In a modern motoring world that looks to be constantly making the shift towards safer and greener electric and hybrid technology, an electric car is definitely not a bad way to go. That's particularly the case considering that, from the year 2030, the UK government is banning the sale of new petrol and diesel cars in an attempt to reduce the nation's overall contribution to climate change. As a result, most electric vehicles are now widely available all over the country.
You probably don't need telling that electric cars are pretty simple to grasp in their bare essentials. As the name suggests, they are, well . . . electric! Still, there's various other ins and outs to this class of vehicle that you might not be so sure of, whether that's to do with running costs, range anxiety, charging availability, and various other bits and bobs that it's important to be aware of.
As luck would have it, we're here to give you the lowdown on all of those.
Arriba!
What is a BEV?
A battery electric vehicle (BEV) is the purest and greenest of the three main types of electric vehicle in existence because, as opposed to hybrid plug-in and regular hybrid cars, it's completely electric and runs solely on a battery pack and electric motor. It's no surprise then that they're super eco-friendly and make drastic cuts when it comes to harmful tail-pipe emissions, meaning that they produce very limited C02 fossil fuels whilst in use, unlike more or less every other kind of vehicle. Despite that, like pretty much everything in this world, they still aren't completely CO2 free.
One of the most notable differences between a BEV and its petrol or diesel counterpart is that a fully electric vehicle is incredibly quiet to drive which, depending on your temperament, can be either a good or a bad thing! Whatever the case, though, it's sure to grow on you after a few hours of smooth, noiseless driving. Adding to that already-pleasant driving experience is the fact that the vast majority of electric cars and vans are automatic drives that make use of regenerative braking.
And if you're wondering what regenerative braking is, that's when the battery charges every time you hit the brake pedal.
As well as the standard electric vehicles which we're covering, you've also got other electric or partially-electric vehicle types:
Of course, BEVs sit at the top of the 'electricity scale', with HEVs being the least electric out of the three.
How does a BEV work?
Wondering how electric car batteries work?
Wonder no further.
In order for a battery electric vehicle to function, the electric car battery needs charging up in order for the vehicle to store that all-important electrical power. This battery power fuels the electric motor and, when charged, the energy is released in the regular day-to-day running of the car when you drive it or when you use any of its features such as the heating or lighting.
It works almost like a scaled-up version of the lithium-ion batteries inside your mobile phone, which utilises roughly the same technology. Only, instead of using a single battery, battery electric vehicles use a battery pack that's made up of thousands of individual cells all working together in unison.
Whereas conventional vehicles that run on diesel and petrol come with an internal combustion engine (ICE), a gearbox and a fuel tank, a BEV only comes with a battery and an electric motor, meaning that you won't have to worry about them emitting an awful lot of harmful tailpipe emissions.
In terms of chargers, you can use a level 1 or a level 2 EV charger for home charging. Alternatively, you could use more powerful level 3 chargers which are designed for commercial charging stations.
But enough of the science . . . Let's move on to identifying the main perks of these vehicles, which is after all what we're here for.
Pros and Cons of Battery Electric Vehicles
After all, if you are new to electric vehicle leasing, then it will probably be useful to get to know a bit more about the good and bad sides to a BEV vehicle before you decide to commit or not commit.
Pros of Battery Electric Vehicles
Eco-friendly
With a battery electric vehicle, you can sit back, relax, and drive your fully-electric car in the safe knowledge that you’re reducing your own carbon footprint and producing very limited CO2 emissions. This then begs the question: apart from solar panels, what better way is there to be environmentally friendly than to treat yourself to a brand new electric motor car?
Less running costs
The UK government's Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy highlights the fact that, despite typically costing more upfront, chargeable electric cars that make use of an electric motor are generally a lot easier and cheaper to get back up to speed than if you were filling up a standard petrol or diesel car at a petrol station. No paying seventy or eighty quid for a fresh charge! That being so, opting for electric power could be a way for you to save more money in the long run.
Less maintenance costs
Since there are a lot less parts to all electric vehicles than other kinds of vehicle that don't run on electric motors, there's also a lot less that can go wrong with them, meaning you'll be spending less of your precious time on servicing and maintenance worries.
Which means even more savings for you!
Tax benefits for business leasing
You won’t need to pay any company car tax if you take out a business lease with an electric vehicle or certain hybrid vehicles that produce tailpipe emissions below a certain level. This is in accordance with a tax rule that's been introduced by the UK Government as a way to increase the number of electric cars and vans on the nation's roads.
