Local Life - St Helens - May/Jun 2021

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How do I add charge
when I get home?
Home charging is one of the crucial
aspects of owning and running an
electric car. Being able to add energy
to the vehicle while it’s at your home
really does make things a lot more
flexible – and cheaper, too.
Whenever you buy a new car, there
are incentives in place for charging
at home. Government grants and
even manufacturer schemes will
make installing a home wall box
much cheaper. Yes, you can use a three-pin socket, but
this isn’t as quick or as safe as having a wall box.
Will it actually be cheaper to buy
and run an electric car?
Of course, the initial upfront cost for an EV is often more
than an equivalent internal combustion-engined car.
However, as the technology progresses, this is becoming
less common. The new Renault Zoe, for instance, is priced
from £26,495, which though still relatively expensive is
more in line with the segment.
The Prime Minister also outlined up to £582 million in
extra grants to help those buying zero or low-emissions
vehicles to lower the cost.
It’s charging where the cost savings really come into play.
As with petrol, the prices do vary between chargers, with
some costing from around 25p/kWh up to around 35p/
kWh. For around 100 miles of additional charge, you’ll be
looking at about £6-7.
When it comes to charging at home, that really depends
on your own energy tariff. Plenty of companies are now
offering EV-friendly plans that take advantage of lowerpriced
charging times, such as in the middle of the night.
However, for an average EV with around 200 miles of
range and a 60kWh battery, you’ll be looking at around
£8.40 for a full charge. It represents good value compared
with petrol and diesel.
Are there any benefits that aren’t as
obvious?
Though the cost-saving benefits are quite easy to see,
there are some other positives to owning an electric car.
One of them is simply refinement – EVs are quiet and,
therefore, relaxing to drive around in. You’ll notice quite
a difference compared with a petrol or diesel car, in fact.
Another positive is performance. Even lower-powered EVs
really zip away from the line, and they give acceleration
that regular cars simply can’t hope to match.
But isn’t the UK lacking in charge
points?
The number of charging stations in the UK has grown
enormously in recent years. According to ZapMap, there
are over 35,000 connectors across the country, made
up of around 20,000 charge points in about 13,000
locations.
In terms of how they’re spread out across the country, 26
per cent are in central London alone, with 13.5 per cent in
the south east and 12.3 per cent in Scotland. This figure is
only set to rise, too, as government funding looks to make
fast chargers more widespread across the country.
Furthermore, the Prime Minister has stated that an extra
£1.3 billion in investment will be rolled out in order to
improve the country’s charging structure and thus make
charging easier.
Doesn’t the energy for electric cars
only come from fossil fuels anyway?
Of course, an electric vehicle is only as environmentally
friendly as its energy source. However, many energy
and charger unit suppliers are working to ensure that
their energy comes from green suppliers. All of BP
Chargemaster’s charging stations, for example, are
certified as providing renewable energy, while home
energy providers like Octopus Energy provide power that
is completely green.