Electric cars have come a long way since the primitive early efforts driven by the oil crises of the 1970s.
The Nissan Leaf, BMW i3 and e-versions of the Focus and Golf have found their way on to the driveways of suburban Britain, while Tesla is busy proving that electric motors don’t have to be dull city-cars.
More and more car manufacturers are launching their own electric vehicle (EV) ranges; charging points are popping up every day; and the government offers incentives to get more of us driving these environmentally greener cars.
But are battery-powered cars ready to go mainstream? And you are you ready to buy one? Here, specialist insurance broker Adrian Flux looks at seven of the most-cited reasons people give for sticking with the internal combustion engine – and seven reasons they may be wrong.
MYTH 1: EVs are slow. Like, really slow FACT: Not any more…
Gone are the days when the likes of the 1970s Enfield Electric City Car staggered to a top speed of 40mph, and most electric vehicles were milk floats silently stalking the early morning streets at 10mph.
Today, while top speeds for city cars like the Nissan Leaf and BMW i3 are kept below 100mph for efficiency reasons (which is kind of the point after all), they are nippy around town thanks to instant torque from standstill allied to lightweight construction.
The i3 can hit 62mph in a highly respectable 7.2 seconds, while from 50-75mph it’s only a shade slower than a full-blooded M4.
Meanwhile, the pin-up road car for the EV generation, the Tesla Model S, puts most petrol-powered sports cars to shame by scorching to 60mph in just 2.5 seconds on its way to 155mph. The new Model X, an all-electric SUV, is only marginally less rapid to 60mph, in a barely feasible 2.9 seconds.
Smaller manufacturers are also rising to the challenge of producing electric cars that make the hairs stand on end. When YouTuber and racing driver Archie Hamilton tested the Concept One electric supercar, it left the Ferrari LaFerrari for deadover a quarter mile. Developed by the small Croatian firm Rimac, it reached speeds of 220 mph and sprints to 62mph in just 2.6 seconds.
Then there’s the Formula E race series, and our very own Flux Capacitor, that trundling 1970s Enfield that’s been transformed by motoring journalist Jonny Smith into the world’s fastest street legal electric vehicle – all of which goes to show that modern electric technology is capable of taking even the most mundane car to new heights.
MYTH 2: Battery range makes them impractical FACT: How about a range of 310 miles?
Range anxiety – the fear of running out of charge mid-journey, has long been a major factor in motorists’ reluctance to embrace electric vehicles.
And going back to our Enfield, even at speeds of 40mph the little car could only manage up to 55 miles (with the wind behind you, downhill!) on a full charge.
But, not surprisingly, battery technology has moved on since the 1970s, and today’s electric city-cars like the i3 and the Leaf can manage more than 155 miles, depending on how heavy your right foot is, more than enough for most daily urban use or a trip to the beach. Indeed, figures show that the average UK motorist drives just 25 miles per day.
The Tesla P90D, the most powerful in the range, tops out at 294 miles, while the mass-market Model 3 can manage 215. That car’s latest rival, the new Chevy Bolt, claims a range of 238 miles, while Mercedes’s parent company Daimler is planning to launch its own long distance EV concept with a 310-mile range at the Paris Motor Show in October.
While these figures still fall short of the range of an economical family hatchback with a full tank of fuel, they’re becoming increasingly practical for most motorists’ needs.
MYTH 3: There’s nowhere to charge them FACT: There are more than 11,700 public charging points
It’s true that if you’re charging at home, you’re going to need a driveway or garage with access to a power point, and the ability to leave your car charging overnight or through the day for six to eight hours.
As electric car become more prevalent, it may be possible in the future for neighbours without such facilities – like those with terraced houses – to share the cost of installing street-based charging points.
But the big change is in the the number of public charging points being installed across the country on a daily basis. And sites like Zap Mapwill tell you exactly where they are.
Although the highest number of charging points are focused in major towns and cities, they are rapidly spreading to all areas, and they’ve even popped up in remote locations and in National Parks. In fact, Scotland now has more electric charging points than rural petrol stations.
