Reasons why you should switch to an electric car today

So why now? Why is now the right time to buy or lease an electric car? There are plenty of reasons to make the transition from a petrol, diesel or hybrid car into an electric model.

First, the Government has announced a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030. This means that, for those wanting to buy or lease new, they won’t have any choice but to go electric. The good news is that many are already choosing electric cars because of the huge benefits.

And if you do make the switch, using an electric car is easier than ever with an extensive UK-wide public charging infrastructure that reduces range anxiety and makes it feasible to own an EV even without home charging.

Led by the GRIDSERVE Electric Highway, there are almost 40,000 EV chargers across the UK with more and higher-powered chargers installed each month.

Not convinced? Here are seven more reasons why now is the right time to switch.

1. Electric cars are better for the planet

Electric cars are greener and positively impact climate change, helping us to limit the global temperature rise to 1.5-degrees as part of the Paris Agreement.

Transport accounts for 27% of our country’s total emissions and a reported 91% of all transport emissions come from road vehicles. That’s 111 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent from road vehicles every single year.

To have any realistic chance of the climate goals, we need to act now to reduce these greenhouse gas emissions. EVs are the key to doing this. 

2. Electric cars help reduce local pollution

It’s not just CO₂ that is emitted from the tailpipes of cars powered by internal combustion engines (ICE): there’s a whole cocktail of particulate matter and pollutants that are pumped out into the streets of our towns and cities.

There’s carbon monoxide (CO), along with nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulphur dioxide (SO₂), hydrocarbons, benzene, particulates and a lot more. Unsurprisingly, these pollutants can cause serious health problems, including heart disease, respiratory problems and even lung cancer.

There's none of the above with EVs. 

3. Owning an electric car will save you money

There are lots of ways in which running can save you money – especially if you have off-street parking and can fit a home charger. If you can do this you'll find yourself saving money compared to topping up with petrol or diesel. 

EVs are also exempt from Vehicle Excise Duty – car tax, as we all know it – because tax levels are based on CO₂ emissions. As EVs don’t emit any CO₂, owners don’t have to pay tax for them. The same goes for the Congestion Charge, Clean Air Zones or the London ULEZ. 

4. Electric cars are great to drive

We seem to have been brainwashed by our childhood memories of milk floats into thinking that EVs are slow and no fun to drive. Anyone who has driven a modern EV will tell you that we need to think again.

The first time you drive an EV, you’ll notice how quick it is from a standing start and then once you're moving how smooth and quiet it is. More fun, less stress... what's not to love?

5. There are some really cool electric cars now on sale.

As the electric revolution gathers pace, and car manufacturers start expanding their model ranges with electric vehicles, the number of models that car buyers have to choose from is also increasing.

What’s more, the EVs that we’re starting see in showrooms and on the roads look pretty cool.

Taking a big, lumpy engine out of the front of a car will have some interesting effects on how car designers think about the shape of a car (no engine, no engine bay), so we’re starting to see some new interpretations of what's possible. 

6. Electric cars are easier to maintain

Running an EV is a lot less bother than an ICE vehicle because there's less to maintain in your EV.

Internal combustion engines are made up from about 2,000 parts: EVs have about 20 parts, so they’re much quicker and easier to maintain.

7. Driving an electric car means no more filling stations

If you drive an EV, you can pretty much say goodbye to petrol stations. Seriously, who’s going to miss that?

Oh, and that also means that you won’t be standing next to rows and rows of sweets and chocolate, as you queue up to pay for your petrol, tempting you. We can all do with eating less sugary stuff, so owning an EV will also improve your health.

The charging experience, whether you do it at home or on the move, is actually much more convenient once you get your head around the new way of living. Trust us, you'll never look back.