According to the Daily Mail (1st July) the UK Government are considering offering drivers £6,000 towards an electric car if they scrap a diesel or petrol model. Electric cars are also exempt from Road Tax and will spare you from CO2 emission charges levied by some towns and cities. So some compelling economics to purchase an EV.
The Government has also provided extra funding for the fitting of home charging points and is providing £500 million towards public charge points over 5 years.
Already electric vehicles are becoming much more commonplace in this country and if the above is true then sales could be set to soar. Indeed the market share of electric vehicles sold was set to reach 5% in 2020 before Coronavirus hit all car sales. Sales of EV’s had tripled in the first three months of 2020, causing some supply challenges.
The questions most often asked by potential purchasers are:
- How far can I drive on one charge?
- How long does it take to charge an electric vehicle?
- How much does it cost to fully charge my vehicle?
Most electric vehicles can travel 100 miles on one charge, with the Nissan Leaf capable of over 130 miles. Top of the range Tesla can drive for 250 miles!
Charging an EV can take anywhere between 30 minutes to 12 hours. It depends on the type of car battery, and the speed of the charging point.
Several factors can affect charging speed including:
The size of the battery
The dimensions of the car
How full the battery is
The maximum charging rate of the vehicle
The maximum rate of the charging point.
A typical EV with a 60kWh battery can go from empty to fully charged in just under eight hours with a 7kW charging point.
Owning a rapid home charger for your EV, or an EV charger that has a rapid mode or quick charge function, enables you to power your battery at a much quicker rate.
You can charge your electric car in different ways. Charging at home is the most common method, whether or not accelerated you can comfortably charge in the period that you do not use the car. Electric charging of course is even more economical if you have solar panels or a wind turbine. With normal chargers you can not choose how much use is made of your own electricity production.
Carter Electrical recommend and install zappi chargers. Jon Carter commented “And that is what the smart zappi charger distinguishes itself in. The zappi charges environmentally conscious and greener by applying as much as possible of its own consumption and pulling out of the grid as little as possible. This way you will be driving cheaper and cleaner.”
Now you can decide for yourself how fast your car needs to be recharged, with the zappi charger you can make maximum use of your own electricity production. If you don’t produce any electricity zappi can still be used to charge your vehicle from the grid.
Carter Electrical can also install other chargers, including Rolec. Please do get in touch with us if you would like more information on the installation of Electric Vehicle chargers.