government, local authorities and the charging infrastructure sector deserve credit for the more than 3,000% growth in public charging infrastructure since the first charge points were installed in 2011.”
The bar chart on the left has been taken from ZapMap and shows the number of public charging points by power rating from 2020 to mid-2024. This shows growth year-on-year for every charger type (from 8kW to 150kW plus).
The UK government has set an ambitious target of installing 300,00 public EV charging stations by 2030 to meet growing demand and to help achieve the country’s green targets.
Most people don’t rely on public charging networks for their electric vehicles; instead, they typically charge at home, overnight, when electricity is cheapest. According to ZapMap’s 2023 end-of-year survey, 80% of respondents had access to a home charger, meaning the majority aren’t dependent on public charging for their primary charging needs.
You might wonder how these statistics apply to you. The good news is that as electric vehicles become more popular, charging infrastructure is expanding to keep pace. If you own an EV, you’ll likely have home charging options available to you. And if you don’t have a driveway, our website offers information on alternative charging solutions that might suit your needs.
Electric Cars Are More Expensive Than Petrol Or Diesel Cars
This is true, electric cars are more expensive than new petrol or diesel cars. However, they are becoming more accessible as more manufacturers enter the market - the Dacia Spring is a great example of a cheap EV!
EVs are more expensive due to several factors, such as:
EV batteries are expensive,
The technology is more complex,
Insurance can be higher,
Economies of scale.
However, it is important to consider running costs and costs over time. At The Electric Car scheme, we have revealed a crossover day when a petrol driver spends more on fuel than an electric car driver will all year. We analysed the annual fuel costs for the average UK driver travelling 7,400 miles a year; this was estimated to be £1,268 for petrol drivers and £680 for electric car drivers. This means a petrol driver will have spent more on fuel by the middle of July than an EV driver will all year.
Here are some more reasons why it works out more cost-effective to drive an EV:
EV maintenance and servicing are cheaper,
Road-tax and ULEZ savings.
Also, who doesn't want to do their bit to save the environment?
Green car schemes make it more affordable to drive an electric car!
Green car salary sacrifice schemes, like an electric car salary sacrifice scheme, are a benefit that allows the employee to get an electric car at a more affordable cost. The employer will lease the car on behalf of an employee, and in exchange, they agree to ‘sacrifice’ a portion of their salary to cover the cost. This allows the employee to pay for the car through their gross salary (before tax pay) rather than their net salary (take-home pay).
For an employee to receive such a benefit they are subject to a Benefit in Kind (BIK) tax. This tax is currently set at 2% until 2025, after which it will rise by 1% every year until 2028.
At The Electric Car Scheme, we have access to the top leasing companies which means you can access the best prices available. For employees using the scheme, we make the process as simple as possible, meaning it’s easy to add everything you need into one bundle. You can get full tax savings on maintenance, breakdown cover, comprehensive car insurance and a home charge point.
For companies looking to boost employee retention and make employees feel valued and happy, this is a great benefit to offer! There is no net cost to your business to run the scheme because our fee is equivalent to your employer’s tax savings. We offer Complete Risk Protection, which is market-leading because it protects the employer from day one if they have to make redundancies or dismiss an employee. We also offer simple-to-use reporting to make life easy for HR and Finance teams - our automated payroll, HMRC and climate reporting help with compliance and minimise hassle.
You Can’t Travel Far On A Single Charge In An Electric Car
This is better known in the electric car world as range anxiety – when drivers are worried that they will run out of charge before they get to their destination or a charger. This may have been a worry at the beginning of the electric car era; however, battery technology is constantly advancing and today the average EV has 212 miles, over 100 more miles than the first Nissan LEAF in 2015 which only had 98 miles. Imagine what they will do next!
However, the driver can alter conditions within the car to prolong the range:
Switching off unnecessary features like heating or air conditioning where possible – temperature control is powered by the car’s battery, by turning off these types of features the power can be diverted to extend the range.
Utilise regenerative braking – a driving feature that uses the action of braking to send energy back to the battery.
Managing your speed – stopping the car from exerting extra power used to speed up will preserve energy.
Keep your tyres in shape – under-inflated tyres create resistance making the battery of the EV need to work harder.
Stay on top of charging – regularly charging your EV will keep the battery healthy and prolong its performance overall.
Keep the car light – driving with a heavier load will require the battery to work hard, so travelling lighter will make it easier on your EV offering a longer range.
Drive sensibly – Changes to the driving patterns such as sudden acceleration and braking pull more power from the battery. Avoiding these sudden patterns and driving more gently the battery will allow the EV to conserve power.
Plan your journey – Being aware of the terrain you’re driving on can help you pre-plan when you may need to stop and recharge if you are taking a longer journey.
It Will Take Too Long To Charge My EV
Charge times are a big part of an electric car experience, and it is an adjustment from the quick refuel you are used to with a petrol and diesel vehicle. This is considered a disadvantage to many drivers.
Today, there are several different types of chargers for electric cars let's take a look at the main ones:
Home chargers - A slow charger installed in houses with off-street parking. Most EV drivers use this type of charger overnight as it takes up to 12 hours to provide a full charge.
Fast chargers - The most common type of charger, this offers speeds between 7kW and 22 kW. They can charge home charge points but also at public charge stations.
Rapid chargers - These offer a charge of 50kW allowing an EV to recharge from 10-80% in around 40 minutes. Rapid chargers are usually found at public charge points.
Every electric car driver ends up working charging into their daily routines, some will charge at home overnight, others will plug into a charger and go for a walk or run errands.
You can save 30-60% on any electric car.
With an electric car salary sacrifice scheme, a company can lease an electric vehicle on behalf of an employee, who in turn agrees to "sacrifice" a portion of their gross salary to cover the lease costs.
Unlike a typical car lease, which is paid from your net salary (after tax), salary sacrifice allows you to pay from your gross salary, unlocking significant savings for employees.
However, when accessing an electric car through salary sacrifice, you must pay a Benefit in Kind (BIK) tax. Since the car is provided by your employer and available for personal use, HMRC views it as a taxable "perk." Currently, the BIK tax rate for this benefit is set at 2%, and as announced in the Autumn Statement by Jeremy Hunt, it will remain at 2% until 2025, after which it will increase by 1% annually until 2028.
Last updated: 23/08/24
