The automotive industry is changing rapidly, with a push towards more environmentally friendly options instead of diesel and petrol. Sales of electric cars are on the rise, but to be honest, I'm still not entirely sure how they work or what it takes to own one.
And I hear stories all the time about 'you have to stop all the time to charge it' or 'it costs as much in electric as it does in fuel.' I once travelled from Somerset to Wigan with a friend but I had to drive in my car as there was no charging points in Wigan at the time (2022). I know I'm not alone, either. When we posted on social media asking for your questions about owning an EV (electric vehicle), many of you got in touch.
Yours.co.uk is part of Bauer Media, and we are lucky enough to have the expert car brand, Parkers, under our umbrella too. I put your questions to senior writer, Graham King, who has offered his expert insight below.
How expensive is it to install an EV charging point at home?
The short answer is “it depends.” For a more useful answer, we spoke to EV charger installation specialist Smart Home Charge head of sales, Danny Morgan. He said: “The cost of an EV charge point installation will depend on a few factors: the home charger product you select – these can vary a lot in price – and the complexity of the installation. That’s usually determined by the route of the power supplying the charger.
“If, for instance, the mains electricity supply is outside and close to where the charger will be installed, it’s a straightforward installation and the costs will reflect that. If it’s a long cable, or one that takes a complex route, the more expensive the installation is likely to be. As a general guide, an EV charger will start from £800 to £1,000, including installation.
“Most installers complete a site survey to help determine the cost. At Smart Home Charge, we offer an instant quote service, so customers get a price straight away after answering a few simple questions. We’ll then verify the quote at the site survey stage, so there are no hidden costs on the day of installation.”
How much do you save charging an EV vs buying petrol?
The potential to save money on the cost of fuel is one of the main reasons many people have for switching to an EV. And that’s certainly the case – if you primarily charge at home. If you can’t and have to rely on public chargers, the costs are significantly higher.
For an example, let’s look at the Vauxhall Corsa, a car that’s available with petrol engines and as an EV. According to Parkers’ miles-per-pound figures – which you can read more about here – a petrol Corsa can go 7.8 miles on £1 of fuel. If you charge at home, an electric Corsa can go 11.8 miles on £1 of electricity. But, if you only use public chargers, it goes just 6.3 miles on £1 of electricity. So it actually costs more to run than the petrol version.
Why is public charging so expensive? VAT is charged at the standard 20% rate, whereas VAT on home charging is only 5%. At home, you can also take advantage of cheaper off-peak rates. If you use a mix of home and public charging, the costs will probably roughly even out with those of a petrol Corsa.
Is there any point in buying an EV because I hear they’re going to be replaced with e-fuels?
The UK government is showing no signs of wavering from its goal of all new cars sold in the UK being battery-powered from 2030. However, it looks likely that the European Union will allow cars powered by a range of ‘zero-emissions’ technologies, which is likely to include e-fuels.
What are e-fuels? They’re ‘alternative’ carbon-neutral liquid fuels made from ingredients other than oil – including hydrogen, carbon dioxide and even agricultural waste such as straw. There are some already on the market but they’re an expensive, niche product mostly used by car enthusiasts and in motorsport. You can read more about alternative fuels here.
E-fuels won’t replace electric cars as such, however it’s likely they will become more widely available, primarily for use in existing petrol cars. And there will be a lot of those for decades after new ones are banned.
What is a hybrid car? Would I need a charging point for one of those?
A hybrid car combines an engine with a battery-powered electric motor. The idea is to achieve better fuel economy and lower carbon dioxide emissions than the engine would be capable of by itself. Many hybrids are capable of driving on engine or electric power, or a mix of both at any moment. Sounds simple but, to complicate matters, there are three types of hybrid car.
They are mild hybrids (MHEVs), self-charging hybrids (HEVs) and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs). MHEVs have a small battery and very little ability to drive on electric power – or none at all. HEVs have bigger batteries and can manage a mile or so on electric power under certain circumstances. If you’re interested, Parkers has full articles that explain how mild hybrids and self-charging hybrids work in more detail.
PHEVs have much bigger batteries and more electric range – the best can go as far as 70 miles. As the name suggests, the battery is so big that it needs plugging in to fully recharge. The quickest, most cost-effective means of doing that is from a home charging point. Note that PHEVs are theoretically capable of hundreds of miles to the gallon, but only if you mostly drive on electric power. You can read more about plug-in hybrids here.
The Yours perspective
I have the pleasure of working alongside Graham, and I really value his insight and knowledge. I found it fascinating to get his perspective on EVs, and I've definitely learned a lot of valuable tips. Would I buy one? Well, at some point in the next year I need to downsize my large MPV, simply because I've got an emptier nest! I have been looking at hybrids, but I got very confused, so I really appreciate Graham's expert explanation.
Whether I go fully electric would honestly depend on the cost of getting a charger installed, so watch this space!
Graham King has been a car journalist since 2011, following a passion that started at age five when his mum started reading Val Biro’s Gumdrop stories to him – Gumdrop is a 1920s Austin that has all sorts of adventures. He joined Bauer Media in 2023 as a Senior Staff Writer on parkers.co.uk, focusing on content related to car ownership and usage, plus various aspects of driving and the occasional car review.
Becky Fuller is a senior digital writer for Yours.co.uk. She is also a fully qualified personal trainer and strength coach, specialising in fitness and wellbeing for over 50s. Prior to joining Yours, Becky was a fitness writer for Saga, and a freelance entertainment and theatre journalist. Becky is passionate about helping people to move well and discover the many benefits of strength training.