Take a look below at the most commonly asked questions around Electric Vehicles and learn more about charging and driving today.
A hybrid car is one that combines a combustion engine with a battery and electric motor. In a self-charging hybrid, the battery is small and simply supports the engine during acceleration while also helping to lower emissions. In a plug-in hybrid (PHEV), the battery is much bigger, typically giving the vehicle approximately 30-40 miles of zero emissions range. As the name suggests, PHEVs must be plugged in to charge up.
A plug in hybrid, or PHEV is a vehicle that has both a combustion engine and a battery pack with an electric motor. These cars have the capacity to travel for short distances (usually 30-40 miles) on electric power alone, and must be plugged in to recharge.
There are many benefits to choosing an electric car. These include the reduced impact on the environment, cheaper running costs and, often, a more dynamic drive. Considerations include the availability of charging points in your local area, and whether you have a driveway or garage that makes home charging easy, or whether you rely on on-street parking.
Most modern electric vehicles have the capability to last at least as long as their fuel counterparts. Many manufacturers offer an eight year/100,000 mile warranty on the battery, but current predictions suggest EVs could run comfortably for up to 15 years.
The zero-emissions range of your chosen electric car depends on the make and model, whether it’s a full EV or a plug-in hybrid, and a range of factors such as your driving style and the ambient temperature. To find out about the maximum range of the electric cars in stock at Allen Leasing, speak to a member of our team today.
Of all the vehicles we stock here at Allen Leasing Deals, the Ford Mustang Mach-E has the longest range, providing up to 379 miles on a single charge. However, most of the electric passenger cars available from the franchises we represent have a driving range in excess of 200 miles.
There are three main types of electric vehicles, battery electric vehicles (BEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs).
Both electric and hybrids rely on electric mobility, but in different ways.
Full electric cars are always powered solely by electric motors meaning they have zero emissions and are almost entirely silent when moving. This isn't the case for hybrid vehicles, such as PHEVs and full hybrids (HEVs), as they also use a traditional gasoline engine (petrol or diesel) to power the car. As such, they cause pollution and noise, just like a regular vehicle.
Electric and hybrid cars also differ in running costs. The reduced cost per kilometre of an electric vehicle makes them more economical in daily use than hybrid cars. Plus, their mechanical system is more straightforward, so they require less complex maintenance.
You will need to plug an electric car into a charging point, also known as an EV charging station, to charge an electric vehicle. This is a unit that provides electric energy to recharge your vehicle's battery.
An EV charge point works similarly to charging any other electrical device, like your mobile phone. You simply plug the car's charging cable into the electrical socket and wait for the vehicle to reach the required charge amount.
In the UK, there are four different types of charging options you can use:
It's entirely up to you whether you choose to install an electric charging point at your home. Most EV drivers prefer to charge an electric vehicle at home during the night to benefit from lower electricity costs and less vehicle downtime, however, this is a personal choice. You may prefer to charge your vehicle at one of the UK's 10,000+ public charging points or at a different address such as your workplace.
If you plan to install a home EV charger, the price of the unit depends on several factors, including:
There are over 10,000 public EV charging points across the UK, offering a range of charging options from 3kW lamp post chargers to 50kW to 120kW rapid chargers. This is set to increase with 700 new EV charging locations added in the past year alone.
The time it takes to charge an electric car varies depending on several factors, including the size of the car's battery and the speed of the charging point.
Average EV charge times for the different types of charge points are:
Unlike traditional petrol or diesel cars, which have expensive exhaust systems, starter motors, fuel injection systems and radiators to maintain, electric vehicles have fewer moving parts which can make them easier - and cheaper - to maintain.
However, it is worth noting that you must continue to service and maintain your electric vehicle regularly to keep it safe and legal on the road. Conventional parts like brakes, tyres and windscreen wipers will need regular maintenance as any standard vehicle would.
Almost all electric vehicles are automatic because an electric motor doesn't require gears. This means there's no clutch and no possibility of stalling, unlike a manual car.
Electric cars drastically reduce your carbon footprint and help to reduce air pollution considerably, versus a traditional petrol or diesel car.
As pure electric vehicles (EVs) don't have an exhaust system, they produce no carbon dioxide and zero tailpipe emissions when driving. This means they do not emit toxic gases or smoke in the environment like a traditional petrol or diesel car.