This is a group of my favourite questions.
- Why aren’t more people moving to electric cars?
- Are electric cars cheaper than regular ones?
- Electric cars means you don’t have to pay XYZ for fuel?
Oh that’s right, because electricity is free! muppets!
At the end of the day, until all electricity supplied in the UK is produced here from nuclear technology and by electric companies that don’t have share holders, electricity will never be cheap. At the moment we import about 6% of our electricity from the continent so we have to pay those pesky Frenchies to live. To make matters more complex, most of this electricity we import, and our native grown stuff is made by burning fossil fuels anyhow.
If you work out the math like this article (bearing in mind that electricity prices in the UK have doubled in the last 18 months), the cost of electric “fuel” is about 15% cheaper than a UK petrol powered equivalent. BUT there is still a hidden extra that gets forgotten about: Electric cars run from batteries, and it’s not like you can just slap in a pair of Duracell. These batteries have a life expectancy of about 4-5 years, and they become less efficient as time progresses.
If you work out your costs over a 4 year period (and replace the batteries as the manufacturers recommend) based on just driving 12,000 miles a year, an electric car will cost approximately 19 pence per mile. The average 30mpg based equivalent will cost about 15 pence per mile, and if you get a super lean smart car, or Volvo, that comes down to about 9 pence per mile.
Oh, and lets not discuss servicing, initial cost or long journeys. If you’re seriously worried about the environment and commuting to work at the moment, your best option all-round is a second hand, 2 year old, deisel powered smart car – a grand total of 25 pence per mile to purchase, insure, tax, service and run for 4 years.
All of that said, the new Chevy Volt does look pretty 
Yeah but driving the aforementioned Smart car/tractor is like going back to Soviet times and buying a Trabby, ie. ‘crude’ motoring. I know ‘cos I actually drive the aforementioned Smart car/tractor.
Fair point, but if you don’t mind the 2 seats and a groceries boot, you can get a brand new petrol, mid end smart (but still in the ‘cheap’ emissions bracket) for about an additional 8 pence per mile therefore totalling around 27 pence per mile.
A Barabus though is about an additional 35 pence, but then if you’re into that you may as well go buy a VW golf for the additional 2 seats – man I hate those.
The cost of the volt has not been released, but I will estimate that it will compete with the Toyota Prius somewhere between £25k and £35k therefore the total cost of running you Volt assuming maintenance free batteries, service free shell, and insurance free world will be 75 pence per mile.
So I see the following:
Oh, you could also make your own diesel for 21 pence per litre
Talking of smart cars, their Micro Hybrid Drive is due out in October. Diesel like fuel economy (65mpg combined for the pokey 71hp engine), £35/year tax, 103g emissions… nice.
Did some math, man you suck a bit
Based on the cost of the top end cabrio smart passion with the 84bhp engine which is still in the lower emissions category and nearly 60mpg as standard, over 4 years if your bought it you get 36 pence per mile in total. If you lease it over 3 years, you can get it for about 23 pence per mile. both assuming an average petrol price of £1.50 per litre.
Hey! I was a rocket scientist for 4 years… not that that’s a good thing, it certainly doesn’t pull the birds like I thought it would
I’d rather have a Volvo, unless I can get the A-team smart car… you know the one I mean
How To Run A Car On Water…
Is there any way I can subscribe to your blog? Thanks!…