Thinking of switchingto an electric vehicle?

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What are electric vehicles?Electric vehicles (EVs) are cars that are powered by one or more electric motors, using electrical energy stored in rechargeable batteries instead of a petrol/diesel engine. For lots of people, the first thing that comes to mind when you think of EVs is the Sinclair C5, but the industry has come a very long way since the 1980s; modern EVs are convenient, reliable and affordable.

01. Full EV (BEV) Uses batteries to store energy that powers a motor. The batteries are charged by plugging the vehicle into an electrical power source, and BEVs can also be charged by regenerative braking, i.e. storing the kinetic energy created by slowing down the vehicle.

Peugeot iOn City carEV range: 93 milesCharge time: 7 hoursPrice: £21,216

Nissan LeafSmall familyEV range: 124 milesCharge time: 4 hoursPrice: £16,490*

BMW i3SuperminiEV range: 118 milesCharge time: 3 hoursPrice: £25,980

Renault ZoeSuperminiEV range: 130 milesCharge time: 4 hoursPrice: £13,995*

There are four main types of EVs:Electric vehicles are everywhere these days. Perhaps you’re considering buying one, but wonder how they measure up to conventional vehicles. This leaflet is designed to answer your basic questions and point you to the additional information you need to make the best decision about whether an electric vehicle is right for you.

Peugeot 3008 HYbrid4FamilyEV range: n/aCharge time: n/aPrice: £27,545

04. Conventional hybrid In a sense the opposite of the E-REV, these vehicles have a conventionalpetrol/diesel engine which is boosted by a supporting electric motor powered by regenerative braking.

02. Plug in range extended EV (E-REV) Powered by batteries, but also fitted with a small petrol/diesel generator that can help extend the range of the vehicle by topping up the batteries while driving.

Vauxhall AmperaFamilyEV range: 52 milesCharge time: 4 hoursPrice: £28,750

03. Plug in hybrid (PHEV) Powered both by electric and a conventional diesel/petrol engine.The diesel/petrol engine provides power when the battery is depleted.The battery can also recharge from the engine and via regenerative braking.

Toyota PriusFamilyEV range: 15 milesCharge time: 2 hoursPrice: £28,395

Who should buy an EV?All electric vehicles are ideal for the vast majority of typical journeys, whilst for longer journeys, PHEVs or E-REVs (which both have back-up petrol/diesel engines) are more versatile alternatives. Currently more than 60% of UK households have more than one car, and EVs are very well suited to being the second car in a household.

Tesla Model SExecutiveEV range: 310 milesCharge time: 14 hoursPrice: £50,880

Please note that prices refer to base models and include grant-related discounts (see the next page). Prices could be subject to changes.

* Price does not include battery purchase or lease

What are the advantages of buying an EV?→ BEVs don’t create any CO² exhaust emissions. PHEVs do, but in very low quantities. They’re therefore good for the environment and air quality, particularly in town/city centres. Although electricity to power the car still needs to be generated, all EVs are greener than a regular car.

→ Not only is the cost of charging EVs very low (about £2.20 to fully charge an EV overnight from a standard socket in your home), it also costs less to run (around 2p per mile compared to 12p per mile for a petrol vehicle).

→ EVs have ten times fewer moving parts than petrol powered cars and thus require less maintenance.

→ They’re smoother to drive than regular cars.

→ Flexible fuelling! You will no longer have to drive to a petrol station; all you need is a charging point at home or at work.

There are a host of tax incentivesfor business users, including:

• Taxation of Company Cars: 0% until April 2015 and 5% thereafter.

• Car/Van Fuel Benefit Charge:no fuel benefit charge.

• Van Benefit Charge:reduced until 2020

• Enhanced Capital Allowance: eligible for 100% first yearallowance until 2018.

• Fuel Duty: EVs exempt.

• Vehicle Excise Duty: EVs exempt.

• Value Added Tax: electricity attracts only 5% level of VAT, compared to 20% for road fuels.

• Congestion Charge: EVs and PHEVs which meet the criteria are eligible for a 100% discount.

Can I get a grant to help me buy an EV?

