DS Cars

If you’re sceptical about EV’s, we hope this page encourages you to see EV’s in a different light. After all, they are the past, present and future of automotive.

Speaking of the past, here’s a brief history of the EV...

Contrary to popular belief, EV’s are not a new phenomenon. The first EV made its debut in 1884. But as other technologies emerged during that time, the early EV’s were dealt a hammer blow by the launch of Henry Ford’s Model T, which was powered by fossil fuels but was half the price of an EV at the time. It made car ownership more affordable for the masses and set off a chain of events that led the world down a totally different path.

An electric car, or electric vehicle (EV), is a car propelled by one or more electric motors, using energy stored in a battery. People have become more interested in EVs recently, with the climate changing faster than ever and petrol prices becoming higher.

Electric cars have very distinct advantages and drawbacks. Depending on where you live, your lifestyle and the size of your wallet, an EV will be either a good solution for you or just not worth buying at all. Whatever you decide, we recommend weighing all pros and cons beforehand so that you don’t get a vehicle that brings you more problems than benefits. We will always discuss and advise what our recommendation’s are to ensure you are in the right vehicle.

Should I Switch to an EV?

In terms of climate and environment, switching to an electric vehicle is always a great idea. Unlike regular cars that use petrol or diesel, EVs do not produce harmful emissions. These days, more and more countries are worried about the environment and the amount of carbon dioxide we produce. The UK has plans to end the sale of new diesel, petrol, and hybrid cars by 2035.

By 2050, the United Kingdom wants to achieve net-zero emissions across all vehicles. This might seem too far away today, but people are slowly starting to drop their diesel and petrol cars and buy EVs instead. You may have noticed this tendency even in your own circle of friends.

Surely, there are many things to consider if you are seriously thinking about buying an electric car. Whether an EV would be a good deal for you now depends on your budget, lifestyle, location, and other factors. Frankly, there are no downsides to EVs other than their high price and low mileage.

When Does an EV Make Sense?

An EV is a straight swap alternative for your petrol or diesel-fuelled car. Getting an electric car makes sense if you only drive a few miles to work every day and back home. You won’t even need to charge your car more than once a week if you travel 40 miles per day or less.

If you are able to charge up at home, so ideally, you’ll need a garage (or at least a driveway) so that you can plug in your car whenever you are at home. Not only is it more convenient to have your car charged right at home, but it would also cost you less (especially if you have a low rate night tariff). Think of it as the same as your mobile phone, you put it on charge before you go to sleep, don’t you? Same as your EV car then, wake up in the morning and both are charged and away you go.

When you are out on the road, charging on the public network will be more expensive and only should be used if a longer than normal journey is required and again should only be used to get enough charge to get you back home. The public fast chargers will charge the battery to 80% in approx 40 minutes.

What Are EVs Like to Drive?

It is quite enjoyable to drive an electric car, even if you are not quite familiar with them. Due to the fact that an electric motor delivers the maximum force the moment it starts moving, EVs feel very quick, which is different from regular cars.

Some of the top EVs on the market, like the Tesla Model S, go from 0 to 62mph in only 2.5 seconds, making this model one of the fastest accelerating cars in the world. Other electric cars that are more affordable take 10-11 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 62 mph, but it still feels faster than it would in a petrol or diesel car.

How Much Does an Electric Car Cost?

Electric cars are certainly expensive. They cost more because battery packs are currently costly to manufacturers. For instance, a Vauxhall Corsa-e is £5,000 more expensive than the same non-electric model, Vauxhall Corsa.

That’s why some manufacturers offer nice deals to EV buyers. Besides, a battery pack used to be responsible for two-third of an EV’s cost, whereas it now makes up only 30%.

In addition, battery packs tend to deteriorate slower than expected, and that was one of the reasons why many car buyers refused to get an EV a few years ago. It turns out, EVs manage to retain their value better than regular cars, not to mention Teslas, which hold their value extremely well.

What Are the Running Costs of an Electric Car?

Although EVs are quite costly, their running costs are lower than those of a petrol or diesel car. Of course, electricity costs may vary, but charging an EV at home is generally way cheaper than a regular car. Additionally, you won’t have to pay road tax during your EV ownership.

If you have an opportunity to get an electric vehicle as your company car, the benefit-in-Kind tax would only be 1%, compared to 14% on vehicles producing over 50g/km carbon emissions.

When it comes to maintenance costs, you’ll be pleasantly surprised how little an EV needs. You won’t need to replace oils or filters; you won’t have any problems with transmission or turbocharges because there are no turbocharges in an EV. Electric motors have proven to be pretty reliable, so basically, all you’ll have to do is check your brakes regularly and fill up the windshield washer fluid.

