I quite enjoyed Andy Mile’s piece on EV Obsession relating his charging conversations. He lives in the UK. I live in Florida. When discussing costs of “fuel” for an all-electric car, it seems my experience is even less expensive than his. Miles relates a fine experience of savings on fuel for his electric car, but I tend to have free charging everywhere I go (and no home charging). The other savings he relates is certainly a major consideration as well — the sheer savings of EV maintenance compared to maintenance of an ICE car is remarkable. Beyond personal use, company car drivers could save thousands of pounds/dollars by going electric.
Miles points out that for servicing there is much less to do. “I have to have the motor coolant changed every 20 years, and every year, I have to get the pollen filter changed.” As Miles points out, because of regenerative braking, the brake pads last practically forever. There is no oil and no oil filter. There is no air filter. No clutch. No exhaust. There are no spark plugs or timing belts to replace. There is no expensive engine and gearbox to wear out. “Say what?” People can really look amazed at this point. I see it all the time with my electric vehicle conversations.
I was disappointed last year when talking to a raw juice company owner who did not choose to purchase a hybrid or an electric company car. The company was selling valuable raw juices for detoxing and using glass bottles (to its credit!), but what a blind spot considering that along with a detox, the company is distributing emissions while delivering those juices (collateral damage). It’s not just savings on health they were overlooking. This was the US, but similar enough I suspect to the UK — they probably could have saved money going electric.
Clearing up this confusion for UK business owners, Go Ultra Low points out that company car drivers could save around £3,974 in Benefit in Kind rates and £3,402 in fuel savings over 3 years with a 100% electric car. (Companies considering health and well-being especially need to take a look at Renault and the Felix Project, which delivering food to London’s most in need using electric vans.)
“New fuel and tax cost calculator tools from Go Ultra Low reveal cost-savings for business and consumer motorists. Government grants and incentives, such as Workplace Charging and Plug-in Car Grant, represent further thousands of pounds’ worth of savings. New figures from Go Ultra Low reveal that company car drivers could save around £7,376 by switching to a 100% electric car. This figure, calculated by comparing average electric and diesel models, includes a Benefit in Kind (BIK) rate saving of £3,9741, in addition to an average £3,402 fuel saving over a typical three-year cycle of company car ownership.”
Going on: “New online cost comparison tools on www.goultralow.com provide fuel and tax cost savings for both company car drivers and private motorists. The cost calculators allow all-new petrol and diesel engine cars to be compared side-by-side with every plug-in hybrid and 100% electric car from Go Ultra Low’s supporting manufacturers Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Nissan, Renault, Toyota and Volkswagen.”
Poppy Welch, Head of Go Ultra Low, said: “Businesses should not be put off by the upfront purchase price of electric vehicles, but should instead focus on the fantastic savings they offer over the life of the vehicle. However, we know that many questions and concerns still remain in regards to electric vehicles and their viability for business. That’s why Go Ultra Low has developed a range of tools to offer businesses and drivers the information they need to choose the car that best suits their needs.
“Further cost savings are available too, as Government grants provide up to £4,500 off the price of pure electric cars, £2,500 off the price of eligible plug-in hybrid cars, and up to £8,000 off the price of a new electric van. Consumers can also benefit from up to £500 off the cost of installing an electric ChargePoint at their home. To make commuting in a plug-in car even more viable, businesses can also take advantage of the Workplace Charging Scheme, which provides grants of up to £300 per charging socket.”
Not many people know it at this point, but an electric car can save many individuals and companies money, aside from protecting our health, climate, and national security.
Related Stories:
Expanded Use Of EVs in CT, MA, MD, NY & PA Could Yield “Multi-Billions” In Savings & Benefits
UK’s Go Ultra Low: EVs Could Be Dominant By 2027
London Mayor Sadiq Khan Wants To Expand Ultra-Low Emissions Zone
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