The range EVs can cover is a problem though, isn’t it?

A government grant scheme is in place to help people buy EVs. For more details go to gov.uk/plug-in-car-vangrants, but here are the basics:

Not anymore. Battery life has improved significantly, and whilst the majority of charging is likely to take place at home or at work, a fast growing national network of public charging points exists to allow you to recharge your EV’s battery on the move. To give an idea of some typical EV ranges:→ Travelling from Guildford to Brighton? The Nissan Leaf has a maximum range of 124 miles, which would get you there and back - it’s 50 miles each way.

→ The Peugeot iOn has a maximum range of 93 miles, which would take

20% off the cost of a vanup to a maximum of £8,000

25% off the cost of a car,up to a maximum of £5,000

Grants are available for BEVs and PHEVs; you can find a full list of eligible cars on the website

you from Woking to central London and back, (30 miles each way) and as a bonus you wouldn’t have to pay the congestion charge.

→ If you have a longer journey to make, the Tesla Model S has a maximum range of 300 miles, which would get you from Woking to Newcastle (295 miles one-way).

→ A Vauxhall Ampera has a maximum range of 52 miles; it would therefore do the first 52 miles using the electric battery only and would then revert to its petrol generator for the rest of the journey (up to 310 miles on a full tank), taking its range up to 362 miles.

The average UK commuting distance is only 15km – easily covered several times over by all modern EVs

Charging an EV is easy! Most can be plugged into a standard home socket

How do you charge EVs?Most electric cars come with a standard charging cable that allows the car to be plugged into a normal three pin wall socket. Some also use a quick charging, gun shaped socket for coupling with dedicated power units either at home, your workplace or at a public charging point.

We recommend getting a qualified electrician to check that your home/office wiring is robust enough to handle the high electrical draw of your EV if you plug it into a normal three pin wall socket.

There are 1,500 EV charging points in the United Kingdom, 400 of which are rapid charging points: this number is however growing fast as more companies and councils are installing charging points for their own and public use.

· Slow charging – full charge in around 8 hours · Fast charging – full charge in 3-4 hours· Rapid charging – can provide an 80% charge in 30 minutes

There are three types of EV chargers: Where can you find charging points in Surrey?

Websites like zap-map.com and nationalchargepointregistry.com provide maps of all the EV charging points available in the United Kingdom.

Charging points can usually be found in car parks, motorway services and retail outlets; you will therefore generally be able to go shopping or have a cup of coffee while your car is charging. Points are defined by the power (kW) they produce and hence the speed at which they can charge EVs.

There is a large network of public charging points around the country

What about electric bicycles and motorbikes?A range of electric bikes are available at a number of high street cycle shops and online. They allow you to pedal when you want to, or use an electric motor to take you 30 miles or so on one charge. Electric bikes can be ridden on a public road by anyone aged 14 or over.

A number of electric motorbikes and mopeds are also available and can provide a range of up to 120 miles per charge.

Agility Saietta RUrban sport motorcycleEV Range: 120miles Charge Time: 3 hours Price: £19, 770

iPed C Electric scooterEV range: 25 milesCharge time: 4 hours Price: £1,495

Still not sure? Here’s our top tenreasons to buy an EV

On cold days you can preheat some EVs using an app on your mobile

Your driving will be clean and green thanks to the UK’s growing generation of renewable electricity

Grants are available for up to £5,000 (car) and £8,000 (van) towards an EV’s purchase price

Your chances of running out of charge when stuck in traffic are about the same in an electric car as in a petrol-fuelled car

EVs have very low running costs - just 2-3p per mile!

Battery lease options are available

EVs are exempt from vehicle tax and fuel duty

The average EV can travel up to 100 miles per charge

Your EV will be fully recharged if you leave it plugged in overnight, much like a mobile phone

EVs do not emit exhaust pollutants and contribute to cleaner air

What is Travel SMART?Travel SMART is an initiative from Surrey County Council that aims to help Surrey residents and businesses reduce carbon, calories and cost. The Travel SMART team want to encourage people to travel using sustainable modes of transport. Doing so will cut traffic congestion and keep our air clean.

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