As the UK works towards net zero by 2050, in April 2022, steps are already being taken in many different ways, with the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme (EVHS) reforming their current plan, encouraging people to make this switch to more carbon neutral energy.
Electric energy is most certainly the future of vehicle transportation, particularly in cars and other road vehicles. Electric car sales reached a record 3 million in 2021, up 40% from 2019. This strong growth was a stark contrast compared to that of general cars that use petrol or diesel, with overall car sales down 16% due to the Covid-19 crisis. After a decade of rapid growth, there are now over 10 million electric cars on the road, with the projection of 300 million electric cars on the road by 2030, accounting for over 60% of new car sales.
The major benefit of electric cars is the contribution that they can make towards improving air quality in towns and cities, particularly with the ever-growing problems of global warming continuing to scare-monger the public in the news and headlines. With no tailpipe, pure electric cars produce no carbon dioxide emissions when driving, thus reducing air pollution considerably. To put simply, electric cars give us cleaner streets, ultimately making our towns and cities a better place to be for everyone. In over a year, just one electric car on the roads can save an average 1.5 million grams of CO2 (carbon dioxide). That’s the equivalent of four return flights from London to Rome.
With the UK government setting their target that the sale of petrol and diesel cars will be banned by 2030, let’s have a look at some of the key benefits for making the move to Electric today!
EVs and the reformed grant
There are a few schemes that help make a switch to drive electric cars. The government grants include help with charging points at home and at work as well as buying a new EV. The EVHS gives eligible electric vehicle owners grants of up to £350 towards the cost of having a home charger installed, with the current scheme ending at the end of March, replaced by the new scheme. Ourselves at MeKo are proud to offer this deal with our installations of these Electric Car Chargers, so enquire today if you want to switch to healthier, greener energy!
From April 2022, the EVHS will no longer be open to homeowners (including people with mortgages) who live in single-unit properties such as bungalows and detached, semi-detached or terraced housing.
Installations in single-unit properties need to be completed by 31 March 2022 and a claim submitted to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) by 30 April 2022.
The scheme will remain open to:
- Homeowners who live in flats
- People in rental accommodation (flats and single-use properties)
Battery power is the (undoubted) future
Reusing and recycling batteries is a growing market, particularly within the car industry. Research into the use of second-hand batteries is looking at ways to reuse batteries in new technologies such as electricity storage. One day we could all have batteries in our homes being used to store our own energy. Opportunities like this will reduce the lifetime environmental impact of battery power and manufacturing. It is especially worth remembering that the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles will be banned from 2030, so electric cars will hold the better resale value if you were to make the switch today!
Better, smoother driving
Electric vehicles have a much more responsive acceleration system in comparison to non-electric vehicles. The regenerative braking when easing off the accelerator is also more responsive as they tend to have a low centre of gravity, ultimately improving handling, comfort and road safety.
Reduced running costs and noise
Statistically, it has been proven that electric vehicles require lower running costs. On average, an electric car costs less than £1.30 to drive 100 miles vs. £11.05 for a petrol car. There’s also cheaper service and maintenance plus low or no vehicle tax. the reduced noise comes hand-in-hand with this, with electric cars are so quiet, they are now required by law to have an Acoustic Vehicle Alert System (AVAS) to emit a sound when reversing or travelling below 12mph (19km/h).
Finally, it’s better for the environment!
As we all should know by now, one of the biggest advantages of driving EVs is the impact on our environment. Pure EVs have no tailpipe, so they don’t emit any exhaust/greenhouse gases, which in-turn reduces local air pollution, particularly in congested cities. Research by the European Energy Agency found that, even with electricity generation, the carbon emissions of an electric car are around 17 – 30% lower than driving a petrol or diesel car. The emissions from electricity generation are also dramatically improved when low carbon electricity is used.
If you are ready to make the switch to greener, more efficient energy today, then contact us at MeKo, we are more than happy to discuss the options available to you!
#MeKoElectrical #NetZero #Electric #EV #CarbonNeutral #Environment #BatteryPower
https://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/electric-vehicles-from-life-cycle