An electric vehicle is one that is powered by an electric motor instead of, or in a hybrid alongside, a traditional internal combustion engine. They use rechargeable batteries that you charge by plugging the vehicle into a charging point to take electricity from the power grid. For more information on electric vehicles, charging them and why you should choose one for your next car lease take a look at our guide below.
Electric vehicles fall into one of two categories – Fully electric and hybrid.
Fully electric vehicles, sometimes known as pure electric vehicles (EV) or battery electric vehicles (BEV) use a rechargeable battery to power the car rather than the traditional combustion engine.
As well as fully electric vehicles there are several hybrid options. These include plug-in hybrids, mild hybrids and full hybrids, sometimes called self-charging hybrids. For more information on hybrid vehicles please take a look at our hybrid vehicle guide.
There are a lot of reasons to choose an electric vehicle for your next lease. Take a look at our top ten below:
For a look at all the benefits of Electric vehicles just click here.
When deciding if an electric vehicle is the right choice for you there are a number of things you will want to consider.
Unlike with a petrol or diesel vehicle an electric car can only travel a certain number of miles before you will need to charge it. The ranges that electric models offer are usually less than their fuel powered counterparts, and the charging time is longer than filling up at a petrol station would be. This causes some drivers to experience what is called range anxiety, the worry that they will not make it to their destination without having to charge the car. If you do a lot of long journeys with little time between trips then you will need to factor in charging times when deciding if an electric vehicle would work for you.
To help you understand what might affect the range of your vehicle we've put together this useful article which covers everything from battery condition and vehicle weight through to the weather.
Electric cars are becoming more popular and with this there are more charging points being built all the time but there are still fewer charging points than petrol stations. There are maps that can help you find charging points on your journey but you may still need to plan your stops more than you would with a petrol or diesel car.
Compared to the few minutes it takes to fill up at a petrol station charging your electric car takes a longer time. This can be inconvenient if you’re half way through a journey and then need to wait for the vehicle to be charged before you can continue.
If you do not have off street parking then you will not be able to install a home charging point. If this is the case you will need to look at other available charging points and how you will manage charging the vehicle.
Although electric vehicles are growing in popularity, compared to petrol and diesel cars there are fewer models for you to choose from. Most brands only have one or two electric vehicles in their range compared to the many petrol and diesel variants, however manufacturers are looking to add more fully electric and hybrid options to their ranges in the coming years.
To charge your electric vehicle you will need to plug it in.
You will be able to do this at a variety of public locations, including shopping centres, carparks and motorway service stations.
If you want to take a look at available chargers across the UK then carwow's interactive map shows you all the public chargers available. Check it out by clicking here.
There are different types of connectors for charging and these vary between vehicle models and the power rating of the charging point.
Most vehicles have a type one or type two connector for slow and fast charging and either a CHAdeMO or CCS for DC rapid charging. Tesla Model X and Model S are the exception to this as they use a type two connection for rapid charging.
The time it takes for a vehicle to charge can vary for a number of reasons, including:
There are three power ratings of charging station in the UK; rapid, fast and slow. Click below to take a look at each type.
Rapid:
Fast:
Slow:
As well as using public chargers many people also have a charging unit installed at home so that they can charge their car at a convenient time like overnight whilst parked in the garage.
We are an official partner of Pod Point and so can help you arrange for a home charging unit if you decide an electric vehicle is the right choice for you. Just give us a call on 0330 221 000 and we can talk you through the process and the options available.
For more information on charging an electric vehicle and the types of chargers that there are you then check out this article.
Hybrid vehicles combine an internal combustion engine with an electric motor and so are often seen as a stepping stone between a petrol/diesel car and a fully electric version.
As hybrids don't all need to be charged they also require less adjustment to fit into your existing driving and parking habits.
There are three types of hybrids available in the UK: plug-in hybrids (PHEV), mild hybrids (MHEV) and full hybrids (HEV), sometimes known as self-charging hybrids.
We've got a separate guide on hybrid vehicles to help explain the differences between these three and why you might consider a hybrid vehicle rather than a fully electric option.
Want to find out more about leasing a vehicle? Check our either our Personal Leasing Guide or Business Leasing Guide. Or if you want to take a look at our top deals to find the right electric car for your next lease then head over to the Electric Offers page.
Check out one of our helpful guides or our explaination of leasing to get all your questions answered.
