Fact: The average range of new electric car models in recent years has increased significantly, with many models offering over 200 miles on a single charge, and some even offering more than 350 miles.

Fact: Most charging usually takes place at home overnight using a home charging point. However, some rapid-charging stations can charge an EV to 80% in 30 minutes or less; for example, the Kia EV6 can charge to 80% in around 16 minutes.

Fact: While it’s true that some power stations run on coal or gas, an increasing percentage of electricity comes from renewable sources, such as wind or solar power. 45-59% of the UK energy mix in the first half of 2024 was from zero carbon sources alone. Plus, EVs are more efficient than conventional cars even when charged with electricity produced from fossil fuels.

Fact: New EV prices are falling as manufacturers are increasing their production, and used EVs are becoming more affordable too. Plus, EVs have lower running costs, including reduced fuel and maintenance expenses. And you might be eligible for incentives and government grants (these vary by region) to help with initial costs.

Fact: Most EV manufacturers offer a 7-year or 100,000-mile warranty on their batteries, and the lifespan is generally much longer than that. According to telematics provider Geotab, “At the average degradation rate of 2.3% per year, an EV battery would take 15 years to decline to 70% maximum charge.”

Fact: EVs undergo the same rigorous safety tests as all other vehicles. Furthermore, their lower centre of gravity makes them less likely to roll over. Electric cars are also statistically much less likely to catch fire than internal combustion engine (ICE) cars. A recent Swedish study found that for every 100,000 vehicles sold, there were 1,530 reported fires for purely combustion-powered cars, and 3,475 fires for hybrids. EVs? Just 25.

Fact: EVs deliver instant torque, which means they can accelerate very quickly. Some of the fastest accelerating cars in the world are electric.

Fact: While extreme cold may affect the driving range to some extent, manufacturers are continually improving technology to minimise these impacts. For example, many electric cars offer pre-heating functionality. Our partner Otto Car has developed a helpful guide to show which models perform well in the cold and some useful tips to maximise EV range in the winter.

Fact: At the end of April 2024, there were 61,232 electric vehicle charging points across the UK. Uber is also investing £5 million to add 700 more charging stations across 3 London boroughs that are scheduled to be completed by the end of 2024. Zapmap has an excellent map feature so you can see just how many charge points are available near you.

Fact: While manufacturing an EV and its battery does have an environmental impact, this is offset by the reduction in emissions over the EV's lifetime. Furthermore, end-of-life EV batteries can be repurposed for energy storage before eventually being recycled.