Cons of Battery Electric Vehicles
Requires continuous charging
Obviously, with electric battery-powered vehicles, you won’t be able to just pop over to a local petrol station and 'fill up' the electric motor as you would with conventionally-powered diesel and petrol cars. Instead, you'll need to find a suitable charging point, which could potentially involve installing a wall-box charger.
In addition, waiting for the charging process to finish can often be quite tedious. Ever wanted to watch paint dry?
Yeah, us neither.
Higher cost to buy
Along with hybrid cars and plug-in hybrid cars, electric cars often cost more to buy or lease upfront than their conventional petrol or diesel equivalents. However, you'll more than make up for this in the reduced running costs that come with all electric cars. By 'running costs' we of course mean not having to pay for a fresh tank of petrol or diesel with each charge.
Long distance drives can prove difficult
Electric car battery life and 'range anxiety' is often a concern for some users. As a BEV can only be charged to meet its maximum battery range, you might find that you run out of battery power and need to stop to find a charger en route.
They're a bit harder to find than petrol stations!
What's the Difference Between BEVs and Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs)
A hybrid electric vehicle bridges the gap between fully electric vehicles and conventional cars that run on petrol or diesel. As well as a battery pack, hybrid vehicles also come with an internal combustion engine. Once the electric charge has been expended and the battery power is depleted, the vehicle then switches over to the engine as an alternative source of power.
What's the Difference Between BEVs and Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs)?
Same again, except that, unlike with regular hybrid vehicles, plug-in hybrids recharge through being plugged in at your home or at public charging points.
The other difference between BEVs and plug-in hybrids lies in the size of the larger battery pack. A PHEV has a smaller battery pack than a BEV, usually managing to last around 30 to 40 miles on their electric power before giving out.
Leasing with LeaseLoco
With the increasing move towards battery-powered cars and electric vehicles brought about by the UK Government's drive for an EV revolution, more choices in the electric car market are rapidly becoming available. There's a wide range of different battery capacities and sizes, price points and models now there for you to choose from. So, whether you are looking for an SUV, a sports car or something else entirely, we have a number of deals available to suit your needs.
Here are the top three lease deals that we have on offer on the electric car market right now:
Or for our full range, feel free to search through our entire list of electric car lease deals on our site.
FAQs
How much is a battery for an electric car in terms of cost?
In the unlikely event that you need to replace your electric car battery, it's handy to know that the average cost of an electric car battery in 2021 was around £87 per kilowatt-hour.
If your electric car or van's capacity isn’t specified in kilowatt-hours, then chances are it’ll most likely be listed in terms of ampere hours (Ah). Ampere hours are a measurement of the vehicle's battery whereas kilowatt-hours measure the energy delivered.
How long does it take to charge an electric car?
The act of fully-charging battery electric cars could take just 30 minutes or it could take as long as half a day. How big your battery pack is and how fast your charging point is are all factors that can change the time required.
How safe are electric car batteries?
There are a few cases of an electric car battery catching fire, but it's really rare. And usually it's caused by external accidents and incidents rather than by the battery itself.
Rest assured that electric car manufacturers go to great lengths to ensure that electric vehicle batteries are as safe as possible for you to use, fitting in things like smart management systems to stop overheating and other problems.
Will an electric battery ever die?
Yes, but not for a long time. The current prediction is that electric car batteries will last anywhere from 10 to 20 years before they need to be replaced.
Also, you might be pleased to learn that most manufacturers set a five to eight-year warranty (or around 100,000 miles) on the batteries which they provide you with, just in case the worst should happen. It's natural for a battery to lose some of its potency from repeated overuse across an extended period of time – a process which can be avoided or delayed if you take good care of the battery.
Once electric car batteries lose their capacity to power an electric vehicle, they can still be put to good use as repurposed batteries, such as by contributing to a battery storage system and powering a home or a building. A battery energy storage system stores energy from batteries that can be used at a later time.
All part of the beauty with electric car batteries!
Are Electric Cars Environmentally-Friendly?
One hundred percent!
Well, almost . . .
As we've already mentioned, electric cars and vans aren't totally emissions-free (barely anything is), but they're close enough and are still the best way to go if you really care about the environment and want to reduce your carbon footprint.
What are the four types of electric vehicles?
There are four types of electric vehicle to consider: battery electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. There are a number of differences between these including range, charging and design and each will have their advantages and disadvantages. Read more of our electric and hybrid car leasing guides to find out which one is right for you.