How much does it cost to charge an electric car?

According to leading electric vehicle charging provider PodPoint, the average domestic electricity rate is about 32p per kWh. This equates to around £17.28 for an electric car with 54kWh usable battery capcity. Costs will vary depending on energy provider and the time of day you charge. Typically utilising an off-peak home charging tariff you will save money on charging.

How long does it take to charge an electric car?

You can calculate the time it takes to charge an electric car by dividing the battery size by the rate of charge. The time it takes to charge an electric car depends on a number of variables including the make, model, battery size and type of charger. Usually the larger the battery capacity of the car, the longer it takes to charge.

How do electric cars work?

Hybrid cars use both electric and combustion motors. Pure hybrids charge automatically through a combination of regenerative braking and an internal combustion engine, while plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) can be charged by plugging them in. A fully electric vehicle only has an electric motor and does not use traditional fuels, and will only charge up when it’s plugged in.

Are all electric cars automatic?

Fully electric cars do not have a manual gearbox meaning they are almost always automatic due to their single-speed transmission.

Are electric car charging stations free?

Costs will vary depending on the provider. There are some electric car charging stations across the UK that are free.

Can you charge an electric car without a driveway?

You can charge your car with the public charging network which now has over 40,000 public chargers in over 25,000 locations. There are now more charging points in the UK than petrol stations. Find out more about electric car charging.

Can electric cars run on petrol?

BEV cars (Battery Electric Vehicles) are electric only. Plug-in hybrid, self-charging-hybrid and mild hybrids all run on a combination of combustion engines and electric motors. This means they can be powered by battery or fuel such as petrol.

Can you lease an electric car?

Yes. There are a range of car finance options available for electric cars, you can find out more about the options available here.

What electric cars are available on motability?

There are a range of electric cars available on motability, you can browse the range here.

Used electric cars for sale

Used electric cars at Arnold Clark

Overview

Used electric car buying guide

Electric cars have been around since 1830. However, it wasn't until 2010, with the arrival of the Nissan Leaf, that EVs started gaining popularity with UK car buyers.

By 2012, we had the arrival of the Tesla Model S which would go on to become one of the best-selling electric cars in the world, and the rest is history. Now EVs are nearly as common on our roads as traditional combustion engine cars.

Recently, the costs of buying second-hand electric cars have significantly fallen. With an increased supply of electric cars in the UK, there are now many used EVs available at more affordable prices for customers.

Some used electric cars are now the same price or cheaper than their Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) equivalents. This means that you can get excellent prices on many different EVs, including high spec second-hand models.

We have thousands of second-hand electric cars here at Arnold Clark, including used EV deals on all your favourite models like the BMW i3, Vauxhall Corsa, Skoda Enyaq, MG ZS, Volkswagen ID.3 and more. There's never been a better time to go electric!