WHAT’S THE FUTURE FOR ELECTRIC CARS?
We think electric cars are the future. We also like to think that Honda makes and will continue to make the best electric cars. Together with its range of Hybrid Cars, all mainstream Honda models will be electrified by 2022. The UK Government obviously agrees that the future of motoring is electric. Its ban on the sale of petrol and diesel cars by 2040 has been brought forward to 2035, and may occur even earlier.
WHY IS HONDA DOING THIS? WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?
There are many benefits to the environment, as well as to you as a driver and owner. Take a look at just some of the advantages of all-electric cars below:
- Zero tailpipe emissions
- Zero noise pollution
- Cleaner air in our towns and cities
- Zero road tax
- More affordable running costs
- Fun to drive
- Instant torque on demand for thrilling off-the-line acceleration and safe passing
- Zero congestion charge
- Government Plug-in Car Grant of 35% of the purchase price, up to a maximum of £3,000
- Government Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme grant of up to 75% towards the cost of installing an electric vehicle chargepoint at your home
- Highly favourable BiK tax rates for company car users
I’M WORRIED ABOUT RANGE – WHAT IF MY ELECTRIC CAR RUNS OUT OF CHARGE?
Most current electric cars offer a good range. The Honda e, for example, has a range of 137 miles. That’s well in excess of what most people need to commute to and from work. For longer journeys, 137 miles can take you all the way from our Thames Ditton dealership to Birmingham. In fact, the National Travel Survey has found that the average UK journey is only 8.9 miles.
ELECTRIC CARS ARE ALL A BIT NEW, SO THERE AREN’T MANY CHARGING POINTS AROUND ARE THERE?
There are now over 18,000 charging points across the UK with more coming on-stream all the time. The Energy Saving Trust reports that even the 500-mile North Coast 500 route around the wilds of Scotland has enough charging points for an electric car to make the journey.
Take a look at the map here to see where electric car battery charge points are available right now.
In addition to public EV charge points, companies and organisations all over the UK are now adding charging points for staff and visitors, making an electric vehicle the ideal car for business.
BUT I DON’T WANT TO SIT AROUND WAITING FOR MY EV BATTERY TO CHARGE – HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE?
Well, let’s look at the Honda e, because that’s the electric car we know best. There’s a 35.5kWh lithium-ion battery onboard. Using a public fast-charge point, you can boost your battery to 80% of its charge in just 31 minutes – just time for a cup of tea. And 80% charge gives you over 100 more miles.
THAT SOUNDS GOOD – WHAT TYPES OF CHARGER ARE THERE AND WHAT CAN THEY DO?
Here’s everything you need to know about charging your electric car. The table below shows the chargers available for the Honda e, the approximate charging times and the percentage of charge achieved.
