At Arnold Clark, we offer the best new and used electric car deals from a selection of manufacturers including BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Mitsubishi, Renault and Toyota.
There are some things to consider when choosing an electric car such as charging, driving range and road tax. We’re here to help you choose the car that’s best suited to you and your needs.
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 |
 |
 |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) |
Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) |
Self-charging hybrid (HEV) |
Mild hybrid (MHEV) |
|
| Motor Type | Electric only | Combustion engine and electric motor | Combustion engine and electric motor | Combustion engine and electric motor |
| How is the battery charged? | The battery must be plugged in to charge | The battery must be plugged in to charge | The engine charges the battery | The engine charges the battery |
| Can the battery power the car? | Fully powered by the electric motor | Powered by the electric motor or engine | Powered by the electric motor or engine | No, it’s not powerful enough to drive the vehicle |
| Charging point required? | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Road tax | Low to zero | Low | Lower than petrol/diesel model equivalent | Lower than petrol/diesel model equivalent |
| * | How it works | How it works | How it works | How it works |
Driving an electric vehicle reduces both direct and lifecycle emissions from vehicle production.
By not using traditional fuels, you’ll save money.
With fewer moving parts and reduced engine noise, expect a calmer commute in your new EV.
Thanks to reduced emissions, running costs will be cheaper.
With the government keen to meet agreed emissions targets, financial assistance is available to help you make the switch.
Some EV cars deliver over 250 miles fully charged, which is sure to soothe any range anxiety you might have.
There are electric car charging stations across the UK. Questions about the cost of charging, and how long it takes to charge an electric car are common and answers depend on the types of charger your car has. There are three charger point variations:
Slow charging is rated at 3-6kW, meaning you can charge your EV overnight by plugging into a traditional three-pin socket.
Fast chargers are rated at either 7kW or 22kW, depending on their type. You can fully charge a car that’s powered by a 30kWh battery in 2-5 hours.
Rapid charging of up to 50kW will have your car at 80% charge in just 40 minutes, meaning you can take on long distances hassle-free.
The range you can expect to get from your electric vehicle battery may change depending on the season, as cold weather requires higher energy use in order to heat the battery coolant, and to maintain a comfortable temperature inside the vehicle.
According to insurance aggregator NimbleFins, who ran a test on several EV models available in the UK, the average electric car range is 193 miles.
Thinking of going electric? Find out everything you need to know at the Arnold Clark Innovation Centre in Glasgow. We have a team of experts ready to answer your questions and over 60 electric and hybrid cars available to test-drive.
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We’ve brought some of the main points regarding insurance, grants and tax into one place.
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According to leading electric vehicle charging provider PodPoint, the average domestic electricity rate is about 14p per kWh. This equates to around £11.20 for an electric car with 80kW engine.
This depends on the type of charger you have, which can either be slow, fast or rapid.
Hybrid cars use both electric and combustion motors. Pure hybrids charge automatically through a combination of regenerative braking and an internal combustion engine, while plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) can be charged by plugging them in. A fully electric vehicle only has an electric motor and does not use traditional fuels, and will only charge up when it’s plugged in.
| Representative finance example - | |
|---|---|
| £181 | Monthly payment |
| £181 | Deposit |
| 60 | Term (months) |
| 4.7% | Fixed interest rate |
| £8,998 | Cash price |
| £8,817 | Credit amount |
| £1 | Completion fee |
| £11,058 | Total amount payable |
| 8.9% APR | Representative |
Instead of a traditional engine, BEVs (also known as EVs) run on a battery pack and electric motor, which is charged either at home or on a public charger. Most modern EVs have a range of around 200 miles, making range anxiety a thing of the past.
A PHEV has a larger battery than you’ll find in a hybrid electric vehicle and it needs to be regularly plugged into the grid to charge. Some PHEVs will do up to 30 miles on a single charge but can be driven in electric mode until the range runs out and it reverts to the traditionally fuelled internal combustion engine.
Hybrids have a traditional petrol engine, an electric motor and a small battery pack which work together. When you press the brakes to slow down, the energy is recovered by turning the motor into a generator to top up the battery. The electric motor kicks in as you start the engine, and the electric motor can boost the petrol engine when you want some extra acceleration.
A mild hybrid electric vehicle works like a hybrid. But, in an MHEV, the battery doesn’t power the vehicle on its own – it just helps the engine perform more efficiently.
