Electric cars are increasing in popularity as the UK gets closer to its 2030 deadline for all new cars to be electric. This is already beginning to show as the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) released their official 231 new registration statistics for 2023. Their results showed:
- For the month of April 1,870 new electric vehicles were registered, compared to 1,280 in April 2022
- So far this year 11,164 new electric cars have been registered in comparison to 7,515 +48.6% in the same period 2022
- As electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids and hybrids continue to increase their market share, they now have a combined market share of 42%
There are numerous benefits when it comes to owning an electric vehicle, Confused.com car insurance expects have outlined the following:
- Electric cars are more more environmentally friendly than petrol or diesel cars
- No road tax for electric vehicles until 2025
- You don’t pay a congestion charge in London or other cities like petrol and diesel cars
- It’s cheaper on a cost-per-mile basis to run an electric car than petrol or diesel cars
- There are some grants for some low-emission vehicles, such as motorbikes, vans and taxis
With electric cars being generally cheaper to run than diesel and petrol, Confused.com car insurance experts surveyed 2000 UK drivers, and found that 1 in 5 (20%) drivers have considered selling their current car and making the switch because of the current cost of driving.
When buying a new or used electric car it’s important to understand the differences between refuelling and charging your new car. Luckily for new EV owners Confused.com has created an EV charging point map that shows you where your closest EV charge point is.
Confused.com motoring expert, Louise Thomas commented: “As electric vehicles grow in popularity, they are certainly becoming more prominent on UK roads. The initial upfront fees can be expensive, but there’s lots of long-term benefits for both the environment and the driver.
“Generally, EVs are cheaper to run than other vehicles. And as electricity doesn’t give off harmful chemicals, they’re currently free to tax until 2025. As a result, the financial benefits can be tempting for many. In fact, our latest research found that 1 in 5 (20%) drivers have considered selling their current car and making the switch because of the current cost of driving.
“But as demands for EVs continue to rise, so does the need for charging points. With many fuel stations still outnumbering EV charge points, it might be hard for drivers to find one if they don’t know where to look.
“Our EV charging point map can help drivers locate the nearest charge points from a growing network. All they need to do is pop in the nearest town or postcode. The map will even let drivers know of the charging speeds and whether they’re free to use.”
