The Benefits of Driving Electric Cars

Environmental benefits to electric cars 

Electric vehicles, as the name suggests, run on electricity rather than fossil fuels like petrol or diesel, which means zero tailpipe emissions. Car emissions contribute significantly to climate change, so driving electric can have a hugely positive benefit on the environment.  

Plus, EV energy sources are greener. Unlike petrol and diesel cars, EVs can be powered by renewable energy sources that don’t harm the environment, like wind and solar, or from the country’s increasingly decarbonised energy grid. And because they're more efficient (as we’ll come onto), an electric car using electricity generated by burning fossil fuels is still better for the planet than an equivalent petrol or diesel car. 

Granted, the manufacturing process still creates some emissions, but even after accounting for this, EVs are still better for the environment. And with demand increasing, economies of scale and mass production will work to reduce the carbon intensity of the manufacturing of EVs. 

Additionally, many car brands including BMW, Tesla and Volkswagen are taking great strides towards cutting and off-setting emissions from manufacturing.  

Harmful air pollutants are a combination of gases (like NOx and CO) and particulates, found in soot from (particularly diesel) combustion, but also tyre, road, brake and engine wear. Electric cars still release particulates from tyre, road and brake wear, but brake wear is much reduced because of regenerative braking. If air pollution remains at high levels after all vehicles are zero emission (a big if, because a lot of progress will be made), the tyre and road surface industries will be targets for improvements. 

Energy efficiency 

When an engine is running, a not-insignificant portion of the energy used to power it gets wasted, mainly by heat as the parts move or through friction as the parts interact. But an electric motor has significantly fewer moving parts than an internal combustion engine, which means more energy goes to powering the vehicle and less gets wasted, resulting in higher efficiency. 

This also means less energy is needed to propel the car. Less energy used means less produced, which in turn means less CO2 emissions produced by non-renewable energy sources and the wider energy supply chain as a whole. All possible because EVs are more energy efficient than internal combustion engine cars. 

EVs are better for our health 

Petrol and diesel cars emit harmful exhaust gases and soot, which are known to be linked to numerous health problems. This is particularly important in densely populated areas like large cities where pollution, including CO2, from vehicle exhausts is high. 

But EVs can also combat noise pollution as they’re much quieter than equivalent internal combustion engine cars, with noise pollution linked to many issues ranging from hearing loss to depression and even insomnia. 

Electric cars perform better 

EVs are fundamentally superior to combustion vehicles in terms of power, torque, and acceleration, which in turn makes them great fun to drive. On the whole they handle better too due to their low centre of gravity, with their heavy batteries mounted in the chassis. 

Combustion engine cars do still beat EVs for long distances for the time being, as their hugely energy-dense fuel gives them better ranges. But electric car ranges continue to impress and improve, whilst improvements in battery energy densities and better public charging options will mean it’s only a matter of time until the EV becomes the king of long journeys. 

Cheaper running costs

Despite the currently high energy prices, electric cars can still be cheaper to run than petrol/diesel equivalents. Whilst this does depend on your home’s energy tariff and how efficient your particular EV is (likely very high!), there are plenty of other cost benefits that make EVs cheaper to run. For example, electric car maintenance costs tend to be lower as their drivetrains contain far fewer moving parts, so there are fewer things that may need fixing or replacing. Plus, the lack of a clutch system means there’s less metal-on-metal wear. Prices in general for EVs are also gradually coming down, thanks in part to falling battery costs at ~20% per year, and also simply due to the huge demand for mass-market and affordable electric cars from drivers looking to make the switch. This means we’ll soon reach a point where a fully battery-electric vehicle is the same price than an equivalent petrol or diesel car. Plus, there are still some government grants to make charging infrastructure cheaper, including the OZEV EV Chargepoint grant. Aimed at people either living in rented properties or who own a flat with dedicated off-street parking, it provides up to £350 off the cost of buying and installing a home charger.

Electric cars are far more convenient to own 

If you drive a petrol or diesel car, it’s definitely not fuelling itself whilst you read this. Sure, you can stand there holding the pump whilst looking at your phone, but your car can’t fuel itself without your help (plus, we don’t recommend this for safety reasons!). But if you own an EV, it’s entirely possible. 

That’s because when you need to recharge, you don’t need to detour to a petrol pump and waiting for it to refuel whilst standing in a smelly forecourt. Instead, you can simply plug it in to charge, walk away, and do something better with your time (like remind yourself of why your EV is so great by reading this article). 

Plus, cars spend around 95% of their lifetime parked. With an electric car, you can make use of that time to put energy into them either at their destination or, more importantly, at home – something combustion vehicle owners can only dream of! 

Modern EVs also often have ranges of 200+ miles, so even if you commute to work every day it’s unlikely you’ll need to recharge every day. But, importantly, you have the ability to when you get home, and wake up every morning to a fully charged car. It’s hard to explain what a quantum leap in convenience this is until you try it for yourself.