What is Travel SMART? Travel SMART is an initiative from Surrey County Council that aims to help Surrey residents and businesses reduce carbon, calories and cost. The Travel SMART team want to encourage people to travel using sustainable modes of transport. Doing so will cut traffic congestion and keep our air clean. To find out more about Travel SMART and to follow our latest news, please use the contact details below. Thinking of switching to an electric vehicle? travelsmartsurrey.info travelsmart@surreycc.gov.uk @TravSMARTSurrey Travel SMART Surrey Helping you cut carbon, calories and cost Find out more at travelsmartsurrey.info
Electric vehicles are everywhere these days. Perhaps you re considering buying one, but wonder how they measure up to conventional vehicles. This leaflet is designed to answer your basic questions and point you to the additional information you need to make the best decision about whether an electric vehicle is right for you. There are four main types of EVs: 01. Full EV (BEV) Uses batteries to store energy that powers a motor. The batteries are charged by plugging the vehicle into an electrical power source, and BEVs can also be charged by regenerative braking - slowing down the vehicle by converting and storing its kinetic energy. Peugeot ion City car EV range: 93 miles Charge time: 7 hours Price: 21,216 What are electric vehicles? Electric vehicles (EVs) are cars that are powered by one or more electric motors, using electrical energy stored in rechargeable batteries instead of a petrol/diesel engine. For lots of people, the first thing that comes to mind when you think of EVs is the Sinclair C5, but the industry has come a very long way since the 1980s; modern EVs are convenient, reliable and affordable. Nissan Leaf Small Family EV range: 124 miles Price: 16,490* BMW i3 Supermini EV range: 118 miles Charge time: 3 hours Price: 25,980 Renault Zoe Supermini EV range: 130 miles Price: 13,995*
Tesla Model S Executive EV range: 310 miles Charge time: 14 hours Price: 50,880 02. Plug in range extended EV (E-REV) Powered by batteries, but also fitted with a small petrol/diesel generator that can help extend the range of the vehicle by topping up the batteries while driving. Vauxhall Ampera Small Family EV range: 52 miles Price: 28,750 04. Conventional hybrid In a sense the opposite of the E-REV, these vehicles have a conventional petrol/diesel engine which is boosted by a supporting electric motor powered by regenerative braking. Peugeot 3008 HYbrid4 Family EV range: n/a Charge time: n/a Price: 27,545 Please note that prices refer to base models and could be subject to changes and include grant-related discounts (see the next page). * Price does not include battery purchase or lease 03. Plug in hybrid (PHEV) Powered both by electric and a conventional diesel/petrol engine. The diesel/petrol engine provides power when the battery is depleted. The battery can also recharge from the engine and via regenerative braking. Toyota Prius Large Family EV range: 15 miles Charge time: 2 hours Price: 28,395 Who should buy an EV? All electric vehicles are ideal for the vast majority of typical journeys, whilst for longer journeys, PHEVs or E-REVs (which both have back-up petrol/ diesel engines) are more versatile alternatives. Currently more than 60% of UK households have more than one car, and EVs are very well suited to being the second car in a household.
