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With sales of electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrids increasing year-on-year and the uptake only expected to grow, you might be curious to know why they’re becoming more and more popular. If you’re interested in what hybrid and electric cars have to offer but are unsure about running costs, then look no further than Wilsons for more information. We’ve got the knowledge and industry experience to guide you in the right direction.
One of the main draws of electric vehicle ownership is how economical they are. They're simply much cheaper to run than traditional cars, especially if you can charge at home. Let’s say your average daily commute is a 30-mile round trip. If your petrol car gives you 43 mpg and you have filled it up with £50 of fuel, that gives you about 420 miles before you’d need to fill up again. Let’s say you work 22 days in a month, drive roughly 660 miles, and fill up twice – you’d have to pay £100.
Switch to an electric car, and you’re looking at between £2.50 and £5.00 per overnight charge, depending on your tariff. This would give you 100 miles to play with, meaning that for your commute, you’d need to charge it six times and pay roughly £30 a month in electricity. That’s £70 off your bill and a saving of about £850 a year – a saving not to be sniffed at!
Another piece of information to note is road tax. From April 2025, all-electric cars are subject to pay for VED - road tax for the first time. For most EV drivers, this is £195 per year, while drivers of new electric cars with a list price that exceeds £40,000 could pay as much as £620 per year.
Electric cars are also exempt from the London Congestion Charge, which costs drivers of traditional vehicles £15 a day which can add up to a whopping £5,250 a year. All you need to do is register your car with TFL and you’re good to go. EV owners will also avoid the Ultra Low Emission Zone planned which operates in the same area as the Congestion Charge. However, this is set to end on December 2025. After this date, EVs will have to pay the daily Congestion Charge.
New Hybrid cars have a small electric motor that works alongside a traditional petrol engine. Some models like the Toyota Prius or Hyundai IONIQ can run for short distances on electric power alone while energy-recovering braking and coasting helps to top up the battery. Other Plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) like the MG HS Plug-in Hybrid go a step further with a plug socket and charging leads so you can charge the battery via the mains.
If you think that looking after and charging an electric vehicle is difficult and fiddly, think again. EVs have fewer moving parts than diesel or petrol cars, so not only do you save your hands from getting dirty, you’ll have a car that requires much less maintenance. When it comes to charging, you can do it from home, and most EVs come with rapid charging ability, ideal for those in need of a quick top-up – most rapid chargers can replenish 80% of your battery in just 20 minutes.
Our Wilsons dealership is open seven days a week, and we’ve got a dedicated new and used EV sales team here to answer any more questions you may have about running costs and EV ownership. Simply enquire online, or give us a call today.
Not convinced? Take a look at our other FAQs related to EV and Hybrids:
- What is the Plug-in Car Grant?