Electric Car Sales Rocket as Fuel Prices Increase
48% of UK drivers are concerned about owning a fuel vehicle due to record high petrol and diesel prices, potentially guiding them towards getting a battery power car instead according to a survey commissioned by The Motor Ombudsman. The survey also also showed that 64% of people aged 16-24 and 65% of people living in Greater London are amongst the most worried in the UK about petrol and diesel prices. Because of all this, in recent years the switch from petrol and diesel to electric has increased rapidly. The survey also explained that those who were worried about owning a conventional fuelled car, favoured a move to an electric vehicle and 26% of the males in the survey estimated they would have a new electric car in the next few months.
Although, Electric Vehicles don’t only save you money from fuel, they also save money when it comes to road tax as they are purely exempt from paying road tax which saves near £165 a year compared to a petrol and diesel vehicle and roughly £155 compared to hybrid cars. However, electric vehicles are considerably more expensive than diesel or petrol cars thanks to the cost of the electric battery. Over the years the battery size has decreased which also decreases the overall price of the car. This and the rising fuel costs means that the time it takes to pay off the the initial price difference between electric and petrol cars has shortened significantly.
On average, The Mini EV was nearly £900 cheaper each year than the petrol counterpart, but it cost around £9,300 more to buy. Today, the average Mini retails at £22,500 and would cost the driver around £1,400 a year in fuel. This shows that in 6 years the car has made the extra £6000 back, and it wouldn’t of damaged the environment like a petrol or diesel car would. In a petrol or diesel vehicle they are burning fossil fuels which is causing carbon emissions to go into the atmosphere which stops the heat from leaving, this is what causes Global Warming. Using a petrol or diesel vehicle also causes air pollution in towns and cities which is bad for us to breath in as it can be harmful, It is also using a non-renewable source of fuel. Therefore, an electric vehicle can greatly benefit the environment as without a tailpipe, pure electric cars produce no carbon dioxide whilst moving which significantly reduces air pollution. In addition, there is less maintenance on an electric car rather than a petrol or diesel car, as well as that electricity is a renewable energy source meaning that it can’t run out like petrol or diesel which is being used quicker than ever, and once its gone, its gone.