What are the advantages of buying an EV? BEVs don t create any CO ² exhaust emissions. PHEVs do, but in very low quantities. They re therefore good for the environment and air quality, particularly in town/city centres. Although electricity to power the car still needs to be generated, all EVs are greener than a regular car. Not only is the cost of charging EVs very low (about 2.20 to fully charge an EV overnight from a standard socket in your home), it also costs less to run (around 2p per mile compared to 12p per mile for a petrol vehicle). EVs have ten times fewer moving parts than petrol powered cars and thus require less maintenance. They re smoother to drive than regular cars. Flexible fuelling! You will no longer have to drive to a petrol station; all you need is a charging point at home or at work. Charging an EV is easy! Most can be plugged into a standard home socket The average UK commuting distance is only 15km easily covered several times over by all modern EVs There are a host of tax incentives for business users, including: Taxation of Company Cars: 0% until April 2015 and 5% thereafter. Car/Van Fuel Benefit Charge: no fuel benefit charge. Van Benefit Charge: reduced until 2020 Enhanced Capital Allowance: eligible for 100% first year allowance until 2018. Fuel Duty: EVs exempt. Vehicle Excise Duty: EVs exempt. Value Added Tax: electricity attracts only 5% level of VAT, compared to 20% for road fuels. Congestion Charge: EVs and PHEVs which meet the criteria are eligible for a 100% discount. Can I get a grant to help me buy an EV? A government grant scheme is in place to help people buy EVs. For more details go to gov.uk/plug-in-car-vangrants, but here s the basics: 25% off the cost of a car, up to a maximum of 5,000 20% off the cost of a van, up to a maximum of 8,000 Grants are available for BEVs and PHEVs; you can find a full list of eligible cars on the website The range EVs can cover is a problem though, isn t it? Not anymore. Battery life has improved significantly, and whilst the majority of charging is likely to take place at home or at work, a fast growing national network of public charging points exists to allow you to recharge your EV s battery on the move. To give an idea of some typical EV ranges: Travelling from Guildford to Brighton? The Nissan Leaf has a maximum range of 124 miles, which would get you there and back - it s 50 miles each way. The Peugeot ion has a maximum range of 93 miles, which would take you from Woking to central London and back, (30 miles each way) and as a bonus you wouldn t have to pay the congestion charge. If you have a longer journey to make, the Tesla Model S has a maximum range of 300 miles, which would get you from Woking to Newcastle (295 miles one-way). A Vauxhall Ampera has a maximum range of 52 miles; it would therefore do the first 52 miles using the electric battery only and would then revert to its petrol generator for the rest of the journey (up to 310 miles on a full tank), taking its range up to 362 miles.
There are three types of EV chargers: Where can you find charging points in Surrey? Slow charging full charge in around 8 hours Fast charging can fully charge EV in 3-4 hours Rapid charging can provide an 80% charge in 30 minutes How do you charge EVs? Most electric cars come with a standard charging cable that allows the car to be plugged into a normal three pin wall socket. Some also use a quick charging, gun shaped socket for coupling with dedicated power units either at home, your workplace or at a public charging point. We recommend getting a qualified electrician to check that your home/office wiring is robust enough to handle the high electrical draw of your EV if you plug it into a normal three pin wall socket. There are 1,500 EV charging points in the United Kingdom, 400 of which are rapid charging points: this number is however growing fast as more companies and councils are installing charging points for their own and public use. There is a large network of public charging points around the country Websites like zap-map.com and nationalchargepointregistry.com provide maps of all the EV charging points available in the United Kingdom. Charging points can usually be found in car parks, motorway services and retail outlets: you will therefore generally be able to go shopping or have a cup of coffee while your car is charged. Charging points are defined by the power (kw) they produce and hence the speed at which they can charge an EV.
What about electric bicycles and motorbikes? A range of electric bikes are available at a number of high street cycle shops and online. They allow you to pedal when you want to, or use an electric motor to take you 30 miles or so on one charge. Electric bikes can be ridden on a public road by anyone aged 14 or over. A number of electric motorbikes and mopeds are also available and can provide a range of up to 185 miles per charge. Agility - Saietta R Urban Sport Motorcycle EV Range: 120miles Charge Time: 3 hours Price: 19, 770 iped C Electric Scooter EV range: 25 miles Price: 1,495 Still not sure? Here s our top ten reasons to buy an EV EVs have very low running costs - just 2-3p per mile! Modern EVs use highly efficient lithium ion batteries similar to that in a laptop computer Grants are available for up to 5,000 (car) and 8,000 (van) towards an EV s purchase price Battery lease options are available Your EV will be fully recharged if you leave it plugged in overnight, much like a mobile phone Your driving will be clean and green thanks to the UK s growing generation of renewable electricity EVs do not emit tailpipe pollutants and contribute to cleaner air EVs are exempt from vehicle tax and fuel duty The average EV can travel up to 100 miles per charge Your chances of running out of charge when stuck in traffic are about the same in an electric car as in a petrol-fuelled car