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With the 2030 ban on new petrol and diesel cars looming for the millions of drivers in the UK, electric vehicles (EVs) are fast becoming the most prevalent form of personal transport. They’re better for the environment, have lower operating costs and pack in the latest tech the motoring world has to offer.
But old habits die hard. Since the introduction of the Ford Model T in 1908, drivers across the planet have grown accustomed to internal combustion (ICE) as their primary source of personal propulsion. Our historic reliance on fossil fuels and the perceived convenience of a traditional car has led many to feel anxious about switching to an all-electric vehicle.
We’re here to allay those fears.
Below is our step-by-step guide on how to make the switch to an electric car seamless, enjoyable and exciting.
🤔 Is an electric vehicle right for me?
For 99.9% of drivers, the answer is yes.
We’ve outlined the most common concerns that drivers typically have before making the switch to an EV.
Range anxiety
The most prevalent concern for many prospective drivers is ‘range anxiety’. That is, the fear of running out of charge and not having access to a chargepoint.
Before discussing charging and electric vehicle range, it’s important to put into perspective what sort of daily mileage the average driver does. According to the Department for Transport, the average car trip distance in England is only 8.3 miles.
With the average median range of electric cars in the UK sitting around 212 miles, the typical driver in England could run their EV for 25 ½ days before needing to charge it.
Of course. There are always exceptions to the rule. But many EVs on the market - like the Tesla Model Y - comfortably achieve 250+ miles from a single charge. On the flipside, business reps or those in sales may have an above-average daily mileage.
One-off long journeys are also a factor in the decision making process. Occasional ‘staycations’, domestic trips and summer holidays may push the mileage of a single trip into triple digits. However, longer trips like these can be easily accommodated for, with most only requiring only a single stop to recharge.
Lack of Public Charging Infrastructure
Contrary to what certain tabloids would have you believe, the charging infrastructure in the UK comfortably serves 100,000s of electric cars every day.
As of January 2023 in the UK - there are:
- 22,355 public charging locations
- 37,851 public chargers in total
- 7,597 rapid public chargers
ZapMap uses GoogleMaps to plot every single public chargepoint in the UK - see if there’s a public charger near you, here.
Too Expensive
Electric cars do currently carry a premium retail pricetag over their internal combustion equivalents. However, the operating costs of an EV are far lower than a petrol or diesel car.
🔌 Even with the current energy crisis, EVs are still a cheaper pence-per-mile option than an ICE equivalent. This price gap is exponential if you’re able to utilise a smart charger at home, charge with an off-peak energy tariff and/or install solar panels.
🔧 Because there’s less moving parts in an electric vehicle, they require far less maintenance and servicing than a petrol or diesel car.
💚 With loveelectric’s employee benefit, you can get up to 60% off a brand new electric car via salary sacrifice. Included in our monthly price is:
- Servicing
- Maintenance
- Tyres
- Fully comprehensive insurance
See which car you can afford here.
⚖️ Find the best deal
There’s plenty of options to get behind the wheel of an electric car. However, the most popular are compared in our table below.
loveelectric is firm in its belief that salary sacrifice is the most affordable and accessible way of getting an electric car. To access complete peace-of-mind motoring at the lowest monthly cost, we just need your employer on board.
This employee benefit is a bit like the cycle-to-work scheme but for electric vehicles.
Your employer leases the car on your behalf via the company. Each month, you then pay for the lease using a proportion of your gross salary.
The key is that the monthly payment for the lease is taken from your salary before tax. This means you pay less Income Tax and reduce your National Insurance Contributions, maximising your take-home pay and you get to drive a brand new electric car.
It’s a simple process to implement as we do all the heavy lifting for your company. Once the benefit goes live, you’ll get access to the latest and greatest in all-electric motoring - all for a low monthly sum.
Once loveelectric is ready to go at your company, it’s time to do the fun part: choosing your brand new electric car.
🚗⚡Which Electric Vehicle should I get?
There are ranges, budgets and body-styles to suit every requirement. loveelectric grants you access to every electric car available on the UK market. Below are our top picks in each category:
Best electric city car - Fiat 500e
For drivers who live in a city, space is at a premium. However, charging points are plentiful and being able to avoid emission-zone charges can result in £1000s being saved annually. The Fiat 500e is the perfect city runaround. It sticks with the classic Italian styling of its petrol-powered predecessor but gives it a futureproof powertrain. The instant power delivery and lack of gears hugely compliment city driving, hopping from traffic lights and diving down side stress with ease.
Get the best of compact Italian motoring here.
Best affordable electric car - MG MG4
The MG MG4 is arguably the best electric car deal currently on the market. At an incredibly low price point, the MG4 features:
- 215+ miles from a single charge
- 5 seats | 5 doors
- 289l luggage capacity
- 0-60mph in 7.7s
See how much you could save on an MG4 here.
Best electric family car - Kia Niro EV
When the first generation of the all-electric Niro EV was introduced in 2018, it’s unlikely the public would have pegged Kia to become one of the most popular EV manufacturers to date. The Kia Niro EV is an electric vehicle simplified to serve the family: industry-leading build quality and warranty, spacious cabin and a very impressive range - all at a very affordable price point.
Get the Kia Niro EV - our pick for best electric family car - here.
Best premium electric family car - Tesla Model Y
This much anticipated ‘crossover’ - part hatchback/part SUV - from Tesla caps off the automaker’s S-3-X-Y lineup of electric vehicles. Distilling everything the American automaker has achieved with its previous electric cars, the Model Y continues the trend by offering one of the best cars available today. Plenty of range, plenty of space and plenty of tech.
Get access to the best pricing available for a Tesla Model Y here.