At the time of writing, there are 11,731 connectors across the UK, up from 7,091 in February 2015, with 129 connectors added in the past month alone, many in locations like supermarket car parks. The charging time of these varies, with the newer rapid charging points able to give an 80 per cent charge in 30 minutes – perfect for leaving your car while you pop to the shops.
It’s worth noting that there are now only about 8,400 petrol filling stations in the UK, although they do, of course, have multiple pumps…
MYTH 4: They’re too expensive FACT: Financial incentives and running costs redress the balance
There’s no hiding the fact that electric cars are more expensive than their fuel-powered cousins – for example the Focus Electric will set you back £26,895, a whole £350 more than the top of the range Focus ST.
The relatively high cost of batteries, combined with lower sales volumes and development costs all push up the price, but the government’s £5,000 buyer’s incentive on new EVs, plus lower running costs, make the green option a better buy than the bald figures suggest.
Throw in exemption from road tax and the London Congestion Charge, free parking in many public car parks if the vehicle is being charged and, of course, no fuel costs and no internal combustion engine to repair, and the financial plus points start to mount.
Charging an electric vehicle isn’t going to break the bank, either. Depending on the electricity tariff, it’s less than £1 to fully charge a flat battery. This means EVs cost an average of 2p per mile to run compared with an average of 10p for a petrol or diesel car.
You can plug an electric vehicle directly into a standard 13amp home socket, but under the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Schemethe government will provide grants of up to 75 per cent (maximum £500) of the cost of a dedicated charging point if you don’t have a suitable socket, reducing the cost to a maximum of £400.
MYTH 5: EVs aren’t really green FACT: They are up to 40% greener than standard cars
Many have argued that the “zero emissions” claim for electric vehicles is misleading – they may not emit harmful greenhouse gases direct from the car, but they still use electricity, in part generated by the burning of fossil fuels, for charging. And they also use more energy in the manufacturing process than a conventional car.
These statements are both true. However, studies have shown that even taking these into account, electric cars are still significantly greener overall than their petrol or diesel equivalents.
Next Green Carshowed that when charged using an average UK mains supply, there was a reduction of around 40 per cent in the release of CO2 compared with a small petrol car, and a small, but still significant, reduction of around 25 per cent compared with a low emission diesel car.
And as the UK electricity supply gradually shifts to generating more power from renewable sources, these figures are only going to grow.
MYTH 6: Lithium required for batteries will run out FACT: Current supply is plentiful, and lithium can be recycled
Lithium is used in the batteries that power our mobile phones, tablets, laptops, and also electric cars. So there has been a major increase in demand over the last 20 years that’s set to continue in the coming decade.
EV batteries need a lot more lithium than other goods, which has led to concerns that there isn’t enough of this important resource to sustain their production.
But in early 2015, a US Geological Survey estimated that enough reserves of lithium currently exists to maintain another 365 years of global production – at current rates.
Those rates will definitely rise thanks to the growth in electric vehicles and projects like Elon Musk’s Powerwall home energy storage product, but experts believe that in near future 100 per cent of lithium-ion batteries will be recyclable.
MYTH 7: Electric vehicles can look dull FACT: Not any more
OK, the Nissan Leaf is not particularly exciting to look at, but then neither are vast majority of petrol-powered family cars.
Love it or hate it, the quirky BMW i3 is anything but dull, while Tesla has been at forefront of making electric cars as sexy to look at as the best executive rides coming from the likes of Mercedes, Audi and Jaguar.
The Mercedes electric concept (pictured above) shows how the major manufacturers envisage the stylish future of EVs.
The Tesla Model 3 is a handsome and stylish family car, while the all-electric Ford Focus and VW Golf only differ from the standard models because they lack an exhaust pipe.
More premium electric models are on the way, with Mercedes being joined by Audi’s 310-mile e-tron range. It’s quite likely that soon, all cars will come with the option of an all-electric engine.
So the days of electric vehicles all being dull little cars capable of low speeds for short distances are already well behind us, and the future promises a whole lot more fun as major manufacturers take up the challenge. Albeit virtually silent fun.
Specialist insurer Adrian Flux offers tailored cover for electric cars. Call 0330 123 1232 or free from a landline on 0800 369 8590 to get a quote.