First published: 21/02/2024 -

Last updated: 21/03/2024 -

Verified by our Editorial Panel

Switch to electric vehicles

A little less time in the car is a green choice many of us can make to improve our health and wellbeing, ease traffic congestion and keep our roads safe. When we do need to drive, there are still changes we can make to reduce harmful emissions to the environment and people around us.   

Electric vehicles (EVs) produce fewer emissions, are quieter and have lower servicing and maintenance costs than those that run on petrol or diesel.  

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What can we do?

For those of us who have a petrol or diesel car, servicing it regularly will keep it running smoothly, and can also reduce its emissions. Keeping speed to 60mph and below will also save on fuel.

If you can afford it, consider purchasing an EV when it's time to replace your current car. By 2035, we won’t be able to buy new petrol or diesel cars and vans, so it’s useful to start learning more about EVs ahead of this shift to electric:

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Types of electric vehicle 

Battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) are powered only by electricity.  Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) have a battery, an electric drive motor and an internal combustion engine, and extended range electric vehicles (E-REVs) combine a battery, an electric drive motor and a small petrol or diesel generator. Learn more about these three types of EV at Energy Saving Trust.

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Carbon emissions

EVs don’t release direct emissions, as they run on electricity – so they’re much better for the environment than petrol and diesel cars. Driving an EV won’t produce exhaust pollutants that can harm the natural environments you drive through. They also help to reduce nitrogen dioxide pollution and reduce noise in towns and cities. While their production does have a carbon footprint, the total life-cycle emissions of hybrid and electric vehicles are reduced by up to 89% compared to internal combustion engine vehicles. 

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Range & charging

A full charge in a pure electric vehicle will get you around 220 miles and will cost approximately £23 if you are able to charge at home. Conversely, driving 220 miles in a petrol or diesel car will cost around £41 in fuel. The cost savings will be most significant when owners charge at home and have access to an off-peak overnight electricity tariff. So while charging at home tends to involve a cheaper tariff, using public charge points will still cost less than filling up a petrol or diesel car, and it will help you reduce carbon emissions too. The amount of time it takes to charge a car depends on many factors, and you can find out more about charging times here.

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Costs

Although the initial upfront purchase price of an EV can be higher than a petrol or diesel vehicle, this is usually offset by lower running costs. For example, electricity is cheaper than petrol for the same distance. There are also fewer mechanical components in an EV compared with conventional vehicles, which often results in lower servicing and maintenance costs. An EV battery won’t need changing very often, but when it does, it can be one of the most expensive parts. 

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Road tax 

Vehicle tax, more commonly known as road tax, is another area where electric car buyers can make savings. Electric cars with a list price of less than £40,000 are exempt from paying the vehicle tax other cars are subject to. That means you’ll pay nothing. 

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Air and noise pollution

Although EVs don’t create exhaust pipe emissions as they run on electricity, they do cause pollution through tyres and brakes. The extra weight of EVs compared to petrol and diesel cars increases wear and particle pollution. EVs are quiet, so their engines don’t add to noise pollution, although to safely alert pedestrians to oncoming traffic, EVs include a sound generator to add a certain level of sound when reversing or running below 12mph, and at higher speeds they still make noise from their tyres on the road surface.  

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Batteries

The majority of emissions produced by an EV are during the manufacturing and assembly of electric batteries. Although many manufacturers are working to improve mining techniques to reduce emissions from the mining and extraction process, various non-renewable materials like lithium, nickel, cobalt or graphite are used to manufacture electric batteries. There’s also no standard process for recycling batteries yet, although there’s a lot of research going into how electric car batteries can be reused.

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Energy use

An EV’s electric motor is highly efficient and converts around two thirds of the electricity to mechanical energy. This is much higher than conventional cars, which usually convert less than one-third of fuel to power the car. 

Why take Action

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Reduce carbon emissions

To achieve net zero by 2050, we need to change the way we travel. Although switching to electric cars is part of the solution, fewer cars on our roads, more people using public transport and adopting active travel where we can, are all part of the solution too.  

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Convenient charging:

Many people in Wales currently need a car to get where they need to go – especially for those of us living in rural areas and for disabled drivers. The Wales transport strategy sets out plans to ensure the charging infrastructure is in place for those using EVs, as well as to improve the transport network in Wales. 

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Future proof for the switch to electric

As we won’t be able to buy new petrol or diesel cars and vans from 2035, getting to grips with EVs now will help us transition to electric. Over £20m has already been invested in EV charging in Wales, and the Welsh Government’s EV charging action plan details the specific steps to ensure users of EVs in Wales are confident that we can access charging infrastructure when and where we need it. This includes fairness in the way infrastructure is prioritised, and guaranteeing access to community charging points for those unable to charge at home.

Tips and support for getting started with an electric vehicle  

  • Search for grant and funding opportunities both for EVs and for home charge point installation.

  • Find the local EV charge points nearest to you. 

  • Consider second-hand EV options for your next car purchase.

  • Use an online cost calculator to see how much an EV would cost to run compared to a petrol or diesel car.

  • Look into whether your employer offers an EV to work scheme, as a growing number of companies now do.

  • The next time you’re renting a car, try an EV. It’s a great, low-commitment way to give one a test drive.

  • Visit the Energy Saving Trust website for advice on electric vehicles for disabled drivers.  

  • Visit the Transport for Wales website to learn more about EV charging points in Wales.  

For further support or advice call

0300 0604400

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