Best electric company car - Tesla Model 3
Arguably the electric car that changed it all. The Tesla Model 3 had its UK debut in 2019 and has dominated the EV market ever since. It changed the definition of what a company car could be: no longer were businesspeople shackled to oversized German diesels. It set the tone for mass adoption and has been a staple of Britain’s roads ever since.
Join the 10,000s of Model 3 drivers today, see how much you could drive the cost down by going with loveelectric.
🏠🔌 Charging at Home
The most notable change when ditching your old ICE vehicle in favour of a brand new EV, is the method of ‘refuelling’. If you’re fortunate enough to have off-street parking, a driveway or garage - then wave goodbye to inconvenient pit-stops at charging stations.
Say hello to convenient, cheap and smart, home charging.
Hypervolt
We’ve teamed up with Hypervolt to get you up to 50% off a fully installed smart home charger. Simply roll the cost into your monthly salary sacrifice payments.
Simply add on your Hypervolt charger once you've ordered your EV, and we'll handle the rest.
We make charging at home affordable, smart and easy.
Egg Smart Charging
We love a crackin’ deal and our partnership with Egg gives our drivers exactly that. With Egg, you can have a smart charger installed for only £29/month over the course of 36 months.
Alternatively, you can pay upfront and get the entire payment out of the way.
Regardless of how you choose to spread the cost, loveelectric will cover the £108 fee for 3 years of Egg Plus - their premium smart charging solution.
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Rightcharge
Charge the right way, with Rightcharge.
Charging isn’t just about the physical point installed on the wall - your energy tariff can have a sizeable impact on the cost of charging an EV at home. Rightcharge takes the hassle out of both, offering smart home charging solutions as well as bespoke energy tariffs that work for you.
Their handpicked network of installation companies ensures a short installation turnaround time, getting your charger installed in less than three weeks and saving you an average of £360 on your annual electric car home charging costs.
Plus, if you enquire and order via this link, we’ll donate our £20 referral fee to Asthma UK. Get the best deals on charging and feel good about it.
🛣️🔌 Charging Nearby & On-The-Go
If you aren’t able to charge at home, there’s no need to panic. As we mentioned above, the UK has 10,000s of charging points - some of them are even free to charge up at.
Charge for Free
With the current cost of living crisis, every penny helps. So why not charge up for free at one of the thousands of zero-cost charging points. It’s especially good news for our fellow Scottish drivers, as there’s 1,300+ locations offering free charging across the nation.
ZapMap
First and foremost - download the ZapMap app or have a look at their live chargepoint map. Here you can find:
- User reviews of each chargepoint
- Extensive list of every chargepoint in the UK
- Live availability status to avoid frustration upon arrival
- Colour-coded pins display whether a point is compatible with your car
- Their integrated ‘Zap-Pay’ system allows you to pay directly for your charge at participating networks.
Locating your most convenient chargepoint will allow you to plan for the cost of recharging, how frequently you’ll need to visit the charging station and for how long.
PlugShare
Chargepoint locating - gone global.
If you’re planning on venturing further afield, then PlugShare has your journey covered. It has a comprehensive list of chargepoints across the globe.
That’s right, PlugShare allows you to plan a transcontinental electric car trip if desired, spanning every continent and available country.
Now we have charging sorted, it’s time to get rid of the old and in with the new.
💵 Selling Your Car
Now that your new electric vehicle is on its way, it’s time to sell your old car. There’s just one problem: selling a car is possibly the least pleasant part of owning one. However, we have the solution - Motorway.
The Motorway Way
Take the hassle out of selling your car and use Motorway.
Simply enter your registration number below and 5,000+ dealers across the UK will compete to give you the best possible price.
If your brand new EV is going to replace your old car, we’d recommend holding off selling it before your electric car has arrived - or you at least have a confirmed delivery date.
If you’re still not convinced by Motorway - let’s remind ourselves of the often gruelling process of selling a used car.
The Traditional Way
It typically begins by spending money: large insertion fees to advertise on a used marketplace or an auction site, only for the latter to take an additional cut of the final auction price.
Then it’s time to block out your evenings and weekends for viewings. Be prepared to field calls from timewasters, tyre kickers and dreamers. You’ll receive lots of absurd offers: “would you take £100, a Maroon 5 CD and my old Playstation for it?”
A serious offer is made, only for them to inspect the car and the prospective buyer demands 20% off the asking price.
By this point, you accept the much lower offer. You’re tired, frustrated and just want to get rid of the car. Not only do you end up with less money, but you’re exhausted from all the viewings.
Cut the hassle, use Motorway.
🚗 Getting to grips with your new Electric Vehicle
Once you’ve accepted delivery of your vehicle from loveelectric, it’s time to read the Driver’s Handbook and get to grips with your shiny new EV.
Taking Delivery
We offer door-to-delivery, so your new car will be dropped off directly to your home address. The car delivery agent is there to help. They’ll show you how to use key functions of the car and help you get to grips with all of its features.
They're there to help, so if you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask! You can always get in touch with loveelectric too.
The car should be delivered in excellent condition, but it’s best to double-check that everything inside and out looks to be in pristine condition. Any issues, please raise them either with the delivery agent or loveelectric.
Running through the Driver’s Handbook and Manufacturer’s Handbook
We know you’ll be itching to take the car for a spin, but we strongly recommend reading through the Driver’s Handbook and Manufacturer’s Handbook before setting off.
Both of these documents will give you extensive information on everything you need to know about the specifics of your lease, the servicing/maintenance intervals and how to operate your new electric car properly.
Go for a drive!
Finally, it’s time to hit the open road.
Take the first step on ditching your diesel and petrol car now.
💚 Ask loveelectric for any further support you need
We don’t hit the road once your car is delivered. If you have any questions or clarifications about your lease, don’t hesitate to get in touch with the loveelectric team.
