There’s a disconnect between the reality and the perception of electric vehicles (EV). Forecasts suggest a medium-term crossover point, probably towards the end of this decade, where the car industry is making more EVs than internal combustion engine (ICE) cars. Against that, there still exists a great deal of scepticism in the minds of consumers.
“An EV wouldn’t work for me because …” is a familiar conversation starter. It’s true, there are some people for whom an electric car is simply a non-starter – but that number is a vanishingly small percentage of the population. For most, an EV is going to be a money saver that makes no obvious impact on lifestyle.
Emily Rice, Renault UK’s product manager for electric cars, answers three readers’ questions.
I live in a terraced house and park in the street, so I’m unable to have a home charging point. What are my charging options? Elaine Hills, Brighton
Although it’s true that many current EV owners like to charge their cars at home using a dedicated wall-mounted charger in their driveway or garage, the good news is it’s far from the only option.
The charging infrastructure to support EVs is constantly growing and evolving. For instance, it was reported in May last year that 1,076 new residential EV charging points had been installed in London as part of the Go Ultra Low City Scheme (GULCS), and this figure continues to increase. Virgin Media recently began a pilot project to convert its broadband cabinets into charging points, with a view to eventually providing 40,000 EV charging points across the UK. Elsewhere, there are initiatives such as the MK Promise, through which Milton Keynes council offers to install, within a short walk, an overnight charging point for all new EV owners lacking access to private parking.
Access to a public residential charger is, however, still rare, and the much more common practice is to charge at the other end of a regular journey. “If you’d like to buy an EV, but don’t have the ability to charge it at home, check whether your workplace has charging facilities,” says Rice. “It’s common to simply not notice charging infrastructure if you don’t own an EV – but once you start thinking about switching, you really start to notice how many charging points are around you.”
Based on data from the various infrastructure suppliers, it is estimated that 90% of charging is done at home or at work. Only 3% takes place en route to a destination, with the rest made up of people who “graze” – charging in short bursts at the supermarket, the gym, or a municipal car park. Coffee shops are getting in on the act too, recognising that a half-hour charging cycle is even better than free wifi for creating a captive audience.
It’s worth noting that the notional “full charge” is an ICE hangover, driving until the warning light comes on and then filling the tank. Getting a full charge in Sainsbury’s or Starbucks may take a few hours – but with EVs such as the New Renault ZOE having a driving range of 245 miles*, it is unlikely you will need to find somewhere to charge every day, so owners aren’t arriving with the (usually metaphorical) needle in the red.
If you’re doing the average 10-mile commute twice a day, then an EV can recharge in the time it takes to whizz around the aisles or gulp down a skinny latte. There is massive growth in the number of places offering a charging point. Zap Map, the handy EV app and website, lists more than 31,000 connectors spread across more than 17,800 devices in more than 11,000 locations across the UK – and the figures are going up daily. More than 6% of the charge points are now found at supermarkets.
If you charge an EV and then don’t use it, have you wasted your electricity? Jonathan Bailey, Sheffield
The short answer is: no. Or rather, not really. “The thing people tend to ask about is leaving their car when they go on holiday,” says Rice. “If you leave your car at the airport for a couple of weeks, you’re not going to notice a discharge. There’s lots of inbuilt technology in a Renault ZOE designed to ensure the batteries are as efficient as possible. Even if you leave your EV sitting around for a few months, it’s not going to be an issue for the traction battery.”
The concern allied to this is the idea that battery performance will be less impressive as the vehicle gets older. While battery capacity can drop as the vehicle gets older – it won’t be to the extent it did a decade ago when the technology was in its infancy.
“I think a lot of people worry that the battery in an EV is like the one in their phone, and they’re going to see the performance decline after a couple of years – but it really isn’t like that,” says Rice. “We all know that a phone reaches a point where you’re having to charge it a couple of times a day – but the technology in the lithium-ion battery of the car is far superior to that. If you’re driving it in the same way as a petrol or diesel car, you’re not going to experience any problems with an EV. We know it’s an area of concern, though, which is why Renault gives its EV batteries an eight-year or 100,000-mile warranty**. Hopefully that inspires confidence in the technology.”
Is it more difficult to get a problem with an EV car resolved because there are fewer expert mechanics? Edward Jones, Northamptonshire
The good news with an electric vehicle is that there are fewer moving parts to go wrong, so service plans are correspondingly cheaper. “We estimate the cars are, on average, 25% cheaper to maintain,” says Rice. “There’s no oil to change at a service, no - requiring replacement after five years. Your brakes and tyres wear slightly less with the EV’s more efficient regenerative braking. You will find savings not only in fuelling the vehicle but also servicing it.”
On the flip side, while EVs require less maintenance, they also require different maintenance. While 100% of the Renault dealer network are EV trained, across the industry the figures are mixed. According to research by the Institute of the Motor Industry, by the end of 2018, only 3% of technicians were qualified to work on EVs. While that sounds bad, it’s worth bearing in mind that fewer than 1% UK cars are pure electric so, if anything, there are more technicians available per electric vehicle than there are for conventional cars.
The downside is that most of these technicians are employed by mainstream dealerships, with relatively little EV expertise in backstreet garages. EVs are, however, selling in ever-larger numbers, and mechanics are not immune to market forces. More technicians will train on EVs because, slowly but surely, that’s where the market is heading.
Curious to learn more about EVs? Find out more about the New Renault ZOE at renault.co.uk/zoe
* Model shown is GT Line, from £28,620 MRRP. Play R110, 245 miles and GT Line R135, 238 miles. CO2 while driving: 0g/km, MPG: n/a. Figures shown are for comparability purposes; only compare figures with vehicles tested to the same technical procedures. The electric range shown achieved using the new (WLTP) test.
** Eight-year/100,000-mile traction battery warranty (whichever is reached first). For full warranty terms and conditions, please visit renault.co.uk/warranty