As for battery packs, they usually have a warranty of 8 years or 100,000 miles, so there’s very little to worry about.

There are reports of EV’s being used as taxi’s with over 300,000 miles and still no issues with batteries or motors degrading.

But then again, EV owners generally remain pretty happy with their purchase and don’t complain about the running costs.

What Are the Running Costs of an Electric Car?

It is true that EVs might be a little less convenient than regular cars running on petrol or diesel. The former generally have lower mileage, and the process of recharging takes longer, too. (Remember the mobile phone...)

Mid-priced electric cars can go for around 200 miles until they need to be recharged, while the more expensive ones like Tesla S Plaid or Mercedes EQS can achieve 479 and 520 miles on a single charge, respectively.

How Quickly Can Electric Cars Recharge?

The fact that EVs need to be charged more often probably wouldn’t be that big of a deal if there were enough charging stations all around the country and if charging was quicker.

In the UK, there are over 40,000 changing points, but not all are working all the time, and some chargers are more reliable than others. Ultra-rapid 350kW chargers are getting installed all over the country. They allow EVs like Hyundai Ioniq 5 or Porsche Taycan to charge from 10% to 80% in a little less than 20 minutes.

Other cars charge up to 80% in half an hour or even longer (up to 36 minutes). However, it doesn’t feel that long if you’re at a pub or a supermarket because charging stations are often located right nearby.

If you’re charging your EV at home, the power supply will be slower, but the car spends many hours in the garage or on the driveway anyway. So why not charge it up in the meantime? When you’re purchasing an electric car, you will need to consider getting installed a home charging wall box, which will be able to recharge your EV from flat in 5-12 hours, depending on how big the battery is.

Pros & Cons of an Electric Car

Like any other type of car, EVs have their benefits and drawbacks. These are the main pros and cons that people take into account when deciding whether they need to switch to an electric car.

Advantages

Disadvantages

Are Electric Cars the Future?

This is a serious question; even though you contribute to the world’s enthusiasm for going green and lowering toxic emissions by owning an electric car, they might be the best solution and alternative to what we’re used to.

We are only starting to step into the new era of EVs, so there are still many things to improve. The amount of time that it takes to charge an electric vehicle, the low mileage, the expensiveness – all of that needs to be taken under consideration when you decide whether to buy an EV.

You also need to think about how the big car manufacturers are taking over the industry with new EV models being released all the time.

This is why it might be a little too early to guess whether electric cars are the future. Today, many experts claim that the real future for our vehicles is hydrogen. Hydrogen cars run on pure water and are filled up within just a few minutes. Hydrogen is turned into electricity powering the motor, so in some way, a hydrogen car is just a special case of an EV.

Of course, hydrogen cars are nowhere near the popularity that electric cars have already gained. There are about ten hydrogen-filling stations in the country, which makes having a hydrogen car very problematic. Besides, they’re even more expensive than electric cars, but mass adoption would bring that down quickly.

To sum up, EVs are booming now.

FAQ

Are Electric Vehicles Really Worth It?

They are worth it if you lead a certain lifestyle. If you only drive around your city and have a place at home where you can charge your EV, an electric car could be a great deal for you. Besides the environmental benefits, EVs also require less maintenance, have lower running costs, and experience better performance.

How Much Will Your Electric Bill Go Up With an Electric Car?

Owners of EVs charge their cars mostly at home. To manage 100 miles with your electric car, you’ll need to pay about £5, so charging an EV would typically add £10-£25 to your utility bill, depending on your car and how far you travel on a daily basis.

Do You Actually Save Money With an Electric Car?

The price of EVs could be a big turn-off for you, but their reliability pays it back. One of the biggest benefits of electric vehicles is their reduced running and maintenance costs. New owners of EVs notice that electric cars cost less than half as much to operate as petrol and diesel cars.

How Long Do Electric Cars Last?

By “electric cars,” we mean the battery life of an EV. The majority of car manufacturers have a 5 to 8-year warranty on their battery, but it is said that in the future, an EV battery life may last up to 20 years without being replaced.

Why Should We Switch to Electric Cars?

Without a doubt, EVs are much better for the environment than regular cars, as they produce less harmful carbon emissions. This includes the production of electric cars and electricity generation to keep them running. So, if you’re worried about climate change and pollution, consider getting an electric vehicle on finance or PCP.

What Are the Tax Benefits of an Electric Car?

An electric car will qualify for free road tax, at least until April 2025.