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• The biggest advantage of EVs (electric vehicles) is the positive impact on our environment. EVs have no tailpipe, so they don’t emit any exhaust gases.
• More areas are introducing Clean Air Zones, which charges polluting vehicles when entering certain areas. EVs are exempt from these charges, as well as road tax.
• There are fewer mechanical components in an EV compared to petrol and diesel vehicles, often resulting in lower servicing and maintenance costs.
• By 2030, the UK government will end the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans. By investing now, you’re getting ahead of the curve and future-proofing your organisation/home.

There are numerous benefits to home car charging, including:

• Cost efficiency – as the home charging points use your own electricity supply, there’s no additional costs.
• Safety – Charging points are weatherproof, wired directly to your fuse board and are designed with overload protection for added safety.
• Convenience – Gone are the days of queuing at public charging points, you can top up your battery any time at home. By charging overnight, you’ll also have peace of mind knowing you’ll always have a full battery in the morning.

Most UK homes run off a single-phase power supply, which supports 7kW chargers, so these are the most common choice for home users.

22kW chargers are also available which are 3 times faster than the 7kW units, however they require a three-phase electrical set up. If you have a single-phase power supply you will not be able to have a 22kW charger installed as the power supply is not strong enough.

As a general rule (based on a 7kW home charger), you can get up to 20 miles from each hour of charging for a small EV.

It’s important to note that this is dependent on the make and model of the EV, the type of charger you have and the speed you drive at.

To give you an example, the Tesla Model 3 has a range of 360 miles before recharge, whereas the Nissan Leaf has a lower range of 168 miles.

Although EVs are currently more expensive to buy than petrol and diesel vehicles, it’s important to consider the total cost of ownership (TCO), which takes into account the costs of using and maintaining the vehicle.

EVs are significantly cheaper to run than their petrol and diesel equivalents, even when considering the increases in electricity costs. The Energy Saving Trust found that fuel costs are often three to four times more expensive than travelling the same distance via electric.

In addition to this, you aren’t currently required to pay road tax and if you drive within ULEZ (Ultra Low Emission Zones) or CAZ (Clean Air Zones), EVs pay no charges (while diesel vehicles pay the most!).

The UK government are only likely to increase the cost of ownership and use of petrol and diesel vehicles in the future, making an EV a sound investment for both financial and environmental reasons. 

To charge your EV from empty to full takes on average 8 hours when using a typical 7kWh charger – however this depends on the size of your vehicle battery and the power strength of the charging point.

Although this is a long time, most EV drivers take the ‘little and often’ approach to charging, topping up their battery whenever the car is stationary and a charge point is available. This could be at home, your place of work, or a 10 minute pitstop during a journey. If a full charge is required, EV drivers often schedule this for overnight (if they have a charge point at home) for convenience.