Common questions about electric cars

Getting to grips with electric cars – your most common questions answered

As more car manufacturers are investing heavily into electric technology, we are starting to see electric vehicles becoming more mainstream. While these cars are still heavily aimed towards the new car market, we know that most people may be taking advantage of leasing options to fund their cars. As such, in the next year or so we can anticipate that a growing number of electric cars will begin to filter through to the used car sector.

When customers visit our four showrooms (Greg Street in Reddish, Buxton Road in Stockport, Manchester Road in Stockport, and Liverpool Road in Eccles), we often have long conversations with customers about what they are looking for in their next second-hand car. We’ve noticed that while there is plenty of curiosity about the technology within electric cars, there is still a lack of general understanding and awareness of what to expect from an electric car.

If you’re considering purchasing a used electric car, here are a few things that you may need to know.

How far can you drive an electric car?

This is the most pressing question that we are often asked about electric cars.

There is also a lot of scepticism about how far an electric car can travel on a single charge because the reality is unlikely to live up to the manufacturers’ advertised mileage. The advertised distances will be based upon optimum driving conditions, and minimal internal electric usage such as the radio or heating.

However, let’s be realistic.

When we drive, we’ll naturally be adapting to different speeds. We may have to cope with traffic delays. We’ll want to listen to our preferred radio station. We may need to use the in-built Sat Nav system. And if it’s the winter, we’ll want to use the heating to warm up. All of which can drastically impact the mileage range of a single charge.

Range anxiety is a real thing amongst drivers.

We know from our conversations with our customers that on a day-to-day basis, drivers are happy to make the switch to electric vehicles. But they are concerned that although an electric car may be nippy enough driving through the streets of Stockport or Manchester, there could be added complications when heading out on longer journeys. Many drivers believe that as it stands, the UK simply does not have the right infrastructure yet to cope with electric vehicles. We know that our motorways and dual carriageways are lined with petrol stations, but how many of these have rapid charging points? And how easily accessible are they? Do you have half an hour to spare to charge your car effectively?

As it stands, manufacturers promise that electric vehicles can (in theory) travel up to 300 miles on a single charge. But these are the premium, luxury car brands. Firms such as Tesla, Jaguar, BMW, and Audi may have longer ranges, but they are in the higher-price brackets. If you compare more affordable electric vehicles such as the Nissan Leaf (approx. 168-239 miles), the Renault Zoe (up to 245 miles) or even the MINI Electric (up to 144 miles), you can see that the mileage ranges decrease dramatically.

In real-world driving situations, you could expect these cars to achieve between 80-90% of their advertised mileage ranges.

What are the cheapest electric cars on the market?

Over the last few years, electric cars have become increasingly accessible as an alternative to petrol or diesel engines. Manufacturers have invested heavily into their design and engineering processes, and now every mainstream car brand now has a wide selection of electric vehicles available as part of their fleet.

As we mentioned earlier, most electric drivers are still purchasing these cars brand new, but the used-car market for electric vehicles is growing rapidly. At Dace Motor Group, we have a selection of second-hand electric vehicles for sale, and we are always looking to add to our stock of used cars.

The price of second-hand cars will have many different variables, so let’s look at some of the most affordable electric cars that are available to purchase brand-new.

If you want something small and compact, why not consider the SEAT Mii? With an OTR price of £20,000 it’s certainly one of the cheapest electric cars available on the market at the moment. And with a mileage range of 160 miles, this could be a perfect city car.

The Nissan Leaf is one of the UK’s most popular electric cars, selling more than 31,000 units to date. If you’re buying brand-new, you can expect to pay £25,000 as a starting price, although used Nissan Leaf’s can be found for as little as £17,000 (2018, 35k miles).

What about the Renault Zoe? This is another affordable electric city car. It was named Best Small Electric Car for Value 2021 by What Car? Magazine. With a starting price of £27,000, the Zoe promises to offer excellent value for money and has a range of 245 miles. A second-hand Renault Zoe may retail for approx. £7,500 for a 2016 model with 19k miles on the clock.

If you’re looking for something a bit bigger to suit family life, then why not consider investing in a Vauxhall Corsa-e? Retailing at £26,000 and with a 210-mile range, this is a vehicle that offers more oomph for longer drives, as well as offering the comfort that you would expect from the Corsa range.

How much does it cost to charge an electric car per month?

If electric vehicles seem more expensive to purchase upfront than their petrol or diesel counterparts, then the reduced running costs more than make up for it.

To start off with, pure electric vehicles (not Hybrid models) do not pay any road tax because they are below the emissions that incur road tax charges.

It can be tricky to make a direct comparison between fuel and electricity costs. This is because your electricity costs may vary depending on your tariff, your electricity provider, the time of day that you charge your electric car and how long you are charging your car for. Your costs could even depend on whether you have solar panels installed.

Typically, electric cars charged at home will use a standard wall plug to charge. You may choose to fit a wall box charging unit, and there are government grants available that can reduce those costs further. Some manufacturers may include the price of the wall box charging unit with the purchase price of a new car. A wall box charging unit will enable a rapid charge, meaning that you do not need to plug in your car overnight to charge your battery.

To make a direct comparison to traditional fuel costs, you need to consider what type of battery your electric car has and what your electricity tariff is.

Let’s take a Nissan Leaf for example.

It typically comes as standard with a 40-kWh battery.

The average price of electricity is 14p per kilowatt hour (kWh) depending on your tariff and location.

To establish an electricity price, you simply multiply the battery size by your electricity cost. A 40-kWh battery would cost approx. £5.60 to charge from empty to full (0.14p x 40 = £5.60).

This single charge should last for up to 168 miles.

If we compare this price to fuel costs, the average petrol price is currently £1.30 per litre. Let’s imagine that we are driving with an estimated MPG of 45. If so, it will cost £22.06 to drive the same mileage – almost four times as much as the electric car equivalent.

Therefore, it’s a clear no-brainer to see why so many people are finding it more affordable to make the switch to electric cars!

We can help you to find the perfect used electric car

At Dace Motor Group, we specialise in selling second-hand cars. For almost thirty years we have been a leading used-car dealership group and customers come to us from across the Greater Manchester region because they know that we will offer exceptional prices and first-class customer service.

We have a selection of second-hand electric cars available in stock, with new vehicles arriving daily.

If you are looking for a used EV and you know exactly what you want, please speak to a member of our sales team. We can use our network of UK contacts to find the perfect second-hand car for your needs.

Either visit one of our four dealership locations or contact us directly.

We’re always happy to help.