Switch to driving an electric vehicle

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Wherever you are travelling, it’s best to consider walking, cycling or public transport as your first option if possible. However, the reality is that for now most of us still need to drive – either occasionally or regularly – and so the best thing to do is ‘drive less, and drive better’.

That basically means switching your essential car journeys from polluting petrol and diesel cars to more environmentally friendly electric ones! Just think of the personal benefits. No more trips to breathe in fumes at the petrol station, waking up every morning to a fully charged car, and pretty much guilt-free driving if you have charged with 100% renewable energy – what a breath of fresh air!

EVs are also being found to have incredibly long lives – 25 years+ – due to low needs for engine maintenance, and they are significantly cheaper to run and maintain. Plus you can enjoy a more powerful, quiet, responsive, and overall better driving experience. And that’s before we have even talked about the environmental benefits. It is predicted that by 2030, one in every five cars on the road will be fully electric, and that by 2040 the EVs will make up well more than half of new car sales worldwide.

There are a huge range of EV models to choose from these days, and the second-hand EV market is also set to grow in the next few years, meaning EVs will soon become not only the greenest but most affordable driving choice for us all.

Tips

Think long term: if you can’t buy second-hand, new electric vehicles can feel expensive, but lower maintenance and running costs mean they work out cheaper long-term.

Relax: Many new owners worry about running out of charge on longer journeys. Electric vehicles can cover long distances, but the average daily journey is often only five to ten miles. You may only need to charge once a week week / fortnight to stay fully powered up.

Look at newer and older: buying a good, pre-owned electric car is more affordable and avoids the factory emissions still required to build a new car. Share: if you only need a car occasionally, clubs like Co-Wheels offer an affordable way to make those little journeys greener.

Climate impact

Choose cleaner: electric vehicles are much better for the environment than petrol or diesel vehicles. When charged with 100% renewable electricity they are the most sustainable way to travel in Oxfordshire outside of walking and cycling. Even if charging with clean energy isn't an option for you, they're still far better for the environment than petrol and diesel vehicles.
Long term change: While mining certain battery materials has a negative environmental impact, work to improve the efficiency of electric vehicle batteries will reduce the need to mine. And given the longer lifespan of electric vehicles (up to 25 years) less mining is required for the steel and other parts to replace vehicles in the future.
Lead the charge: when you choose to drive an electric vehicle it prompts those around you to make the switch too. You also add to a wider cultural shift that speeds up infrastructure changes.
Breathe easier: Electric vehicles are much more efficient in terms of CO2 emissions, and with no exhausts they are better for our local air quality too.

Next steps

Which car?See which model of electric vehicle suits you best - visit the Next Green Car website. They also have a fuel cost calculator to help you compare running costs against petrol cars.

Charging at homeIt’s possible to charge your car using a normal outlet, but for fully electric cars it could take over 35 hours so you’ll probably want to install a home charger.

Help with installation costs.The government offers grants to install charge points in some circumstances, including for people who own and live in a flat, or who rent a property – find out if you’re eligible.
No off street parking? No problem. Register your interest in Oxfordshire’s innovative ‘Gul-e’ system. It allows you to connect a wall-mounted charger to your kerbside electric vehicle without a cable trailing across the pavement. They should be widely available across Oxfordshire this year.
A charging point for your street.If you live in Oxford City and have no off-street parking, you can nominate your street for a charging point through the Go Ultra Low Oxford project.
Renters, keep in mind: if you live in a rented property, your landlord – not the council – has to authorise an installation of a charge point.

Charging when you're out:Zap-Map is the best place to find your nearest public EV charge point.

In Oxfordshire the public EV charging network is growing especially fast - you can use one of 20 Park and Charge fast charge hubs, as well as a SuperHub of rapid and ultra-rapid chargers at Redbridge Park and Ride for those who need to top-up within minutes.