EV FAQs

This is our simple take on this very valid question:

• Power is converted from the Direct Current battery, to Alternating Current for the electric motor
• The accelerator pedal sends a signal to a controller, which adjusts the speed of the vehicle by changing the frequency of the power from an invertor to the motor
• The motor connects and turns the wheels through a cog
• When the brakes are pressed, or the car is decelerating, the motor becomes an alternator and produces power which is sent back to the battery

Many people have concerns regarding the warranty they'll get on the battery if they buy an EV.  A survey carried out in January 2025 by electriccarguide.co.uk, shows a range of warranties on batteries of electric cars of between 7-10 years, with associated mileage capped at 80,000-100,000 miles. General expectation, however, is that such batteries should last in the range 10-20 years.  The lifespan of most EV batteries can be extended by keeping them charged between 50 per cent and 80 per cent as much as possible.

As more electric cars are sold, there is more reliability data available than ever.  A What Car? survey completed at the end of last year, reported that a tiny proportion of faults with EV's related to the battery or motor-related electrics.

We've all heard in the news about recent catastrophes supposedly caused by fires in electric cars - and customers have asked us if they are a higher risk than non-electric cars.  We've found recent statistics released by a European Civil Contingency Agency, which calculated that EVs are 20 times less likely to catch fire than petrol and diesel vehicles.

A guide of the full-charge range for cars available in the UK, is between 150-350 miles.

Using high wattage applications in your car will use some of the electric charge.  For example, in the winter, your range will reduce when you're using your car heater etc.  However, running air conditioning in a petrol car can also use up to 10% more fuel.

Short journeys, uphill sections, hard acceleration and carrying lots of passengers, are all factors which will use more power.  So Billy-No-Mates driving calmly on the motorway in the Fens, will preserve a much greater part of their potential range compared with Speed Demon driving 4 mates round lots of local landmarks in the Highlands of Scotland!

In the majority of cases, you can’t just park up and charge.  Shell Recharge, BP Pulse and Pod Point are the most common operators, where you'll either need to download an app in advance, go to a website, or use a pre-registered contactless charge card.  This may sound tricky at first, but you'll soon get used to how these work.

For consideration if you envisage needing to use public chargers frequently, some operators offer monthly tariffs where you pay a discounted charging rate alongside a subscription fee.

Only a small number of charging points in the UK allow you to pay directly by credit or debit card, and none accept cash.

If you install a home charger, you will be able to ensure you have the correct connection/adaptor.  Many public charging points generally now have a selection of different connectors available.

Most new and second hand electric cars will be supplied with a lead to adapt to normal home 3-pin charging.  This is a point to check this before you purchase an EV.  If all else fails, these are widely available to buy online.

A lot of consumers were put off EV's initially, by their high cost to buy or lease.  Recently though, prices have reduced, which has attracted a larger number of customers to consider this market.  With some new electric cars now coming in at the sub £15,000 mark, second-hand prices are more affordable than ever before.

Respected bodies such as he RAC and the Independent online newspaper, conclude that, generally, electric cars will be cheaper to run, which potentially adds up to noticeable savings over time.

These bodies highlight that customers should bear in mind that the cost of running an electric vehicle varies depending on the model, make and specifics of the vehicle.  Overall, though, electricity costs much less than petrol or diesel, and electric cars require less maintenance than an internal combustion engine.

Also, fully electric cars are often exempt from various tolls and tariffs such as the London ULEZ charge.

You can use a standard 3-pin plug to charge an electric car, but a bespoke socket will charge your EV much faster.  Other benefits of installing a charger are that you can 're-fuel' your car whenever you want, and that charging at home costs less than using a public electric car charge point.  Many electricity companies now have tailored tariffs, targeted at the cheaper charging of EV's at home overnight.  Average examples are £17 for a full charge at home, compared with £22 at a public charger for 30 minutes.

Taking a 40KWh Nissan Leaf as an example, using a 3KW home charger - the cost of a 13-hour charge could be £6 in the day-time, or £4 over-night.

We've referred to CheckaTrade for some impartial advice on car charge point installation.  The average cost now seems to be around £1,000, with £350 government grants sometimes available towards the installation.  Costs vary depending on how fast you want to be able to charge your car.

This is also a great question - without an easy answer!  Charging speeds vary a lot - from as little as 15 minutes using an ultra-rapid 350kW charger, to as much as 24 hours when relying on a domestic three-pin plug.

We discuss in the question about installing a home charger, how this reduces charging times.  There are also varying rates of charge at public charging points.

You could calculate charging times by dividing the size of your battery by the charging power that you are using.  For example a standard small car battery of 52 KWh will take just over an hour to charge fully, using a rapid 50 KW charger.  Charging rates slow as a battery approaches being fully charged - so most manufacturers quote times needed to charge a battery from 10% to 80% charge.

Good question!  The Department for Transport published statistics which showed that on 1st July 2024, the number of public charging points was 64,632, and the number is currently increasing by about 8-10% every three months.

It's best to plan ahead for a mid to long journeys, to try to avoid some peak travelling times to avoid potential queues.  Most driving apps and route planners will show pubic charging points which are near your route.